Communication

Parents and carers are the most important people in their children’s lives. You are the best person to help your child develop.

Babies love hearing your voice. There are lots of activities you can do with your baby to help them develop their communication and language skills. They do this by listening, watching, copying and touching. When you talk, listen and respond to babies you are helping them develop.

The most important thing is to spend time talking and playing together.

Eye to eye contact gets people talking

From birth, babies love to look at faces and will gaze into your eyes. Eye to eye contact is a powerful form of non-verbal communication between you and your baby. It also helps to develop their social skills.

Hints and tips

  • Make eye contact with your baby when you are talking to them. This helps them to pay attention and shows them you are focused on them.
  • Play peek-a-boo with them when you are changing their nappy.
  • Have your baby facing you when they are in their pushchair. Talk about things you can see when you are out and about.
  • Hold things your baby likes next to your face to encourage them to give you eye contact.

"I learn most when we are close"

From birth babies love to look at your face. Being face to face helps them to listen, understand and copy you.

Hints and tips:

  • Make funny faces for your baby to copy e.g. stick your tongue out at them and they will try to copy what you are doing.
  • Face your baby and sing nursery rhymes.

"My home language is best for me"

Talking to your baby in our home language will help them in getting ready to learn another language when they go to school. Most people across the world speak more than one language, being bilingual is an advantage!

Hints and tips:

  • If they can talk confidently in your home language, learning a new language will be easier.
  • Babies like it when you talk to them in your home language because you are more relaxed and confident.
  • It is fun to look at books and sing songs and rhymes in your home language because it’s familiar.
  • By learning your home language your baby will develop language skills and grow up being able to talk to everyone in their family and community like their grandparents, aunties, uncles, etc...

Songs and rhyme make talking time

Singing with your baby is a great way for them to hears of speech sounds and words.

Hints and tips

  • You may not be a pop star, but your baby loves to hear your voice the most.
  • Babies love to hear the same songs over and over again.
  • Make singing fun by using lots of actions and different voices.
  • Babies love it when you make up your own songs based on the things they like, or everyday routines.
  • It's fun to make free musical instruments out of everyday objects like saucepans and spoons or plastic bottles filled with dry pasta or rice.

The best things in life are free

Talking with your child about the world around them is a great way for children to develop their language.

Hints and tips:

  • When you are out and about with your child, talk about the things around them.
  • While you are doing things around the house talk about what you are doing, like taking the plates to the table and putting the washing up in the water.

The magic touch

Loving touch helps babies to feel secure. Skin to skin contact relaxes both you and your baby. It’s a special way for you to bond. You can’t spoil babies with too many cuddles.

  • Get close to your baby, it helps them feel safe and helps you get to know each other.
  • Hold your baby close when you sing and talk to them.
  • Sit your baby on your knee and look at books together.
  • Interact with your baby during the day with a smile, high five, tickle or cuddle.

The best toy your child can have is you

Talking and playing together helps your child develop. You are better than any toy! Talk to your baby about the world and join in with their play.

Hints and tips

  • Talk to your baby about what's happening when you are out and about.
  • Tell them the names of object and talk about what you are doing together.

Babies are born seeking out social interaction. The more you respond to them and talk to them, the easier it will be for them to make essential brain connections for talking and learning.

When you interact and respond we sometimes call this ‘serve and return’. This is because there is a back and forth pattern which builds early communication skills For more information click here BBC tiny happy people: tools for talking 3-6 months.

"Take it out so I speak out"

Over use of dummies and bottles can affect speech and language development. Speech and language practitioners and health professionals recommend that dummies and bottles are not used once your child is 1 year old.

Hints and tips

  • Before you give them a dummy, try to work out why your baby is crying. They may need changing or feeding or might just need a cuddle.
  • When your child is playing take their dummy away.
  • Instead of having a dummy try giving your baby another comforter, for example, a soft toy or blanket.

Bottles to cups

Introduce your baby to drinking from a cup or beaker from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals. Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn to sip and is better for your baby’s teeth. It might be messy at first but be patient, your baby will gradually learn how to drink from an open cup. Once your baby is 1 year old, feeding from a bottle should be discouraged.

When using a bottle or trainer cup, do not put anything in it other than breast milk, formula milk or water, and do not add anything else (including sugar, cereals, baby rice or chocolate powder) to the feed.

Comfort sucking from a bottle on sweetened drinks causes tooth decay in young children. Drinks flow very slowly through a teat, which means the sugary substance will be in contact with their teeth for longer.

When to seek advice

If you have concerns about your child's communication and language development you can: visit a Family hub, contact your health visitor, contact the Stoke-on-Trent Visiting HUB (0300 303 3298), contact 'ChatHealth' text 07312277161, speak to your GP or visit Staffordshire and Stoke speech, language and communication journey.

Local activities

Singing bears - a mix of rhymes and songs

Mondays 10:30am at Stoke Library

Booking not required, for more details contact Stoke library on 01782 238446

Mondays 10:30am at Tunstall Library

Booking not required, for more details contact Tunstall library on 01782 238471

Tuesdays 10:30am at Longton Library

Booking not required, for more details contact Longton library on 01782 238424

Thusdays 11am at City Central Library

Booking not required, for more details contact City Central Library on 01782 238455

Fridays 10:00am and 11:00am at Bentilee Library

Booking not required, for more details contact Bentilee library on 01782 231315

Fridays 10:30am at Meir Library

Booking not required, for more details contact Meir library on 01782 237559

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Communication

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