Look who’s
talking
Over the coming months,
prepare yourself to hear
your baby’s babbling turn
into effusive first words as
she discovers her voice
and chats up a storm!
At this stage you may have noticed a newfound
determination in your bundle of joy, and you will
have started to hear funny little babbling as she tries
to talk to you. Soon, those first sounds will become
more and more recognisable, with sounds like
‘mama’, ‘dada’ and ‘gaga’ being the most common.
Although at this stage the words may not have any
meaning to them, you can help your baby to gain
more understanding by playing games, repeating
words and looking at books together – these will
all improve your baby’s language skills.
Next Steps
Your baby’s first words are thrilling for you
both, and as your child starts to speak, here
are a few ways you can help:
1
Narrate your actions
You may find that you are already doing this, and
that it comes as second nature to just chat away
to your baby about what you’re doing, who you’re
going to go and see, what you’ll do there, and so
on. You might find like you are constantly stating
the obvious, or that you look a bit ridiculous, but
rest assured that this is a fundamental way for
your child to learn.
2
Speak slowly and clearly
Become aware of how you speak. Try to
enunciate clearly, don’t rush and let your child
see your face when you speak. Experts also
advise against the use of ‘baby talk’ when
speaking to your little one, try to teach them the
right words from the beginning.
For your big parenting adventure