At two months old, babies don’t understand words yet, but they can read emotions from faces and pick up on the tone of your voice.
In today's world, parents want to be in sync with their babies and feel like they understand each other without words. But this ideal doesn't always come true.
Moms don't always know what their babies want, and babies don't always get it.
Is this bad?
No, it's perfectly normal. Babies don’t yet know how to speak or understand language, so you can’t communicate in the full sense of the word.
You can still talk to each other, though, and it happens every day!
How can I talk to my baby, really?
First of all, through facial expressions. Most of what we know about the world comes from what we see. Babies are no different.
Babies start to tell faces apart very early on. They can tell the difference between mom, dad, and a stranger from the time they are two weeks old.
They can also copy the expressions on adults' faces. It's likely that your baby will copy what you do if you stick out your tongue or open your mouth wide [1].
Do I need to talk to the baby?
Yes! While your baby won't understand the words, they will pick up on your intonation and emotions.
Babies are very receptive to tones. If your voice sounds anxious or tense, the baby might start to worry. If you speak gently and calmly, the baby will feel more at ease [3].
Most parents naturally start speaking to their babies in a special way, using short sentences, stretched syllables, and raised tones at the end of phrases. Common words are often replaced with sounds, like calling a toy car "vroom-vroom" or a cat "meow-meow."
This baby talk helps strengthen the bond between babies and caregivers. It comes naturally, but under stress, this ability might fade. So, it's important to give yourself time to rest and recover [4].
And what is there to talk about?
Anything and everything!
Ask your child how they are doing.
Tell them what you are doing at the moment.
Name the items you see.
Comment on their grimaces and grunts.
This strengthens your emotional connection and promotes your baby's brain development [5].
Photo: shutterstock
