Communicating with your growing baby

Communication – top tips

There are many things you can do to communicate with your baby. Here are a few top tips:

• Have fun with nursery rhymes and songs, especially those with actions, for example, Incey Wincey Spider and playing games like Pat-a-cake and Peek-a-boo.
• Use lots of different sounds to interest your baby such as a rattle, a squeaky toy, a funny voice, etc.
• Talk about what you see and do throughout the day, such as going to the shops and listening to cars, trains, etc.
• Name the objects your baby sees- this could be their toys or things like clothes, parts of their body or household objects.
• Look at your baby as you talk and give her time to respond.
• Get down to your baby's level, play with her and let her see your face as you talk
• Spend some special time with your child everyday. Talk together when you are playing.
• Have some time during the day when the television is switched off
• Try to reduce the use of dummies after 6 months. Dummies can affect speech and sound development
• Respond to any attempts your child makes to communicate, for example answer the noises and babbles, repeat back any sounds that your baby makes and add language
• Use simple repetitive language

Anyone can refer to speech and language therapy, if you are concerned contact your local health centre.