It’s Not Just Small Talk: Good Communication Between Mom and Baby Contributes to Healthy Infant Brain Development

talking to baby Moms do this naturally! We express our affection through our words. We gush over our baby from the moment he is born.

Before baby even says his first word, he talks with his limbs, with his smiles and with his coos. And once baby starts cooing, who can resist responding to those sweet sounds? We just want to talk back!

When baby starts expressing himself, even without words, we begin the joy of a two-way conversation. But don’t wait for baby to initiate. Talk to baby throughout your day! There are lots of fun ways to engage baby with your words and the sound of your voice.

Research Indicates the Benefits of Good Communication Verbally with Baby for Healthy Infant Brain Development

Higher intelligence is linked to the amount of words a child hears in his first year of life.

Baby’s brain is stimulated when you talk to him which helps to strengthen the connections that make learning possible.

High proficiency in reading and writing is linked to language skills because spoken language is foundational to literacy. So, baby will be a better reader and writer.

Good Verbal Communication Examples with Baby

Use Board Books

Point out what you see in the pictures. Talk about the colors, the sizes of objects (big and small comparisons etc.) and the character’s feelings. Give baby time to respond to your words. When he does, even if it is just a sound, praise and encourage him by saying something like, “That’s right!” or “You like the picture of the dog.”

Baby may not understand everything you’re saying but this interaction is laying the ground work for his language development, his emotional development through time spent together and his future literacy as a lover of books!

As baby’s verbal skills develop, reading together will give baby the opportunity to point things out to you with his own letter sounds and words! Because you will have modeled this for baby from the start!

TIP: Keep Reading and Repeating

I notice that my little ones often want me to read the same books over and over again. Although I may get tired of reading them, my boys never tire of hearing them! According to the National Literacy Trust in the UK, “repetition helps children to understand and remember the language they hear.” Baby’s desire to read his favorite book again and again gives him the opportunity to master what he’s hearing!

TIP: Touch & Feel Board Books Provide A Lot to Talk About & Also Offer a Multi-Sensory Activity

As baby touches the lion or the car, use words to describe what he is feeling. Baby will see, hear and touch all at the same time! This multisensory experience will help you grow a smarter baby!

Check out our online store for some of my favorite board book selections!

Use Your High-Pitched, Sing-Song Voice Some Researchers Call “Motherese”

This is the voice that always comes out naturally when you are talking to baby. Research shows baby actually prefers it! In fact, one study found that “motherese” helps children acquire certain aspects of language. So, don’t be embarrassed. Speak motherese! Baby loves it!

Learn more ways mom makes a big difference in baby’s brain development here!

Talk to Baby About What You’re Doing

As you tidy up the house, shop at the grocery store, or buckle him into his car seat, talk to baby about what he’s seeing and experiencing.

For example, say, “Mama is putting you in your car seat. Let’s put your arm under the strap. Click! There you’re all buckled up and ready to go!” Talking to baby about his world will help him develop his vocabulary! Don’t underestimate the valuable language skills you are depositing when you talk to baby about the activities of his day.

TIP: Wear Baby Throughout Your Day to Facilitate Dialogue and Close Contact

Baby wearing is a wonderful hands-free way to keep baby close to you. Wear baby in a baby carrier or slingas you go about your day. He’ll be snuggled close and near to hear all you have to say! He’ll benefit so much from being an intimate participant in mommy’s world!

Practice safe baby wearing with the tips found here.

Encourage Baby’s Siblings to Talk with Him

Baby with Sister With a growing family, you may not have as much time to talk with your 3rd born as you had with your 1st. No worries! Baby’s siblings will add to his accumulation of language! Not only will baby delight in the added attention but this interaction will foster the relationships between siblings and baby as well. I often encourage my kids to grab a baby board book and read to baby. Even my 3 year old can do it. He simply describes what he see in the pictures.

When you have more than one child, your time is divided. But don’t look at this as a deficiency. Instead, see how God has given baby additional relationships to enjoy and learn from. Just as baby does with you, he will imitate and model what he sees his siblings doing and saying. They are great teachers- for better or for worse! Utilize them for good! Trusting them with this responsibility, your older children will build confidence. Remember, we are raising future fathers and mothers!

TIP: Your Older Children Will Learn How to Interact with Baby by Watching What You Do

Because you’re attentive and interactive, they will be too. I always get a kick out of hearing my children talk to our baby in a voice an auctive higher and using my same words. What a responsibility we mothers have to be good role models! With God’s empowering grace, we can be all we need to be for our families!

Talk to Baby About His Body

While giving a bath, a massage, while changing a diaper, or getting him dressed, help him begin to identify his body parts and affirm how he is“fearfully and wonderfully made!” (Psalm 139:14). For example, I tell him how I am “washing his strong legs, gentle arms and loving hands”.

The Bible says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Our words carry weight and creative power with them. While massaging my baby’s tummy, I speak over him words of “healthy digestion” and a “strong immune system.”

Speak words of blessing and life over your baby!

TIP: Pray and Bless Your Baby

We recently discovered this amazing ministry and resource! Arthur Burk’s Plumbline Ministries offers Ministering to Babies in the Womb. It’s designed to be used during pregnancy up through adulthood. Mom may want to soak in these blessings as well!

The CD set includes biblical truths and scripture you can speak over your children. It is never too early or too late to plant these truths into our children’s identities and spirits.

Minimize Baby’s Use of a Pacifier

A pacifier can interfere with baby’s language development if it is used at the wrong times. The UK’s National Literacy Trust states, “Pacifiers prevent babies from babbling-an important step in learning to talk. So only use them at set times, like bedtimes.”

When baby cries, he is trying to tell you something. Try to find out what it is and meet his need in other ways while using a pacifier as a last resort.

Listen When Baby Talks

This teaches baby the basics of conversation-that it’s an interchange between mom and baby! By listening closely, you are showing baby that you value what he has to say. You encourage him to keep talking!

Imitate Baby’s Sounds

Baby spends many months listening and storing up language. He begins to mimic your intonation and sounds with his cooing. There is a study “that illustrated how four-day-old infants showed a preference for their native language, be it French or Russian. In this simple test, it was shown that Russian babies sucked harder when hearing Russian than they did when hearing French. French babies did just the opposite and sucked harder when they heard French than when they heard Russian.” (Raising Multilingual Children by Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa).

I find this study fascinating because it demonstrates at a tender age how babies are already distinguishing sounds and identifying with their own language.

You reinforce baby’s verbal expression by repeating his sounds back to him. You are in effect modeling for baby what he should do with you to enhance his own language development. He’ll be storing up language from the start!

Learn more ideas for raising a smarter baby here!

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