Fantastic Four: #4
Let’s conclude my fantastic four ways to enrich, enhance, and boost your child’s developing speech and language skills!
First, a quick review:
And now…..for the fourth one: Use strong body language! I bet you are wondering, “What in the world does she mean by that?” I didn’t say strong body odor, I said strong body language! 
I simply mean that you should use your body language to emphasize your spoken word! Gesture, point, smile, and use eye contact.
Did you know the young babies prefer to look at the human face above all else? The shape and contours of the human face draw the infant’s gaze to yours. Use your eyes to obtain and maintain their attention as much as you can!
Another great way to use body language is to hold your little one close to you when talking to them. This physical touch also engages their developing brain and gets the wiring going in the right direction!
So, that’s it for the fantastic four…super easy,aren’t they? And I’m telling you these go a long way in helping those communication skills become all they can be!!
We’ll talk again soon!
It’s Finally Here!
I am so excited to announce that my first educational product for parents is now available-YEAH!
This product was born in my mind over ten years ago. As you know, I am passionate about providing helpful and relevant information for parents to help them nurture and enrich their baby or toddler’s developing speech and language skills.
Strong speech and language skills are the foundation for all future learning. Good speech and language skills are critical to your child’s overall development.
If you would like to learn more, please go to babytalkandbeyond!
Summer Time Fun
It’s hard to believe it’s almost June. That means Summer is almost here. The first official day of Summer is June 20th; but for those of us who live in Florida, it feels like Summer long before it’s officially Summer..
Summer is a great time to build wonderful family memories and it’s also a great time to build great language skills! Opportunites abound everywhere!
Your family vacation will be a great experience for you and your little one to discover new things and places to talk about. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunities to point out and label new things for your baby or toddler.
Maybe you are just going to stick close to home and take in the local attractions. The local zoo is wonderful place to take your little one and talk, talk, talk! Name the animals, describe the animals, talk about what they eat, what they are doing, etc!
Whatever your plans are for this summer, make it a great language building time for your little one…you won’t regret it!
Remember: Get baby-talking!
Let’s Review!
I want to take time today to review with you some really effective ways to boost your baby or toddler’s developing speech and language skills:
- Talk! Yes, you’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it forever: Talk to them and with them! Yes, even when they are babies and they can’t talk back yet. (They sure will try though!) Your baby’s brain is processing language in amazing ways throughout their first year of life (and beyond) and it’s absolutely essential that they hear lots and lots of it so their brain is super primed for language learning and expression!
- Read! Start reading before your baby is even born. Read to them in your belly. Get into the habit and continue it for the rest of their lives!
- Sing! Babies love music and they particularly love their mommy and daddy’s voices.
- Laugh! Laugh with them and build joy! True joy builds deep and lasting relationships and helps the brain form a firm foundation for life.
Get baby-talking!
Food For Thought
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s very easy to forget about yourself when you are a parent, particularly when your children are very young and require constant care.
Don’t forget to take some time out for yourself! I’m a big proponent of going to Starbucks, getting a cappuccino, and chilling out! Leisure time is needed to help us unwind and relax.
But you need more than just leisure time… I also want to challenge you to do something that requires you to learn something new. Why I am I suggesting this? Because when we learn something new, we get outside of the daily ‘rut’ of our mind and become sharper, better, smarter, and more engaged.
And guess what? You’ll become a better parent in the process!
So, go take up ballroom dancing (or whatever it is that you’re going to learn!) and get baby-talking!
Happy Mother’s Day
Sometimes as I lie in bed at night and think about my daughter, I get overwhelmed. I start worrying about if I handled everything ‘right’ that day. For example, did I respond to her correctly when I got upset over something? Or did I handle that disciplinary moment appropriately and the thoughts can go on and on and on and the knot in your stomach can grow larger and larger! Ugh…this is not the way to live!
If I plan to get any sleep that evening, I have to tell myself, “Chill out!” Mothers have a tendency to worry about their little ones and anything even remotely related to their little ones.
What is that quote about worry?
“Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere!”
How true!
With this in mind, I want us to do something for ourselves. I want us to give ourselves a present this coming Mother’s Day. Let’s stop worrying, shall we? Some of you may be saying, “Who me…I don’t worry!” But I have a feeling the overwhelming majority of us are saying, “Uh, o.k….how?”
Well, I’ve learned that worrying is a choice. So, we simply choose not to. Yes, sounds easy, but it is hard to do. But you can do it! When those worrisome thoughts start coming, consciously choose to think about something else. You may find yourself refocusing your mind a hundred times a day; but eventually, if you stick with it,the worry habit will diminish! And you will become a much happier person, and in the long run, a much better mommy!
Ladies, can we commit to stop worrying? I am!
So, here’s to all you wonderful mothers out there: Happy Worry-Free Mother’s Day!
Telephone Talk!
You know what one of my favorite toys was when I was a little girl and my daughter has nearly the identical toy today? The Fisher-Price Classic Chatter Telephone!
Do you remember those? Red, blue and white with the happy little face on the front with the eyes that move around when you pull it by the string? I loved that toy. And my daughter loves hers also. During her ‘rest’ time, I let her play with it and she will chat endlessly. I gave it to her when she was around a year old. And she’s enjoyed it ever since….
A telephone is a great toy for your baby or toddler to play with. It encourages babbling, vocalizing, talking…all those things we want our little ones to do! And an even better idea is for you both to have a phone in hand and talk to each other. This is a great way to encourage even more vocalizing and turn-taking as well!
Of course, there is an endless variety of toy phones out there to choose from, but just make sure you have some kind of telephone for your baby to play with. You will be amazed at what they say or try to say. And of course, they will want to imitate you…so watch what you say!
And remember: Get baby-talking!
Be Nice!
Don’t you like it when people are nice to you? I do! And guess what? Babies like it when you are nice to them too!
Babies respond in particular to pleasant soothing tones. That’s why baby talk is so effective! A pleasant, high-pitched sing-songy voice will captivate and capture a baby’s attention like no other!
Baby talk doesn’t mean you are talking like a baby to your baby; baby talk means you are talking and responding to your baby in a melodic manner with clearly articulated speech!
So, you know what I’m going to say now…
Get baby-talking!
Catch Them Doing Good!
Let’s continue our discussion regarding communication and behavior. Good speech and language skills in a toddler can help decrease tantrums. If a toddler is adequately able to communicate his or her wants or needs, the less likey they are to have tantrums due to being misunderstood.
But remember though…even toddlers with great speech and language skills can have tantrums because, well, let’s face it…toddlers want things when they want it!
Let’s take some time to look at another facet of behavior in toddlers. It’s very, very important to catch your toddler doing good. Please note that I said ‘doing’ good versus ‘being’ good. Your toddler is good, worthy of love, valuable no matter how they behave. We need to communicate this to them right from the beginning. We love them no matter what; they are our children!
By stressing or emphasizing to our toddlers that they are being good could, unfortunately and unintentionally, lead to a performance mentality in them. And they could start basing their worth or value on ‘how they behave’ versus simply the fact that they are precious human beings worthy of our love!
Do you see the difference? It may seem nit-picky or a semantic issue, but our children process things on many different levels; and the smart and astute parent is willing to delve deeper into their parenting style and make changes when necessary for the benefit of their little one. After all, parenting is about our children, not us, right? Yikes…I’m preaching to myself today!
So, how do we catch them doing good? Simple! Be on the look-out for when they are doing what you have instructed them to do. For example, maybe your toddler has had a problem sharing their toys with the neighbor next door.. No big shock here! When you see them actually sharing their toys without being reminded to do so, tell them! “Hey Joey, great job sharing your hot wheels with Mike!”
Stay tuned for smart ways to praise your toddler!
Don’t forget: Get baby-talking!
The Link Between Behavior And Communication
Boy, I got to tell you, these toddlers years are exciting! It’s amazing to watch your little one blossom into a unique personality that’s all their own! Hopefully, it’s a happy hybrid of you and your partner’s best traits…
One of the challenges we face as parents of toddlers is how to handle discipline. As toddlers learn that they are separate entities from their parents, they endeavor to assert themselves more and more. In other words, they can have tantrums, melt-downs, etc., whatever you want to call it!
Did you know that strong speech and language skills in a toddler will help decrease the amount of tantrums they are experiencing? Often times, tantrums arise because of the toddler’s inability to clearly communicate his or her wants or needs.
This is not always the case. Sometimes, toddlers clearly communicate what they want and it’ not something they are going to get at the time, and consequently, a tantrum may show up!
Stay tuned tomorrow for more information and tips regarding the link between behavior and communication in toddlers!
Don’t forget: Get baby-talking!