Connecting with your child and developing a strong bond is important as a parent.
It sets the foundation for all the learning they will do and skills they will develop.
But at such a young age, it can be tricky to know how to navigate this connection while your child is still developing their language skills.
Here’s some advice for how to start connecting and building bonds with your little one from an early age…
Mother playing with child:
What are you trying to tell me, are these your knees? are these your knees? are these It's Mummy's hair on your face? Yeah?
Keep going. There it is. How is that you? Is it you? Why? You're so nice to another baby. It's just you. Oh
Copying your child's sounds
One of the best things you can do to build early bonds with your baby is copying the sounds that they make.
This is really important, as imitation is the foundation of early communication and understanding instructions.
It can also be helpful for you to get up close to your baby, so they can learn from the way that your mouth moves.
When you are practising, you can go back and forth and start to have a mini conversation with your child.
Find opportunities to bond
While connecting is so important, in our busy lives it can be hard to find the time to fit in bonding activities.
To help, try building connection into your regular routine, like when you’re getting ready in the morning or bathing baby.
This can even make those activities easier, as your child may feel more relaxed and focused.
The key is to build bonding into your routine little and often.
Copy their baby babble
Before your baby is able to use words, there’s a whole range of sounds and noises they might use.
This is known as baby babble, and while it might not make any sense to you, it’s your child’s early attempts at making the sounds of words.
You can learn more about baby babble here.
A good place to start teaching about communication is by copying their babble and waiting for a response.
Be kind to yourself
It can be hard to imagine these noises turning into talking, but your child will pick it up at their own pace.
Remember to be kind to yourself, and not to compare yourself to other parents or children.
Everyone is different and learns at different rates, so pay close attention to your child and what they enjoy so you can replicate that.
Just trust the process and enjoy watching them learn.
