What Your Baby’s Talking Means
Your baby’s talking and babbles don’t just sound adorable, they also mean something. Even when your new baby is just an infant, his sounds can help tell you a lot about what’s going on in his life. Wondering what "goo" and “ga" mean? This baby talking advice for each age should help clear up your confusion.
Baby talking at 1 month: Right after birth, most babies communicate when they are reacting to something. After spending approximately nine months in a calm environment, your new baby is probably startled by all the new noises and sensations. His crying, quick movements, and sighs can all mean that he is experiencing something new. These tiny communications are a great sign that your little one is developing and alert. They can also help you better understand when he is hungry or tired.
Baby talking at 4 months: At around 4 months, your new baby may begin imitating the noises he has been hearing since birth. This is often referred to as babbling and is another sign that your baby is developing at a steady pace. Listen for your baby to drop and raise the pitch of his voice when babbling, a sure sign that he is copying the inflection in your voice. Encourage this by talking slowly and carefully to him as much as possible.
Baby talking at 6 to 8 months: The 6- to 8-month period is a busy time for baby talking. At this age, your child may begin to crawl, and you might notice him pointing at his toys while simultaneously babbling, a prime example of early communication. This can be a good age to introduce baby sign language, if this appeals to you. Pick up an instructional book or video and start signing a few words that you use on a regular basis when talking to your baby, such as drink, eat, sleep, and diaper. If you start around 6 or 7 months, your baby may start signing back when he’s 8 or 9 months. Finally, some babies come out with their first spoken words at this stage, often “mama” or “dada.”
Baby talking at 12 to 18 months: Your baby will probably pick up a few more words over the next months. He may also start mimicking conversation by babbling with pauses and “responding” to you after asking him a question. Although his vocabulary is still limited at this age, know that he understands quite a lot of what you say -- so keep chatting away to help boost his language development.
Baby talking at 18 to 24 months: Now that your child has mastered a good number of words, he’ll start to string them together to create early forms of sentences (“all done”). As your tot gains this added ability to describe what he wants (“milk mommy!”) or what excites him (“go swing!”) you’ll find that it becomes easier to communicate, which will be a welcome baby milestone for both of you.
As with all baby milestones, remember that children develop language at different speeds and in different ways. Your new baby is unique and may require more or less time than others to begin making sounds and gestures. Before you know it, your child will hit the chatty preschool stage, and peace and quiet will be a thing of the past!
Photo by Irina Murza on Unsplash
