Communication 1 Month-Old to 1-Year-Old

Communication is key when a child is growing and evolving. It is very exciting whenever they hear their child pronouncing their first word or humming. As a parent, you will notice that your baby is communicating with you even before knowing how to talk. The looks, the expression, and the little sounds, it will make sense to you. Slowly as they develop, you will understand them more. In this article, we will go through the first year of your child and desiccate their way of communicating…

1 to 3 Months Old

In the first three months, the main way of communicating will remain crying. This will let you know if they are hungry, need to change diapers, if they are hot or cold, want to sleep, or even if they are disturbed by what they hear or see. Keep in mind that a baby is very new to the world; even if they do hear when they are not yet born, it is very new to exposure in such kind of way.

Some babies even cry when there is no reason, but as far as your baby is not hurt or sick, try not to bother that much and let them be. There are different ways in which you can console your baby. The best way from the first month will be to talk to them; through songs and constant reassuring, your baby will become familiar with your voice which will soothe them.

At 2 months, your baby will start making some sounds that will melt your heart; you won’t get enough of the ‘goo goo ga ga’. They will also start to respond to your smile with a smile or even some other facial expressions.

Through this stage, you must talk to them as much as possible. This will allow them to recognize your voice. Whenever they are looking at something- name it to them, or if you are changing them, you may even explain the process. They will not understand a thing, but it will create a strong bond between you two.

If you feel like your baby is not evolving as other babies do, do not panic. It is completely normal for everyone to develop at their own pace; you do not have to hurry or feel down; it is not a race, and pushing onto a baby will only slow down the process even more. They were 9 months inside your belly, away from all disturbing sounds and sights, so maybe you will have to give them a moment to adapt.

As mentioned above, some babies will cry without any reason, but if the cries are incessant and sound very odd, you may want to contact your doctor for more information.

4 to 7 Months Old

At this stage, your baby will start with more frequent sounds. They won’t stop babbling, this is somewhat an attempt to talk, and you should be able to encourage them the more possible. You will also start to distinguish the different tones in their voice at this stage, as sometimes it will be a high or low pitch.

Just as they start to experiment with tones, they will also understand your different tones. If ever your voice is calm or agitated. They will associate simple words such as ‘no’, ‘yes’, or ‘eat’ with actions; this is why you must name things when you talk to them. Do not make lengthy and difficult phrases; one word is enough to describe something to grab their attention.

At this stage, you should buy them vocal games. At this stage, they will grab on everything they can learn and keep in mind that a baby has a very good memory; beware of what you are doing or saying in front of them. They may start to mimic your words at the most surprising time.

By the end of their seventh month, they should respond to their names and make sounds. However, responding to their names will depend on you, as you should be introducing them to their name and calling them by their name most of the time. If you feel like it is not the case, you can still talk to your doctor, but you should also consider that many of your children may have a calm personality, and they may be making sounds but not often.

8 to 12 Months Old

Your baby is nearly one year old; they can communicate words now; what a pleasure hearing your little ones saying, mama. They will also communicate with their body, pointing to objects or waving good-bye. This is the stage where you will want to be extra cautious with what you say or do in front of them; they will mimic everything.

They will be able to make more gestures and associate more syllables. You will notice that sometimes they do not say a thing or move, but they may look in a specific direction; this is also a way of communicating with you.

You can make more constructed sentences at this stage but keep them simple. Labeling is a very important part of the process; name their body parts for them to know, and label things they see every day; milk, dog or cat if you have one, shoe, and so on. Music will also be an important part of their development.

Communication in the first year of your child is very important. It will allow proper development. Follow our tips and tricks and even consult a pediatrician if needed. In the comments, let us know what you think about early communication with a child…