Teaching Tiny Tots to Talk

Isnt it amazing when we hear our child say his or her first word? Doesnt it make you just melt? My little man is building up quite a vocabulary now, and I thought Id share some tips to help you get the most out of your little one. This advice is aimed at toddlers who are in the 'babbling' stage. They know a couple of single-syllable words, but the majority of their talk is just baby talk that you need a translator to interpret. Their voice and face are full of expression and body language when they talk to you, but you have no idea what they're on about. Here's how to fix that. You'll be amazed at how quickly they pick it up. If they have older siblings, try to discourage them in participating in baby talk themselves with the toddler. It only promotes them to talk like a baby for longer. My ex used to do this all the time with his son, who was one month older than my now 4yr old, and it took about a year of me teaching him the real words for him, before he actually started talking properly. If your kids are anything like mine you will probably have a mini shadow as you go about your day to day tasks. They are so inquisitive right now, so make the most of it! Show them what you are doing, and make a game of it. Point to an object and name it. If you are vacuuming, exclaim in a fun voice, 'vacuum!' if you are washing up, pick up a glass, and say 'glass' this can be incorporated into almost every thing you do. As you dress them each morning, 'singlet' 'tshirt' 'nappy' 'pants'. Even at nappy change time, to help prepare them for toilet training, my son now knows the difference between wees and poos and even tells me when hes done a wee because when i open his nappy he exclaims in the cutest little voice ever 'no poos!' His favourite naming game at the moment is the body parts game. Whenever we are in the company of friends or family, he loves to show off how clever he is by naming all the bits of his body. He especially likes to tell you where his bum is and waving it in your face. Cheeky bugger. But you can start this game by pointing to your childs nose and saying 'wheres your nose' followed by every part of the face including the hair and neck. And once they learn where the part is, get them to say it too. Once they learn this, they will then get the hang of the rest of their body parts. You'll be amazed at how much info such a tiny little brain can hold. It's alot of fun and so simple. Give it a go, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.