PARENTING TIPS FOR TODDLERS AND CHILDREN
0-24 MONTHS:
- Narrate everything you do:
Talk back to your child and say what they say.
Pretend to have a conversation. Talk to your child as you give them a bath, feed them, and get them dressed. Talk about what you are doing and where you are going. Tell them about who or what you will see.
Incorporate it in play and pretend to be a reporter or a TV host.
- Back and forth:
Play simple games that involve back and forth interactions.
Say sounds like “ma, da, and ba” and try to get your baby to say it back to you or add sounds to your sentences, for example “The cow says moo and the dog says woof, woof.”
- Lots of praise:
Clap, smile, and celebrate every communication effort.
Respond when your child laughs or makes faces. Make the same faces back to them.
Teach your child to do what you do, like clapping your hands, stomping your feet, and playing peek-a-boo.
- Gestures:
Point out everything, including objects, colors, and shapes.
Use other gestures like waving, the stop gesture, all done gesture, give me gesture, follow me gesture, be quiet gesture etc.
- Add on:
Add on to what your baby says. When your baby says, “Mama,” say, “Here is Mama. Mama loves you. Where is baby? Here is baby.”
24-36 MONTHS:
- Pick a topic:
Talk about fun places you visited or recent activities. Speak clearly to your child. Model good speech.
Repeat what your child says to show that you understand. Add on to what she says. Use words like, “Want juice? I have juice. I have apple juice. Do you want apple juice?”
- Ask Questions in conversations:
Help your child understand and ask questions. Play the yes–no game. Ask questions that need simple answers to help with comprehension skills. Ask questions that include a choice.
TIPS FOR ANY AGE:
- Speaking slowly and enunciate every word.
- Repeat everything, it is useful for children to hear the words over and over again.
- Listen and respond. Even if your child is babbling, respond with a smile, or a “yes”.
- Pause after speaking. This gives your child a chance to respond.
- Keep helping your child learn new words. Use the environment to say a new word, and tell them what it means, or use it in a way that helps them understand.
- Use music, sing simple songs and say nursery rhymes. This helps your child learn the rhythm of speech and learn new words.
- Name body parts and talk about what you do with them. “This is my nose. I can smell flowers, brownies, and soap.”
READ TO THEM:
Read to your child. You don’t have to read every word but talk about the pictures. Choose books that are sturdy and have large colorful pictures. Ask your child, “What’s this?” and try to get him to point to or name objects.
