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Baby Communication Week
Probably you have heard it said that 70-80% of communication is non-verbal.
As humans, we are born with an inbuild desire and have all the mechanisms to communicate. In this we are not alone. In keeping with the wider mammal community, we are social beings.
The baby in the middle photo holds his mum’s finger as he feeds.
The little boy reassures his new born sibling.
The foal in the photo below is only a few hours old. He checks in with his mum and she reassures him.
Throughout all of nature little ones communicate with those around them. Their language is body language. It is a universal language that we all know and understand.
It’s easy, all we need to do is slow down, become quiet, pay attention, look and listen.
As we tune into the body language of little ones, we will notice just how good they are at communicating their feelings, their likes, their dislikes and their needs.
Take time today to marvel at body language and how rich a language it really is.
Notice the body language that you yourself use in your everyday life.
It truly is amazing how we can communicate so well with each other and how babies are born with this ability. It comes naturally to them.
Babies develop their communication skills in relationship. That means as we respond to their body cues, they grow in confidence, feel more secure in being met and understood, this in turn helps babies develop more complex ways of communicating. For example as a new-born babies starts out with the rooting reflex to let mum/ dad know ‘I am hungry’. After many months this develops into pointing for food, progresses to using words and asking for food.
From shortly after birth in the early weeks, the non-verbal conversation begins to flow back and forth between baby and parent gradually smiles come along then coos and babbles. The conversation becomes richer and richer. As time goes on babbles turn into words and words turn into sentences. Along with this the body communicates all the while using gestures and movements to convey and elaborate the inner feelings.
Tuning into body language adds a whole other dimension to communication. It makes life easier and helps us better understand and meet baby’s needs.
If you have any concerns about your baby or need any help reach out and contact your local primary care centre. You can also contact the Clinic here at Understand Babies
Patricia Weldon Early Start Hub, Understand Babies