The capacity to communicate is the ability and desire to connect with others by exchanging ideas and feelings both verbally and non-verbally. Most children learn how to communicate right from birth through sounds as crying, cooing, squealing, through facial expressions and gestures, body movements. Babies continue to develop communication skills when adults respond to their efforts to tell others what they need or want. Communication is necessary to build up the bond of love and trust between parents and the child.
 

Here are some tips to help your babies or toddlers develop their communication skills:

• Respond to your baby’s gestures, looks and sounds: When your baby puts her hand out to reach for you, pick her up, hug and kiss her. Talk to her using simple words. When she coos, coo back. When she makes eye contact look at her and talk to her. Help her understand that her communications are important and effective.

• Talk and listen to your child: When you talk to your child, give him time to respond. Make lot of eye contact at his level and ask simple open-ended questions like “What do you think about today’s rainy weather?” Talking to your child helps him to develop confidence as a good communicator and develop communicative skills.

• Teach your child about non-verbal communication: Relate incidence while in the playground or any other situation as “Jack, did you look at Mary’s face, she looked sad”. Maybe you could throw the ball softer so that she gets a chance to catch the ball and will want to keep playing catch with you”

• Respect and recognize your child’s feelings: Children love to share their ideas and feelings if they feel they will not be judged, teased or criticized. You can empathize with your child’s experience yet disagree with her behavior in a polite manner.

• Encourage pretend play: Children can express themselves more freely when they are pretending. Pretend play is also a chance to take up different roles to demonstrate what people feel, might think or do.

• Be a good role model: Your child is watching you carefully. If you talk to others politely and with kindness, she will likely follow you and take your manners and tone as she becomes verbal. As you are modeling this behavior, you are teaching her what type of behavior to expect from others as she grows up.