I have always heard that people should read to their children. I subscribe to this philosophy as do I to "talking" to them. From an auditory perspective, I think it has the similar benefits particularly when they are young. In case you did not know, they listen! For the same reason, they learn to eat salmon at a young age, or make their bed. They watch, listen and do.
When my kids were born, I would speak to them all the time even when no other adult was present. After all, they did not talk back, or probably even knew what I was saying. Needless to say, I felt silly but like I said, I believed in the philosophy. Now they are 3 and 5, and I still talk to them but often in a reading format. Thankfully, they don't yet talk back ;).
I like 'talking' as a tool because it is more natural...we can talk on the way to the grocery store, at the park, visiting family, at any time without props or a formal setting.
It was not until my first born was 18 months that we decided to speak to her in Spanish. My husband and I had always spoken English to each other, so this was a conscious choice, and a hard one at that. But it gave us a chance to practice before it really mattered.
Talk, talk, talk and you will provide the right atmosphere, set the tone for your house and encourage trial.
Need ideas on what to say? Try these:
- Describe what they are doing
- Describe what you are doing
- Describe how they are feeling
- Walk them through a conflict
- Tell them what you see as you are driving
- Sing to them (even if you have to make up the words)
