Where does communication really begin? This is a common question asked within the early years setting.

Communication between a mother, father and siblings begins before a baby is even born. Your baby begins to know you, your family home and your closest relatives before they even arrive in person.

The sounds of your home begin to form a comforting connection that your baby will need to help them understand their new world. The voices of Mummy and Daddy, which baby has grown familiar with over the first nine months, will play an important part in settling your baby into their family.

These relationships blossom and become increasingly more meaningful as your child grows and learns how to communicate with you.

As babies begin this learning journey, they start listening to all of the sounds around them. They will listen to the whir of the vacuum cleaner, the whoosh of the tap as water flows into the sink, the sounds of their own heartbeat and even the rattle of the keys in the door as Mummy or Daddy comes back home.

Your voice must become a key player in your child’s communication team.

Learning to talk about the incidentals is certainly a new skill for many new mummies and daddies. Take it slowly and never worry about sounding foolish.

Baby needs to hear:

• “Mummy is changing your nappy now.”
• “Daddy is lifting you up for a cuddle.”
• “That is your sister Jessie. She is so happy to have you safe at home.”

These simple sentences will begin to build your child’s developing vocabulary. This kind of learning is natural, meaningful and strengthens the beautiful bond developing between you and your child.

You may notice that your child picks up your accent, your mannerisms or even phrases that you often say. That’s because children are like linguistic sponges and absorb so much of what they are exposed to.

During these precious stages of learning, parents and educators have a strong influence on children’s developing language and social skills. The way we interact with those around us helps shape our children’s interactions with their environment.

That being said, as parents and educators, we must select our words and phrases carefully. The words we choose will soon be used by our children, so let them be positive, affirmative and clear.

Let us be role models and leaders of language for our littlest learners.

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Mrs Laura Partanen 
Nursery Manager
Jumeirah International Nurseries, Palm Jumeirah