As you dress your child, copy the sounds you hear them make, like “ah, eee, ooo, bee, dee.” How do they respond? As you make a sound, place their fingers on your lips so they can feel the vibrations and movements of your lips. Try different sounds as you do!
Category: 6 Loving Habits
Sing to sleep
As you’re putting your child to bed, rock them gently and sing softly to them. Pay attention to how they tell you they want more singing. Do they turn their head toward you? Smile? Move? What do they do to say “enough?” Cry? Turn away? Take note of how to respond to their cues now… Continue reading Sing to sleep
Talk about how things feel on skin
Talk to your child about how things feel on their skin: “Your shirt is soft.” “The wind is cold.” “The ice cube is slippery.” See how they react and continue the conversation: “You like the warm water in your bath!”
Mealtime Melodies
As you feed your child, sing softly and watch how they respond. If they like it, smile and sing even more. If they make some sounds when responding to you, add their sounds to your song so you can make “Mealtime Melodies” together.
Sing about laundry
When you’re doing laundry, sing every step: putting in detergent, closing the door, folding the clothes, etc. Watch your child and copy the sounds they make so you can create a song together. This is fun and puts a new spin on this chore.
Diaper song
When you’re changing your child’s diaper, sing about what you’re doing. Watch them and copy the sounds they make so you can create a song together. Your song plus their sounds can become your own “Diaper Song” for changing time!
Talk about how you eat
When you’re having a snack, talk with your child about what you’re doing. “When I bite an apple, it makes a crunch sound. When you have teeth, you’ll eat apples too.” If they respond or reach for it and it is safe, let them touch it. “It feels smooth, doesn’t it?”
Hide and seek
Talk with your child as you move around the room, telling them, “Here I am!” Do they move their eyes? Turn or lift their head to look for you? When they find you, give them a big smile, again saying, “Here I am!”
Object sounds
Choose a few objects that make noise: keys, phone ringer, musical toy, etc. Show your child each object and then make the sound. Tell them the object’s name and what it does. When they respond, do another sound. Go back and forth. See which one they like best.
Figure out where the sound is
Play with your child by using your voice and/or handy things that make a sound. Bang a pan or hum as you move around. Watch them move their head to follow the sound. Smile and talk with them when they figure out where the sound is coming from.