Interaction Is The Name Of The Game
Communication is a two-way street and a child who is learning the ground rules of communication needs lots of interaction with other people, particularly those he or she spends the most time with. Your children might not be able to string words together in sentences yet, but they can already communicate with you through gestures, facial expressions, single words and body language.
Make sure to interpret all these communication signals meaningfully and help your children translate them into words. For instance, if your child points to a banana, signaling that he or she wants to eat one, you can say, ‘You want a banana? Let’s get a banana!’ Remember to emphasize the keyword (in this case, ‘banana’) by saying it loud and clear and pointing to it while you do so. This will help your child assimilate the information better, associating the one you’re pointing at with the word you’re saying. Do this repeatedly for better recall.
Making eye contact is also a very powerful way to interact with your child. Do this experiment: for a couple of minutes, crawl or walk on your knees so that you are on your child’s eye level. Experience what it feels like to see the world from your child’s perspective. Did you notice that your child sees people at their knee level most of the time? This is why you should make it a point to connect with him or her eye-to-eye. This will help your child appreciate personal, face-to-face interactions even more.
As your child grows, he or she may also start trying to catch your attention. At this point, children are experimenting on the effect they have on others, whether they can elicit feedback or not. You should meet this craving for attention with a ready smile and hug, letting your child know that he or she is appreciated. This will also give your child the affirmation that you have understood what he or she meant, which is a great leap to making your interactions more meaningful.
Indeed, the time when a child starts to interact is very precious for any parent. In your child’s case, it will take two to talk, at least for now.
