That moment has come in our relationship with our baby when we, the parents, understand what our little one is trying to tell us and, in turn, he or she is already able to join in our games and understand some of what we say.
We can say that we are at that stage where we have a perfect (or almost perfect) command of our little one's language.
We can agree that there comes a certain period in a child's growth when they start to want to express themselves, be it gesturally, through their own language or by imitating what they see or hear. Little ones can be real talkers, very determined about what they want and very expressive about what they want to convey. This more communicative side begins to emerge as soon as babies start to develop their interaction and communication skills and become like a real sponge, absorbing everything they see and hear.
However, before we got to this point, we had to try a number of things, some of them well, others not so well. Before we understood everything our baby said, we had to "break new ground", in the sense that some of the actions we took made it possible to realise if we were interacting in the best way or if it wasn't the best option. There was laughter in the moments before bedtime or that sob after a meal, because we thought the little one might be hungry.
What's certain is that there had to be a rollercoaster of emotions, attempts and a lot of communication until we got to where we are now. Always with consistency! We have the feeling that it has been a journey of many discoveries for us and for them, in order to understand what the parents and the little one want to transmit.
But going back a little, at first we couldn't distinguish between the different types of baby cry. Here on the blog we've already covered the different types of cry as one of the ways little ones communicate. At first it was a little confusing, but today we can understand them and we've found some ways to calm them down. This mutual understanding even begins to show itself when the little ones listen to the thousand and one stories their parents have to tell, some funny situation about the day, some event or even some projection for the little one's future.
When it comes to calming them down, everyone has their own ways and can adapt them to different situations. A walk in the park can be an excellent option, to get some air and get in touch with nature. Another option could be just that hug or cuddle that babies love so much and that at that moment you can tell they're really asking for. It will depend and we parents will eventually realise which works best.
In our research for this publication, we came across the fact that parents today are concerned about sharing tasks, which means that babies always have someone ready to communicate with them and entertain them whenever they need it.
When we talk about communicating with children, one aspect that becomes obvious is the humour that babies and parents have for spending endless amounts of time talking. One of the first and funniest things we can highlight is the unlocking of the little ones' beloved laughter - it's amazing how contagious it is. Parents have an excellent opportunity here to captivate their babies by creating moments to remember later. Whether it's a game, an enchanted story or a simple funny face. We're sure they'll laugh their heads off.
In fact, when we think about parents' constant contact and communication with their little ones, it begins long before the baby is in their arms. Those interactions when the baby is still in mum's tummy are the start of this journey of discovery and mutual understanding. The simple description of what the parents might be doing, such as cooking a meal, makes the parents' voices stimulate the baby and will allow the interaction between father, mother and children to develop.
In the first instance, we'll always have the conversations that are made up of laughter and jokes. Then we move on to the stage when our little ones say their first word, which will be one of the most memorable and special moments in their growth.
After the surprise of the first word, we move on to the "no" phase, which we've already covered here on the blog as being the period when parents have to try to understand how they can demonstrate that it's up to them to decide and that their babies have to respect them. We believe this can be a more challenging phase, as it's not always easy to keep your word and try to find a solution so that both sides are satisfied.
A final stage in this communication between parents and baby is the period when the little one is a real sponge and absorbs everything they see and hear, imitating what they are taught, whether it's an expression or a gesture. Sometimes there are situations in which the parents didn't expect their baby to remember and they are surprised and proud, because being a role model for their little one, parents want to pass on the best to their children and for them to take it with them for the rest of their lives.
Well, we can confirm that this dynamic between parents and baby can be a little intense, but when they're all together they'll create moments to remember for sure. What we can take away from today's post is that the beginning can be a little rocky and full of trying. However, it is these very attempts that make parents and baby come to understand each other, respect each other and develop their relationship more and more. We believe that it should be the greatest reward to create these same moments and a stronger bond with your little ones, and that we will always be learning from them and vice versa.
What about you? How has this time of interaction with your babies been? Lots of laughter and games? Any challenges you could highlight from these moments? What other ideas would you suggest to calm your little one's cries? We want to know your experience. We want to know your opinion.
