How to Support Your Child

There are lots of things you can do to encourage your child at this stage:

• Make different sounds to interest your child. This can be the sound of your voice or things like a rattle or squeaky toy.
• Pointing to sounds will help develop your child’s listening skills. This will also help their awareness of the world around them.
• Encourage your child to look at you during activities. This could be dressing, feeding or nappy changing. This will help your child's attention and communication skills.
• Talk about everyday activities, like getting dressed, eating and bathing.
• Copy your baby when they are babbling. This is a very good way to show how to take turns in communication. This will encourage them to make even more sounds.
• Use actions with words. Try waving as you say 'bye-bye' or picking up their cup as you say 'drink'. This will help your child to relate what they see and do with language.
• Sing action songs and play games like ‘peek-a-boo’ to encourage communication and attention skills.
• Have some special time with your child each day to play with toys and picture books.

Here is a video of Liz, and her son Tommy.