Reflecting Helps Her Say More!

 

Describe what your child is doing and reflect appropriate words, phrases, or sentences. Reflecting is repeating or expanding on what your child says (e.g., saying what they say, summarizing what they say). 

 

Reflecting what your child says is a great opportunity to build vocabulary, expand on what your child is saying, and model appropriate communication.  

Brain Science for Your Baby

 

When your toddler starts talking - talk back! And not with baby talk. Take what your toddler says and expand on it. Speech and language therapists call this "recasting". So if your toddler says: "Dog barking!" you can say "The dog is barking!"  

 

You don't have to make the child say it back; you just say it as if you are repeating what the child says. Research studies show that repeating using the correct form improves language development. Speech and language therapists aren't sure why this works so well- but it may be because the child knows you are listening and paying attention. It's the relationship -and not just the talk!
A Baby Buffer Prescription for Your Baby
 

Reflect appropriate talk: Reflecting what your child says can be repeating back words she says (saying "train" if she says "train"), expanding on what she says (saying "sheep's night-night" if she says "night, night"), or modeling correct word use (saying "you do see lots of geese" if she says "I see lots of gooses"). 

 

Practice your reflecting during playtime each day!   

 

  

A baby Buffer Prescription for You  

 

Celebrate YOU and your baby! While we agree to "don't sweat the small stuff", we think it's important that you DO celebrate the "small stuff" because we know it can mean a BIG DIFFERENCE for you and your baby. Write down or audio record celebrations each day. Celebrate spending time together, fun things that happened, and how it made you feel. Writing or recording these celebrations allows you to review them as much as you want and maybe even share them with your child someday! 

 

What Your Baby Can Do - Developmental Milestones 

 

Children in this age range are moving away from their "baby" stage and toward the greater world that they have never been physically able to explore before. Talking, walking and asserting their independence are the hallmarks of this stage, developmentally. Children need to explore...we just need to help them do so safely!

 
Gene's Research Tip
So, which is it; Nature or Nurture? Well in 2014, many think it is both!  It seems that our genetic DNA (the Nature part) can be turned on or turned off by the rest of the world around us (the Nurture part).  Read more here
Baby Buffer Blog
Written by Barbara Unell, Author

One of the most exciting milestones in your child's life is when he starts to want to do things on his own. He not only tries to put his spoon to his mouth when he wants to eat, for example, but he also wants to do so himself. "Me do it", as some children say, means doing an activity without help from you!


Showing this normal and healthy desire to be independent is good news. But it can also be frustrating for you, when you are in a hurry and it takes your child longer to do something than if you did it for him. You want him to feed himself now, for example, because you have to get to work or to an appointment. But your timetable and his are often not the same! What do you do to keep yourself calm?
 

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