toddler talks

did you ever encountered being way too frustrated when your baby cries and you gave him milk but he cries even harder? you checked his dappy, tried to soothe him, cuddle him, only for the cries to turn into wails, and alas, a full-blown tantrum? you are on the brink of pulling your hair and still just can't decipher what he needs? then walks in your husband and carries the baby for a while and viola, the baby is sleeping like a log?

such a familiar scenario right? been there so many times i really wished my son can simply blurt out his requests to make life easier for both of us.but no such luck! a 16-month old cannot just articulate all of a sudden right? but i've found a few tips to lead you successfully to that very first Tate-a-Tate with your precious little one:

• Talk as much and as often as you can directly to your toddler.
• Try to make some of your conversations just between you and him. 
• If you are talking, or reading, to him and an older sibling, your toddler will not get as much repetition and explanation as he can use, and as much as he will get if he is alone with you. 
• Look at him while you talk. 
• Let him see your face and your gestures. 
• Let your toddler see what you mean, by matching what you do to what you say. "Off with your shirt," you say, taking it off over his head; "Now your shoes", removing them.
• Let your toddler see what you feel by matching what you say with your facial expressions. This is no age for teasing.
• Act as your toddler's interpreter. You will find it much easier to understand his language than strangers do and he will find it much easier to understand you and other "special" people than to understand strangers. 
• Share enthusiasm, emotion and emphasis; whether you are talking about a flood of love for your toddler or a flock of rare birds in the sky, those are the speech qualities that will catch and hold his attention and motivate him to try and understand what you are saying.

if you've made teaching your toddler to talk one of your resolutions for 2011, head on to the babycentre for more info and tips on toddler talk.