You have a profound influence on how your baby develops her personality and how she learns to communicate and interacts with others. As your infant grows, she will begin to develop socially as she plays, sings and watches others around her. You can help foster her social development by engaging her in a variety of activities that encourage her to communicate with you and the world.
Talk To Your Infant
According to Kids Health, your baby will begin to learn the sounds that make up words simply by listening to you talk to her. Respond to your baby when she looks at you or when she makes a noise to let her practice having a conversation. You can also narrate your day to your baby by telling her what you are doing and by describing different experiences and objects to her.
Pamela Byrne Schiller and Mary Duru, authors of "The Complete Resource Book for Infants: Over 700 Experiences for Children From Birth to 18 Months," write that smiling at your infant when she smiles at you and making eye contact when you talk to her will also help foster social development.
Play With Toys
Play is one of the most important ways your infant learns about the world around him. Kids Health recommends creating a safe play space that your baby can explore. Provide different toys that have a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and textures.
Allow your infant to explore household objects as long as they are not sharp, cannot break and do not pose a choking hazard. Talk to your baby about what she is playing with and encourage her to feel and taste the objects.
Try hiding a favorite object under a blanket and helping your baby find it. As you play, your baby will learn social skills necessary to interact with others and to have a conversation with another person. Games, such as peek-a-boo, will also encourage social development, add Schiller and Duru.
Read Stories
Kids Health reports that reading out loud to your baby sets the stage for future communication and will also teach your infant to listen. Reading will also teach your baby about the concept of books and will encourage her to learn about the world around her. You do not need to read each word for your infant to benefit socially. Look at the pictures together and point out interesting things.
Describe pictures your baby points to. Point out different colors, shapes and patterns as you share the story. Read often, recommends Kids Health, because the more your infant is exposed to books, the better her communication skills will become as she grows older.
References
- Kids Health: Learning, Play, and Your 4- to 7-Month Old
- "The Complete Resource Book for Infants: Over 700 Experiences for Children From Birth to 18 Months"; Pamela Byrne Schiller and Mary Duru; 2005
