The Influence of Background Noise on Language Development

Listen up Mammas! Is it just us, or does it seem like there is new baby related gadget coming to the market every day? With many of these gadgets, there also often comes some type of noice. Whether that is white noise, classical music, nature sounds, or the ever-so-dreaded car beeping sounds, when you really think about it, wherever the is a kid, there is typically plenty of noise too. With all of the sound machines, toy cars, games, and televisions that our kids are using constantly, we don’t often realize just how much noise our kids are hearing throughout the day. We found a systematic review, which is a collection of studies, titled, Influences of Background Noise on Infants and Children, that looks at how background noise in the environments of children may be affecting their language acquisition (Ericson & Newman, 2017). When it comes to kids, it is hard to know which noises may be helpful, and which noises may be getting in the way of your child’s language development.

Here is what you need to know:

• The purpose of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the potential impact of early exposure to background noise on health, perception, cognition, and learning during early development. The goal of this review is to look at how much noisy environments seem to affect the development of young children.

• It is important to understand that children begin learning language from the moment they are born, and they will need to understand that hearing plays a significant role in that process. They should also understand that baby’s ears are very sensitive to damage, and bombarding their systems with excess noise may have a real impact on their hearing ability, and potentially their speech and language skills.

• The researchers concluded that there are many different types of noises that are present  in infants’ and young children’s environments (e.g., background noises such as other people speaking and television), and this does appear to have some negative impact on health, perception, and learning in some children. Noise may specifically put some kids at disadvantage when it comes to learning speech, especially when background noise involves speech. This means that they may have a harder time learning speech and language in a noisy environment as compared to a quiet space. 

• The researchers concluded that children do have a harder time learning words with the presence of background noise.  Background noise may be distracting, causing attentional shifts and information encoding failures, even with readily perceptible targets. In addition, the researchers concluded that children with learning impairments in particular, may be further impacted in terms of their speech and language development with the presence of excessive background noise. This research, along with potential future research on the impact of different types of noise in a child’s environment (e.g., sound machines and television) may lead to new recommendations to parents regarding noise in the home environment and in schools.

Main Takeaway: We live in a very noisy world, and sometimes that can be distracting, especially when kids are learning language! Consider enjoying some quiet time with your kiddo!

Here are some tips for how to cut out extra background noise in your house:

• Limit television time, and turn it off when it is not being used

• Schedule some quiet time with your kiddos throughout the day

• Pick up some toys that do not make sound, and let your child’d imagination soar!

Butterr, the Better Nursing Pillow

Searching for great products to use during pregnancy and beyond can be incredibly overwhelming given all of the options out there. That is why we are dedicated to finding the most sustainable and highest quality products so you don’t have to. Not only is the Butterr nursing pillow comfortable and gorgeous, but it is sustainably made and incredibly high quality. For the mammas who are not nursing, the Butterr pillow has infinite uses for both you and your baby. Some of these can include back support, feeding support, and playtime support.

Butterr was started by 2 powerhouse Cha Cha Mammas named Trang & Jacqueline, who were struggling to find baby products that aligned with their ideals…so they decided to create it themselves. They worked for over a year and a half to perfect this stunning product, and their attention to detail really shines.

Here are some of the reasons why we are melting like Butterr over this new product!

• The Butterr Nursing Pillow is made from one of the most sustainable renewable resources in the Amazonian forest, a Rubber Tree called the Heavea Brasiliensis.

• It contains no chemicals, pesticides, synthetics or herbicides.

• The collection of rubber sap from the Heavea Brasiliensis tree is a sustainable process that does not involve cutting down the tree or damaging the forest.

• It has plant based cushioning, the finest standards of organic fabrics, and it is water and mold resistant

• Each Butterr Nursing Pillow comes in a reusable mesh carrying bag, which is serves as a carrier for the pillow, but it can also be used as a traveling bag, laundry bag, or a produce bag.

Shop Butterr Nursing Pillows

A Note From the Founders:

“Our hope for Butterr is to embrace sustainable motherhood and continue to create timeless, ethically made, intentional products that are free from chemicals and toxic materials. We truly believe that quality products are passed down from child to child, so that new memories can be made to last a lifetime.”

Coterie Wipes and Diapers

Listen up Mammas!

When it comes to diapers and wipes, there are so many options to choose from. How do you know which ones are best for you and your family? We are committed to finding you the most effective and cleanest products on the market....It's kind of our job, and boy oh boy do we have quite the delivery for you today! That being said, when in doubt always speak to your doctor!  

We are absolutely loving the Coterie diapers and wipes right now because of their modern design, their incredible attention to material, and their effectiveness.  

Here are a few reasons why we love Coterie Diapers and Wipes: 

Diapers:  

• Extra-wide back panel and absorbent core help prevent accidents during the day and throughout the night. 

• Clothing-grade materials 

• Equipped with a transfer layer which locks in moisture to prevent diaper rash 

Wipes

• Hypoallergenic 

• Made from premium cotton, with purified water and skin-healthy ingredients 

• Gently cleanse your baby’s skin  

• and reduce the chance of diaper rash. 

• 100% plant-based fibers from sustainably managed forests 

• 26% larger than the leading brands 

• Designed to unfold one-sheet-at-a-time, so you don’t accidentally pull out more than you need (EPIC). 

Plus, Coterie offsets the carbon footprint of every purchase through NativeEnergy and donate 1% of every order to Diaper Recycling Technology!

 All of Coterie’s Products Are:

•  0% Chlorine bleaching 

• Fragrance free 

• Lotion free 

• Latex free 

• Rubber free 

• Dye free 

• Alcohol free 

• Free of heavy metals  

• Clinically tested 

• Hypoallergenic 

• Dermatologist-tested 

• Paraben free 

• No harsh chemicals 

• No VOCs 

• No optical brighteners  

• No animal testing 

Shop Coterie Products Here!

Your Babba's bottom will thank us later! 

Cutest Costumes for Kids

Can you ever have too much dress up? We think not! Since everyone is still staying home, it just means that there is more time for you and your kids to dive into that colorful closet filled with adventure! Dressing up is a great way for your kids to explore the wonders of their imaginations and to practice pretend play, which is a very important skill! Click here to read our post about the Power of Play. Whether for Halloween, or for a Tuesday afternoon tea party, here are some of our favorite costumes for your little kiddos.

1. Avocado Baby

2. Flower Fairy Dress

3. Aeromax Jr. Astronaut Suit

4. My Little Sunshine

5. Mermaid Wrap Dress

6. Swan Cape Dress Up

7. Baby Shark Doo Doo

Time to get dressed up!

Parenting During a Pandemic

Photo by @loveshackfancy

Hello Cha Cha Mammas and Daddas!

As we continue navigating through this global pandemic, many parents are left wondering how best to adapt their parenting techniques and styles to work around the current situation of the world. The truth is, there is no handbook on how to parent, and there most definitely is no handbook on how to parent during a global pandemic, but we have found some incredible resources that may help take some of the guesswork out of these unchartered times. These resources are also helpful for pregnant Mammas who are bringing children into the world during this time. Remember that as a parent, you are doing the best you can, and that is amazing.

1. Parenting in a Pandemic by Dr. Kelly Fradin

As a mother of two herself, Dr. Fradin sheds some evidence-based and uplifting advice. This book helps decode the science of coronavirus and explains some ways in which you can manage your family's health. Dr. Fradin looks at the unique risks that coronavirus poses on children, adults, grandparents, pregnant women, and essential workers. She provides doable strategies that can help you make the most of this interesting time with your family. Despite the fact that this pandemic is ever-changing, and the science in this book may change as well, this is a great resource that is helpful to parents everywhere.

2. Birth Stories During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This is a collection of twenty-five birth stories that were written by women who have given birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They are real stories about the personal experiences of each of these women, but your experience may end up being very different. If you are pregnant right now and are interested in familiarizing yourself with an incredibly unfamiliar scenario, this book may be helpful for you!

3. Extraordinary Parenting by Eloise Rickman

We want every Cha Cha Mamma to be her most extraordinary self, especially during these crazy times. This book, written by a homeschooling expert with a focus on the COVID-19 Pandemic, helps give some calming, constructive, and incredibly straightforward tips on how to navigate educating your children at home. Extraordinary Parenting takes a holistic family approach to the current reality that is juggling work and overseeing child education during these days at home.

4. Raising Worry-Free Girls By Sissy Goff

Women and girls need to band together now more than ever. We always say that Mammas who are well equipped with all of the information that they need are quite literally unstoppable. Unstoppable Mammas make Unstoppable Babbas. It is incredibly important that parents know how much childhood anxiety rates have risen recently, especially in younger girls. This book helps parents better understand certain factors that contribute to anxiety and worry in young girls, and it also provides great tips on how parents can empower their daughters to overcome some of their emotions.

Happy reading Mammas! You got this!

Wipe Hype

With all of the diaper changing that your baby's skin is going to endure over the first few years of its life, it is important to consider the products you are using so that you can keep your baby's bottom, well... smooth like a baby's bottom. One of the major players in the health of your baby's sensitive skin comes down to the kinds of wipes you use. According to recent research, there are multiple factors that go into choosing the right wipe for your baby's needs (Vongsa, Rodriguez, Koenig, Cunningham, 2019). Though this study was conducted on premature babies who have particularly sensitive skin, abiding by these simple steps may help keep every Babba's booty clean and fresh.  Here is a great chart on the attributes of properly formulated wipes, that these researchers created.

(Vongsa, Rodriguez, Koenig, Cunningham, 2019)

According to this chart, the main factors to consider when looking for wipes are:

1. Do they help properly remove fecal matter form the skin?

2. Are they alcohol free? This may help prevent skin-irritation.

3. Are the emollient, or soft? This may help keep your baby’s bottom from getting scratched or irritated.

4. Are they acidic? This helps the skin’s natural protective mechanisms and also may help kill off any irritants that can be found in the feces.

5. Are the properly preserved? This makes sure that there is no contamination of the wipes.

These simple steps can save your baby a lot of discomfort that can often be associated with diaper changing and wiping. Here are some clean and safe wipes that we are loving right now!

The Power of Play

Being that the world is rightfully staying home in an effort to slow the spread of the pandemic, we realize that you may be running out of options for ways to entertain your child's growing needs for play. Our dear friends at Piper and James Co have created the most incredible sensory boxes that will have your Babba playing and learning for hours!

To some, play may seem like a relatively unimportant part of childhood, however, the role of play in terms of child development is actually more critical than people may realize. An article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers helps to promote social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and other brain functions in children. They also suggest the importance of play in  academic readiness for pre-school and beyond (Yogman et al., 2018). Since everyone is staying home and limiting interactions with peers, it is even more important to make sure that your child is engaging in tons of play.

The AAP lists many different types of play. For example, social play, outdoor play, and pretend play. Today we are focusing on sensory play, or "object play", although multiple forms of play can overlap at a given time.  Object play occurs when a child touches and feels an object to learn about its qualities. This is incredibly important in helping children understand the world around them. Children may engage in this type of play by holding objects in their hands, putting them in their mouths, banging them on the floor, etc. They also may try using an object for pretend play, such as by making a banana into a telephone. All of these actions can be beneficial for communication, language, and abstract thought (Yogman et al., 2018). 

Another study found that the experience of play directly and indirectly influences the development of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which impacts self-control, decision making, problem solving, and reflexive behavior just to name a few (Pellis, Pellis, Bell, 2010).  

Here are some of the main benefits of sensory play:  

• Promotes brain development, specifically the prefrontal cortex 

• Stimulates Speech and Language skills  

• Helps children discover different textures and temperatures and understand how they feel (rough, soft, hard, squishy, cold) 

• Facilitates pretend play  

• Develops motor skills (pouring beans into a cup) 

Keep your Babbas playing and keep them learning! Check out these incredibly beautiful sensory boxes made by our friends at Piper and James Co!

*Make sure to keep an eye on your little one while he/she is playing in order to ensure the safety of free play. Take any opportunity to engage in the play with your Babba in order to foster a interpersonal and communication skills.  

Sensory Bin Activity Set Unicorn & Rainbows

Sensory Bin Activity Set Dinosaurs

Sensory Bin Activity Set Farm

How Children Learn About Race

At Cha Cha Mamma, we envision a world where all women have access to reliable, easy-to-understand information regarding their own health and the health of their children. Every woman deserves to have this opportunity no matter the color of her skin, her religion, her sexual orientation, or any other factor. Every woman is unstoppable, and every woman is worthy.  

It is our obligation as human beings to do better...to be better. It is up to parents to properly educate themselves and their children in order to put an end to racism. Let's work together to change the conversation about racism in the world today, and use our knowledge to grow our world into a better, more accepting place for generations to come.  

Though many find the topic of racism to be inappropriate to discuss with children, many young black children not only know everything there is to know about racism, but often look it in the eye on a daily basis. It is important to know how children learn about race, and at what ages, in order to know how best to educate them. The research may surprise you.  

In her incredible 2009 paper, Erin Winkler, Ph.D, pointed out that when young children talk about race, this is how their comments are usually handled: 

 1. They are dismissed: Parents may say, “She doesn’t know what she’s saying.” 

2.  They are blamed on adults:  Parents may say, “She must have heard that from someone."  

3.  They are indirectly addressed as bad behavior: Parents may say: “We don’t say things like that because it hurts people’s feelings.” 

*Winkler goes on to say that, based on psychological research, there are much better ways to address this.  

Here is a general timeline of the way in which your baby learns about race:  

• 0-3 months: When babies are born, they look at all faces the same way, but at 3 months, they start to become more interested in faces that are the same race as their caregivers (Kelly et al., 2005).  

• 3-6 months: In a study that looked at about 200 black and white children, they found that infants are able to nonverbally categorize people by race and gender as early as 6 months. The infants  in this study, looked significantly longer at an unfamiliar face of a different race than they did at an unfamiliar face of the same race (Katz & Kofkin, 1997) .  

• 24-30 months: Toddlers as young as 24 months may use race to reason about people’s behaviors (Hirschfeld, 2008).  By 30 months, children may use race as a basis of who to play with (Katz & Kofkin, 1997).  

• 4-5 yrs. : Many children use racial prejudice (Aboud, 2008). At this age as well, many children also have their own racial biases that may not have been learned from the adults in their lives (Aboud, 2008; Hirschfeld, 2008; Katz, 2003; Patterson & Bigler, 2006).  

 Many studies have shown that children’s racial beliefs are not significantly related to those of their parents (Hirschfeld, 2008; Katz, 2003; Patterson & Bigler, 2006). In fact, discriminating between races seems to develop as early as 3 months of age. That being said, it is still up to parents to educate themselves about racism, to educate their children about racism, and to foster a positive and accepting environment.   

*Reading books to your children from a young age is a great way to teach them the importance of acceptance. Here are some incredible books for you to read to your children! 

Supporting Small Businesses: 11 Adorable Clothing Brands for Kids

With the current situation in the world, we want to do our part to help support small businesses.  It is our time, now more than ever, to support each other and to uplift each other! What better way to do that than through adorable clothing? That being said, there are so many amazing clothing brands for kids, that it can be kind of overwhelming. For this reason, we thought that we would share some of our current favorites! We do extensive research on all of the products and brands that are available on the market, and we think you will love these online stores! We made sure to include a range of options that cater to every Babba's personal style.  Below each of the store names, you will find a short summary of what that brand does best. That way, if you are looking for something specific, you will know where to go! Happy shopping Mammas!

1. Lovey and Grink: 

-Cutest pajamas! 

2. Seedling & Co. 

-Beautiful fabrics and prints  

3. Quincy Mae:  

-Organic and ethically made basics 

4. Rylee and Cru 

-Gorgeous prints and really wearable designs 

5. Alice and Ames 

-Sweetest dresses 

6. Tenth and Pine 

-Very gender neutral and made with organic cotton.  

7. Aspen and Company 

-Fun clothes for Mamma and Babba 

8. Spearmint Baby 

-Adorable prints and colorful style  

9. Hannah Made 

-Minimalistic clothing for Mamma and Babba 

10. Primary 

-Great for pajamas and basics 

11. Finn and Emma 

-Sustainable and adorable! 

*Here are some items that we just can’t get enough of!

Dental Care for Your Darling

Brushing your child's teeth is no easy feat, but getting those pearly whites as clean as possible is absolutely critical in order to ensure proper oral health. Even though the teeth that your child has now will most likely be whisked away by the tooth fairy, protecting their primary teeth is still just as important as protecting their adult teeth. Your child's teeth serve a much bigger purpose than you may realize. Teeth, along with all other parts of the mouth are essential for eating, speech development, and other aspects of health. Many doctors say that they can tell you pretty much anything that may be going on with a child's health... just by looking at the mouth.  

 Pediatric dentist, Trista Onesti, DDS, of the Cleveland clinic, suggests that "If a baby has teeth, those teeth can get decay and cavities". She also notes that children with cavities in their baby teeth may be more prone to cavities in their adult teeth.  

*Here are some questions that often arise when deciding how best to brush your child's teeth.  

1. At what age is best to start brushing?  

Pediatrician Dr. Giuliano MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, recommends that it is best to begin teaching your child the habit of brushing his/her teeth as soon as the first tooth comes in. In the beginning, you can use a clean, damp washcloth, a gauze pad, or a silicone finger brush to gently wipe clean the first teeth, the gums, and the front of the tongue after meals and at bedtime. You can also use a VERY soft toothbrush with a teeny tiny drop of toothpaste. When they are ready, they can begin to brush their teeth on their own.

A recent study suggests that almost 80% of children between the ages of 3-15 years only began brushing their teeth after their first year, which may have been a contributing factor to poor oral hygiene (Thornton-Evans, DDS et al., 2019).  In addition, kids should start visiting the dentist roughly 6 months after their first tooth comes.

3. Is fluoride safe for my child? 

Fluoride, and its safety, has been the topic of many conversations lately. Deciding whether to use a toothpaste with fluoride in it, or not, is a decision between you and your dentist, but here are some important facts! 

• The purpose of fluoride is to help strengthen the enamel on the teeth, so that the teeth can avoid decay.  

• Part of the reason why the amounts of toothpaste for children are so specific is because when the teeth get too much fluoride, they can develop little white spots that are referred to as dental fluorosis (Wright et al., 2014). 

• Since young children have not yet learned how to spit out their toothpaste, it is important to monitor how much toothpaste they are using, and subsequently ingesting, in order to prevent dental fluorosis. Such small amounts of toothpaste likely will not cause any harm.

• In the same 2019 report we mentioned before, close to 40% of children ages 3-6 were using too much toothpaste (Thornton-Evans, DDS et al., 2019). 

• Some dental professionals recommend not to start the use of fluorinated toothpaste until your child is 2 years of age.

2. How much toothpaste is best to use? 

From the moment you see those little teeth start to show up (usually at around 6 months), the American Dental Association recommends using toothpaste the size of a grain of rice until age 3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that for ages 3-6, you can transition to a pea sized amount of toothpaste.   

*Here are some toothpastes we love!

4. What kind of toothbrush is best to use? 

*Here are some of the tooth brushes we are loving right now!  

Finger Toothbrush

Jordan Step 1 Baby Toothbrush

Frida Baby: Baby's First Toothbrush

Infant Training Toothbrush

Baby Toothbrush and Teether

Dr. Brown's Infant-to-Toddler Toothbrush

Taking Temperature

In the midst of the current pandemic, everyone is on high alert for any kind of cold or flu symptoms. To make matters worse, many families do not have access to their primary care providers as readily as before, so it is now up to us more than ever to be aware of our health, and the health of our loved ones. That is why we want to make sure every mamma feels confident in knowing when her little Babba may have a fever.   

Some of the common signs of a fever are feeling warmer than usual, sweating, a flushed face, or shivering. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines a normal body temperature for a child to be a range between 97 degrees Fahrenheit (F) to 100.4 degrees F. In general, the AAP considers anything over 100.4 degrees F to be a potential fever. If you suspect that your child may have a fever, it is always a good idea to check. If your child does in fact have a fever, please seek medical attention immediately.

*There are 5 main methods to taking your child's temperature:  

1. Orally: Under the tongue 

2. Axillary: Under the arm  

3. Tympanic: In the ear 

4. Rectally: In the anal opening  

5. Temporal artery: The forehead

*These are the APA’s general guidelines for which type of thermometer to use based on your child's age:  

• 0-3 months: Rectal  

• 3 months-3 years: Rectal, axillary, or tympanic  

• 4-5 yrs: Rectal, Oral, axillary, or tympanic  

• 5 yrs or older: Oral, axillary, or tympanic  

*Let’s break down the steps for using each type of thermometer (adapted from the AAP's recommendations).  

Taking Oral Temperature: 

• Wait 15 minutes after the child has been eating or drinking before taking a temperature. 

• Clean the thermometer well.  

• Turn the thermometer on, and place the tip under the tongue toward the back of your child’s mouth. 

• Hold in place until you hear a beep. 

Taking Axillary Temperature: 

• Turn on the thermometer, and place the small end in your child’s armpit (thermometer should touch skin, not clothing). 

• Gently hold the arm in place until the thermometer beeps. 

Taking Tympanic Temperature: 

• Since the ears are especially sensitive to damage, we recommend refraining from putting anything in your child’s ear whenever you can. Try choosing the other forms of temperature taking as much as possible.

• The AAP advises against using this method for infants younger than 3 months. While a tympanic thermometer provides speedy results, the device needs to be inserted at the right angle in a child’s ear to provide an accurate reading.  

• Also, it is best not to use these devices right after a child has been swimming or bathing or if they have ear pain.  

• Place a clean cover on the end of the thermometer.

• Pull the ear backward slightly, and gently place the thermometer in the ear canal.  

• Try to aim the probe toward the child’s eye on the opposite side of the head. 

• Turn on the thermometer; remove after it beeps. 

Taking Rectal Temperature: 

• Clean the end of the thermometer with rubbing alcohol or soap and water; rinse in lukewarm water and dry.  

• Apply a small amount of baby-safe lubricant  

• Place your child tummy down across your lap. Hold your child by placing your palm against his/her lower back. Or, put your child face up and bend his/her legs to the chest. Rest your free hand against the back of the thighs. 

• With the other hand, turn the thermometer on, and insert it ½ to 1 inch into the anal opening (not too far). Loosely hold the thermometer in place, keeping your hand cupped around your child’s bottom. In about a minute, when you hear the beep, remove it and check the reading. 

• Make sure to clean the thermometer well afterwards!  

• Also be sure to label it for future reference so you can avoid using it in the mouth. 

Taking Temporal Lobe Temperature

• These thermometers are among the newest on the market, and therefore there isn’t too much research on them. That being said, the research that does exist is pretty promising. Despite their high price, they have been seen to be very useful in children older than 3 months old. They are still being studied in newborns, so for now, consider trying this type of thermometer on your child after 3 months of age. Simply clean the thermometer and turn it on, then sweep it across your child’s forehead until a reading appears!

Every Cha Cha Mamma needs a good thermometer! Here are some great ones.

Axillary and Oral

Tympanic and Forehead:

Rectal

*Be sure to talk to your doctor as well about which type of thermometer he/she recommends for your child!

Talking Tot

Your little Babba starts his/her hearing and language development before he/she is even born! Tons of exposure to language, intonation, facial expressions, gestures and all other forms of communication is the best way to stimulate your child’s speech and language development. This is done through play time, meal time, bath time, and all other daily activities. We encourage Mammas to talk, read, and sing about EVERYTHING that they are doing (working, cooking, walking, etc). We also encourage them to narrate EVERYTHING that their baby is doing as soon as he/she enters the world. You may sound a little silly at first, but it will eventually become second nature. This is especially important for Mammas and Daddas in quarantine with their babies, as they are not getting as much social interaction such as at daycare or at the park.

It is important to note that every baby develops at his/her own pace, and what is normal for one baby, may not be normal for another. We will feature many more posts on the specifics of how you can encourage growth in your baby’s life, but for now, here is a basic chart, from Stanford Children’s Health, that outlines a VERY general guideline for what you can expect from your baby in terms of speech and language development in the first 5 years of life. That being said, It is totally okay if your child does not fall into these guidelines. There are so many factors that may impact the rate in which your child develops his/her speech such as how many siblings they have, their hearing abilities, their personality, etc.

For example, though the norm is for kids to have their first meaningful word (“apple”, “no”, “yes”, etc.) by their first birthday, some kids don’t acquire their first word until 18 months, or even older, and then don’t stop talking! It is good, however, to look at your child as a whole, and to be aware of the norms, so that you can make any adjustments if need be. If you are ever concerned about your child’s speech and language development, speaking to your doctor and/or a speech pathologist can be incredibly helpful! They can really make a positive impact in the way your child communicates!

Stanford Children’s Health Speech Development Chart

Birth to 5 months

• Coos

• Vocalizes pleasure and displeasure sounds differently (laughs, giggles, cries, or fusses)

• Makes noise when talked to

6 to 11 months

• Understands "no-no"

• Babbles (says "ba-ba-ba")

• Says "ma-ma" or "da-da" without meaning

• Tries to communicate by actions or gestures

• Tries to repeat your sounds

• Says first word

12 to 17 months

• Answers simple questions nonverbally

• Says 2 to 3 words to label a person or object (pronunciation may not be clear)

• Tries to imitate simple words

• Vocabulary of 4 to 6 words

18 to 23 months

• Vocabulary of 50 words, pronunciation is often unclear

• Asks for common foods by name

• Makes animal sounds, such as "moo"

• Starting to combine words, such as "more milk"

• Begins to use pronouns, such as "mine"

• Uses 2-word phrases

2 to 3 years

• Knows some spatial concepts, such as "in" or "on"

• Knows pronouns, such as "you," "me" or "her"

• Knows descriptive words, such as "big" or "happy"

• Uses 3-word sentences

• Speech is becoming more accurate, but may still leave off ending sounds. Strangers may not be able to understand much of what is said.

• Answers simple questions

• Begins to use more pronouns, such as "you" or "I"

• Uses question inflection to ask for something, such as "my ball?"

• Begins to use plurals, such as "shoes" or "socks" and regular past tense verbs, such as "jumped"

3 to 4 years

• Groups objects, such as foods or clothes

• Identifies colors

• Uses most speech sounds, but may distort some of the more difficult sounds, such as l, r, s, sh, ch, y, v, z, th. These sounds may not be fully mastered until age 7 or 8.

• Uses consonants in the beginning, middle, and ends of words. Some of the more difficult consonants may be distorted, but attempts to say them

• Strangers are able to understand much of what is said

• Able to describe the use of objects, such as "fork" or "car"

• Has fun with language; enjoys poems and recognizes language absurdities, such as, "Is that an elephant on your head?"

• Expresses ideas and feelings rather than just talking about the world around him or her

• Uses verbs that end in "ing," such as "walking" or "talking"

• Answers simple questions, such as "What do you do when you are hungry?"

• Repeats sentences

4 to 5 years

• Understands spatial concepts, such as "behind" or "next to"

• Understands complex questions

• Speech is understandable, but makes mistakes pronouncing long, difficult, or complex words, such as "hippopotamus"

• Uses some irregular past tense verbs, such as "ran" or "fell"

• Describes how to do things, such as painting a picture

• Lists items that belong in a category, such as animals or vehicles

• Answers "why" questions

5 years

• Understands time sequences (for example, what happened first, second, or third)

• Carries out a series of 3 directions

• Understands rhyming

• Engages in conversation

• Sentences can be 8 or more words in length

• Uses compound and complex sentences

• Describes objects

• Uses imagination to create stories

Leading By Reading

Books, books, and more books! Many parents already spend plenty of time reading to their children, which is absolutely wonderful! However, despite the fact that it is no secret how important books are for children in terms of their development, the question is, when is the best time to start reading to your child? The research may surprise you. 

You would think that before your child is 1 year, there really is not much he/she could benefit from listening to a book, but there is quite a lot of research to suggest otherwise. One incredible study from the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting suggests a baby can never be too young to benefit from books. In Dr. Giuliano’s (of the Cleveland Clinic) commentary on this research, he says that,  “Once babies begin opening their eyes more and become more reactive to the world around them, they’re more than ready for books”. So, feel free to read to them whenever you can! Hey, why not even start while your Babba is still in your belly!

This same research found that shared-book reading in early infancy and toddlerhood predicted child vocabulary for up to four years later. Book-reading quality during early infancy, specifically, predicted early reading skills. Even better, they found that book-reading quantity AND quality during toddler years was strongly related to later literacy capabilities. This goes to say that it is important not only to read books with educational content to your baby, but it is perhaps even more important to read to them often. 

Reading is not only helpful to expose your children to language, but it is also crucial for so many other aspects of life. 

*Here are just a few of the potential benefits:  

• Learning about emotions

• Learning about colors and textures 

• Learning about listening to someone who is speaking

• Learning about problem solving and life lessons

• Learning about perspective taking 

The list goes on and on! Try to incorporate at least 2-3 books into your nightly routine with your Babba. Fit them in anywhere you can. Choose bright, colorful, diverse books, and ready to them as often as you can. Instill in them a love for reading and enjoy that incredibly special bonding time with your children. 

Here are some children’s books we love! 

Tummy Time

Thankfully, tummy time is a relatively well-known practice that we are pretty certain any good pediatrician will recommend these days. For those of you who may not have heard of it before, or who may not know why you are doing it, then here is some information you need to know about it. 

We know you would probably hold your baby and stare at him/her all day if you could, but we are here to remind you how important it is for your baby to spend some time on its tummy. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting with tummy time as early as the first day you come home from the hospital with your Babba. The reason for this is because it helps develop those little back, neck and arm muscles. It also keeps the head from developing flat spots. Since a baby’s head is so malleable, having it on its back for long periods of time, may cause some flattening of the head, which you want to avoid. 

The AAP recommends implementing tummy time 2-3 times a day, starting with 3-5 minute increments, and slowly increasing the time as the baby grows older and gets used to it. He/she may not like it in the beginning, but just know how critical it is for development. As your baby grows, they will need more time, and will start to move more. Before you know it, that Babba will be on the loose!

*Please consult your doctor to see what he/she recommends for your baby individually with regard to tummy time. 

Tips for Successful Tummy Time

• A good time to do tummy time, according to the AAP, is after a diaper change or after your baby wakes up from a nap. 

• Make sure to keep a close eye on your baby while he/she is in tummy time

• Put out some fun toys to keep your baby entertained. Plus they can work on reaching for them when they get to that stage. 

• Lay out a gorgeous play mat to get your Babba off to a good start!

*Here are some pretty and effective products that you can feel good using for your baby’s tummy time. Your baby will love them…plus they won’t make your house look like a rainbow tornado.

Baby Sign

Baby sign language is made up of a series of hand motions that you can teach your baby in order to better communicate with him or her. It appears to be possible for babies to learn sign before they even learn to say their first word. There is some compelling research that also suggests that the use of baby sign may actually promote verbal language development, among other developmental milestones.

Although the research on baby sign is still rather limited, a systematic review published in 2014 that looked at over 10 studies pertaining to baby sign language, determined that baby sign may help improve some areas of cognitive and social development. Some of the areas that were mentioned were, interaction with the parents, joint attention (when the baby realizes that they can get their parent’s attention and acts on it), and spoken language development (Fitzpatrick et al., 2014).

The time where parents typically begin to incorporate baby sign language is at around 6-8 months. Be it that babies typically only begin vocalizing true words at about 12 months, sign may be a great way to help your child grow his/her communication skills earlier on. Not only can it help them communicate effectively earlier, but it may help set them up for success as they get older. There is some great research to suggest that using sign with your baby may have a favorable impact on  their vocabulary come kindergarten time (Rowe & Goldin-Meadow, 2009). 

If parents and caregivers are consistent with teaching their baby sign, some babies may even be able to use two-phrase signs such as “more milk”, before they are even due to say their first word! This can be incredible to help parents de-code what their child may be wanting, and it can also be a great exercise to help enrich their ability to communicate. 

Whether you just use one sign such as “more”, or you use several, consider if the use of baby sign is right for you and your Babba. 

Here are some ideas of the signs you can use with your baby!

• During feeding: “more”, “eat”, “bottle”, “all done”, “please”, “thank you”

• During activities that interest them: “ball”, “doll”, “baby”, “play”

• Bedtime: “sleep”, “blanket”, “bear”

Here are some great resources to help you get started!