Communication in Toddlers: Milestones & Activities

Toddlers are cute and we can go on and on about how pleasing their tone and words sound. They can be the highlight of a person’s boring or stressful day. However, along with enjoying their cuteness, it is also important to keep a check on communication in toddlers. What they and when they learn is very important to track.

There are plenty of toddler communication activities that you can carry out to improvise their communication skills and to make them feel important and heard.

Why Is Communication Important For Toddlers?

The following reasons sum up for the importance of communication with children:

1. Children taught excellent communication techniques can better express themselves and communicate their emotions.

2. Communicating effectively with others can help people learn and exchange information meaningfully.

3. Effective communication will improve your child's relationship with you and others.

4. Children who struggle with language development may go on to have behavioural disorders such as depression, social disengagement, and low self-esteem.

5. Soft and gentle communication helps children feel secure and safe within themselves.

You may like : How to Improve Vocabulary for Toddlers?

What Are The Common Toddler Communication Milestones?

While every kid develops their language skills quickly, some toddler communication milestones can be used to estimate when a child is on track for their age group. This is useful for doctors and other medical professionals in determining if and when a child needs further care.

12 months

By the time your child is 12 months, they may exhibit the following toddler communication milestones:

• Imitate sounds.

• Start learning to identify words associated with items, such as "ball"

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• Turn around and follow the direction of sound.

• Start understanding what simple instructions mean. For example- sit down

• Start saying a few common words such as "Mumma", "Bhua", "Papa".

18 months

By the time your child is 18 months old, they may exhibit the following toddler communication milestones:

• Learn the names of familiar people, things, and body parts

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• Follow simple instructions with hand signals.

• Say upto 10 words.

24 months

By the time your child is 24 months old, they may exhibit the following toddler communication milestones:

• Use simple words and phrases like "more milk."

• Ask questions with one or two words, like "Will you go bye-bye?"

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• Follow simple instructions and get simple answers.

• Talk about 50 words or more.

• Talk well enough that you or other primary caregivers can understand you at least half of the time.

How Can I Improve My Toddler's Communication Skills?

When you take the time to build strong communication with children, you give them a leg up in learning to communicate with others. In addition to strengthening your bond, this shows your child that you care about what they have to say about how they feel.

Some suggestions are as follows:

1. Make an effort to sit down and have a conversation with one another. One good opportunity for this is during family dinners.

2. You should talk to your kid without distractions, so put away the phone, internet, and TV. This demonstrates that you are immersed in the conversation at hand.

3. Go around and chat about mundane topics. If you and your child have a habit of talking often, discussing serious or complicated topics may be less of a struggle.

4. You should feel comfortable expressing a wide range of emotions, from rage to joy to irritation to fear and anxiety. Your kid will gain a "feelings vocabulary" from this. Yet, waiting until strong emotions, like wrath, have subsided before discussing them is preferable.

5. Pay attention to your child's nonverbal cues and attempt to respond to them as well as their words. "You're really quiet this afternoon," for instance. "Was there a problem at school?"

6. You can start a dialogue with your child by asking, "What do you think about it, Udit?"

Also read: Amazing Ways to Help Your Toddler Talk

How To Encourage Verbal Communication In Toddlers?

Toddlers do not require "teaching" to acquire language skills. The best way for your child to learn language skills is to talk with you and others often. Of course, you can try out the toddler communication activities, but talking to them is the best way possible.

While you're together, tuning in and taking note of your kid's passions is the name of the game. Then you can comment or ask questions, and your child will have time to answer. Your toddler may point to a butterfly in the garden, and you may point out to the same butterfly and say “Look at the small little butterfly, I'm curious what it's up to.” Then observe your kid's reaction.

Always give your child time to find the right words while having these kinds of conversations with them. Here, you should refrain from interrupting your child or finishing their sentences.

Also read : Signs & Symptoms of ADHD in Children

Conclusion

You can improve communication in toddlers by engaging in simple, meaningful conversations with them. Then, teach your kid the basics of conversational structure and inspire them to use language to make sense of the world. However, it is important to remember that toddler communication milestones are just for reference. Do not stress about it and stress your child in return.

References

1. Bell J, Condren M.(2016). Communication Strategies for Empowering and Protecting Children. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther.

2. Cates CB, Dreyer BP, Berkule SB, White LJ, Arevalo JA, Mendelsohn AL.(2012). Infant communication and subsequent language development in children from low-income families