Your baby’s talking and babbles don’t just sound adorable, they also mean something. Even when your new baby is just an infant, his sounds can help tell you a lot about what’s going on in his life. Wondering what "goo" and “ga" mean? This baby talking advice for each age should help clear up your confusion.

Baby talking at 1 month: Right after birth, most babies communicate when they are reacting to something. After spending approximately nine months in a calm environment, your new baby is probably startled by all the new noises and sensations. His crying, quick movements, and sighs can all mean that he is experiencing something new. These tiny communications are a great sign that your little one is developing and alert. They can also help you better understand when he is hungry or tired.

Baby talking at 4 months: At around 4 months, your new baby may begin imitating the noises he has been hearing since birth. This is often referred to as babbling and is another sign that your baby is developing at a steady pace. Listen for your baby to drop and raise the pitch of his voice when babbling, a sure sign that he is copying the inflection in your voice. Encourage this by talking slowly and carefully to him as much as possible.

Baby talking at 6 to 8 months: The 6- to 8-month period is a busy time for baby talking. At this age, your child may begin to crawl, and you might notice him pointing at his toys while simultaneously babbling, a prime example of early communication. This can be a good age to introduce baby sign language, if this appeals to you. Pick up an instructional book or video and start signing a few words that you use on a regular basis when talking to your baby, such as drink, eat, sleep, and diaper. If you start around 6 or 7 months, your baby may start signing back when he’s 8 or 9 months. Finally, some babies come out with their first spoken words at this stage, often “mama” or “dada.”

Baby talking at 12 to 18 months: Your baby will probably pick up a few more words over the next months. He may also start mimicking conversation by babbling with pauses and “responding” to you after asking him a question. Although his vocabulary is still limited at this age, know that he understands quite a lot of what you say -- so keep chatting away to help boost his language development.

Baby talking at 18 to 24 months: Now that your child has mastered a good number of words, he’ll start to string them together to create early forms of sentences (“all done”). As your tot gains this added ability to describe what he wants (“milk mommy!”) or what excites him (“go swing!”) you’ll find that it becomes easier to communicate, which will be a welcome baby milestone for both of you.

As with all baby milestones, remember that children develop language at different speeds and in different ways. Your new baby is unique and may require more or less time than others to begin making sounds and gestures. Before you know it, your child will hit the chatty preschool stage, and peace and quiet will be a thing of the past!

Photo by Irina Murza on Unsplash

Between hosting a toddler playdate, dropping an older child off at a ballet lesson, and catching up on some work, many moms have little time to put dinner on the table -- let alone sit down with their kids while they eat.

But the benefits of gathering for a meal together go beyond knowing whether your child ate her broccoli or snuck it to the dog. Regular family meals have been linked to a lower rate of obesity. Family mealtimes can also be a boon for child development, since your dinnertime conversation may boost your 3-year-old’s vocabulary and social skills.

Ready to chat and chew? Keep this parenting advice front and center to get the most out of your mealtimes.

Make family meals a regular event. Don’t stress if you can’t sit down for every meal together. Aim to eat as a family three to four times a week (you could even put the dates on a calendar to ensure that the whole family remembers).

Leave technology off the table. The television, cell phones, laptops, and even the radio can be a distraction and take away from the time you have together at the dinner table. Turn off technology (parents, too!) until the meal is over.

Engage your child. It’s easy to get lost in your lasagna and forget to talk. Make an effort to ask your tot questions about her day at preschool or what she did at the park. The more you talk, the more you’ll help build language and other child development skills. Feel free to use words she may not know yet (“Do you like how this eggplant tastes?”), as the dinner table is the perfect place to explain what things mean. Keep the conversation flowing by listening intently to your child and asking follow-up questions, as well as sharing information about your day, too.

Your regular family dinners will in time become a wonderful tradition that continues as your child gets older. Of course, life can get in the way of a planned pizza night. If that’s the case, simply reschedule for another night. Bon appétit!

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

Your new baby is a marvel. Bent on exploring his world, he's pretty much unstoppable. And while it may not look like he needs any help mastering new skills, a little boost from his parents can’t hurt, right?

Baby milestone: Scooting around the house

At about 8 months, your baby is probably in constant motion. He may be rocking back and forth, and sitting up, and could also be close to crawling -- some pretty important motor development milestones. He will learn to focus on where he wants to go, and concentrate on scooting, sliding, or crawling to get there. This means coordinating his legs and arms, and digging his little hands into the floor to push or pull himself forward.

What you can do: Place a favorite toy in front of you or call his name over and over again to entice your little one to move toward you. This will encourage your tot to develop his coordination skills. Once your baby’s crawling, set up a small obstacle course with pillows or blocks. This will help teach him how to move from side to side, further enhancing his motor development.

Baby milestone: Getting curious

All that moving around will have your baby curious about the new things he is seeing and touching. This playing will eventually allow him to understand specific names and functions.

What you can do: Allow your child to explore his surroundings in a safe way. For example, boost your child’s development by gathering household objects that your baby will be intrigued by, such as a soft spatula or plastic containers that fit inside of each other. Remember, your little one will be putting almost everything in his mouth, so ensure any makeshift toys are not choking hazards.

Baby milestone: Becoming a bookworm

While your little one might not say his first words for a while, it’s never too early to introduce him to books. Reading to your baby helps build language comprehension and vocabulary and sets the stage for literacy. It also boosts listening and memory skills, so start when he is a newborn and don’t put those books down!

What you can do: Placing your baby in your lap and allowing him to interact with the book is a great start for children this age. Show him how to open the book, and let him bat and point at the pages. Don’t expect your baby to be able to sit still for long, but know that these simple interactions are helping to encourage a lifetime of reading.

Your child’s development is mesmerizing, to say the least. Consider keeping a journal to record all of his achievements. It will be fun to look back at the book together when he’s older!

The changes your baby has gone through from the time you brought her home to now have been unbelievable. Who could have thought that in these few months she could grow into this little person? She's becoming more and more social every day, and playtime just gets better.

Offer a toy
Hand her a toy that rattles or makes crinkly sounds and watch her reaction when she grabs it. If it's a toy that makes music when she touches it or squeezes it, does it make her smile? Toys that help her learn about the different senses are both educational and magical to a baby. Does she have a favorite lovey item yet? She may be able to pass this toy from hand to hand, and it may be fun to play a back-and-forth game with her. Remember when she first smiled at 2 months? Around now she’ll start to giggle – which is even better!  

Go for a game
At 4 months you want to play games that engage her senses. Help her round out her understanding of the world by playing games that involve different textures and scents. Bubbles are fascinating to babies. Blow them around your baby and she’ll be endlessly entertained. Or play “This Little Piggy” while you’re getting her dressed and ready to leave for the day. She’ll love to be tickled and stimulated, and it’s also a good game to learn about touch – and to distract her when you want to put her socks on!  

Set up a playdate
Have you had a playdate yet? Why not invite one or two mom friends over who have babies around the same age? Put your babies on the floor together, along with a few toys, and watch what happens. You’ll love watching your baby play with her new friends -- you could probably use the time to talk to other moms as well.

Playing with your baby and creating a fun and active environment is vital to early childhood development. Keep her active, and you'll raise a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted baby!

The past two months have been a whirlwind of sleepless nights and round-the-clock feedings. At this point, you're probably getting into a routine with your 2-month-old infant. In these early childhood development stages, she's ready for more activity and interaction with you.

Tummy time
If you haven't done so already, now is the perfect time to introduce her to tummy time. Letting your baby spend time on her tummy when she’s awake and alert will help strengthen her back and neck muscles. Place her on her tummy on a blanket on the floor. Prop her on her arms, making sure there are no blankets or toys around her face. Now watch her try to lift her head and move it from side to side. Start with about 3 to 5 minutes a few times a day and gradually increase the amount of time for each tummy session.

Share smiles
At around this age, your baby may develop a social smile, which is a huge milestone for all parents -- that grin just melts your heart every time you see it. Prop her on your lap, talk to her, and smile at her. She'll be entertained and engaged simply by the sound of your voice and the look on your face. The rewards of this activity will be priceless: It's amazing what a newborn's smile can do for a new mom!

Read together
One more great activity is reading together. Now is the perfect time to get into the routine of reading a bedtime story to your baby before putting her down for the night. With any luck, that bedtime story will lead to a good night's sleep, because you both have another big day of play and activities tomorrow!

Doing fun activities with your 2-month-old contributes to healthy development. And just spending time together will make both of you happy.

Photo by Minnie Zhou on Unsplash