If you’re the parent of a newborn, chances are you’re already guilty of speaking “baby-ese”, that particular, sing-songy voice that people seem to instinctively use with infants. And there’s a reason for it. The pitch is higher than normal adult-speak, and the vowels are longer; studies show that babies pay more attention to adults using this type of language than those speaking in a normal pitch, and that the exaggerated mouth movements help infants better grasp meaning.

So start talking! Your newborn may seem like a sleeping-eating-pooping machine, but they are already taking in so much of the world.

Today’s activity with Veronika, then, was simply to remember to keep talking, especially in a home where adults and big kids dominate.

Any time is a good time to talk, whether over breakfast with big brother…

…or in quiet one-on-one moments. You might even elicit a little smile.

Or a big gummy grin.