Can your little one sit up yet? About half way through their first year, babies generally begin to sit upright on their own. It鈥檚 trickier than it sounds. Their muscles have to be strong enough to hold their head up and they need the coordination to stay balanced. And so, sometimes鈥 they don鈥檛 quite manage it! Their muscles are still developing, and they鈥檙e stilll earning to balance. But, they鈥檒l get it鈥 eventually!
Sitting up is actually a really important skill for their language learning. It frees up a baby鈥檚 ribcage, giving them the breath control they need to make words. It also makes their tongue sit further forward, which is much better for speech. And from their new stable upright position, it鈥檚 much easier for your baby to focus on what interests them. It鈥檚 also much easier for them to grab things, so beware! And when they do grab something, if you talk about it, you鈥檒l help them learn new words; as studies show that babies are more interested in objects their parents have told them the names for.
So, can it be that teaching your baby language is as simple as letting them sit and play with their toys? In a word, yes! Just remember to talk to them about what they鈥檙e playing with and use their toys鈥 names !It鈥檚 a great way to encourage your baby to explore the world!