The Best Thing for Building Your Child's Communication Is You
- Melissa Martinet
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
As parents, it's easy to wonder if you're doing enough to support your child's communication. With educational toys, flashcards, apps, and videos everywhere, it can feel like you're expected to do more than simply talk to your child.
But here's the reassuring truth: the greatest influence on your child's communication development isn't something you can buy. It's you.
From the day your child is born, your voice, facial expressions, conversations, and shared experiences begin building the foundation for language. Children don't simply learn words—they learn to communicate through relationships.
Communication Starts Long Before the First Word
Long before children can say "mama" or "dada," they're already communicating. A newborn turns toward a familiar voice. A baby smiles back when you smile. Later, they begin babbling, pointing, waving, and making sounds to capture your attention. Every one of these moments is an invitation to connect.
When you respond by smiling, talking, or naming what they're looking at, you're teaching them that communication is meaningful. These back-and-forth interactions strengthen the neural pathways responsible for language, social skills, and emotional development. This responsive interaction, often called serve and return, is one of the most powerful ways to support a child's developing brain.
Language Grows Through Everyday Life
Children don't learn language by memorizing words—they learn by experiencing them.
When you narrate your day, you're helping your child connect words to real experiences.
"Let's pour the milk into your cup."
"The water feels warm."
"Can you hear the birds singing?"
"We're putting your blue socks on today."
These conversations may feel ordinary, but they give words meaning. Whether you're folding laundry, grocery shopping, going for a walk, or reading a bedtime story, you're creating opportunities for your child to hear language in context.
Listening Is Just as Important as Talking
Communication isn't only about the words we say. It's also about creating space for our children to communicate back.
When your toddler points to an airplane, pauses to find the right word, or tells you a story that jumps from one idea to another, they're practicing communication. By slowing down, listening, and responding with interest, you're teaching them that their thoughts matter and their voice deserves to be heard.
Children become confident communicators when they feel listened to, not rushed.
Your Face Speaks Too
Children learn just as much from watching you as they do from listening to you.
A smile, a surprised expression, a laugh during a silly game, or an excited voice while reading a favourite book all help children understand emotions, social cues, and the meaning behind language. These shared moments are why reading, singing nursery rhymes, playing pretend, and simply talking together are so valuable during the early years.
Watching Communication Grow
Communication develops gradually, with each new skill building on the one before it. Your child may begin by cooing and smiling, then progress to babbling, using gestures like pointing and waving, saying their first words, combining two-word phrases, asking endless "why" questions, and eventually telling detailed stories.
Every child develops at their own pace, but understanding these milestones can help you celebrate progress while recognizing when extra support may be beneficial.
Our Birth to 5 Developmental Milestone Guide walks you through communication milestones alongside social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and self-help development, helping you understand not only what your child is learning, but why those skills matter and how to support them through everyday play and connection.
Parents often underestimate the value of the conversations they have every day. The bedtime story you've read countless times. The questions during a car ride. The songs you sing while cleaning the kitchen. The excitement you share when you spot a butterfly on a walk.
These moments may feel small, but they are shaping your child's ability to communicate, connect with others, and understand the world around them. The best thing you can do to build your child's communication isn't adding another activity to your day.
It's continuing to share life with them... one conversation at a time.
Explore more on early childhood development, and how to support your child’s milestones:
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The information shared on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, professional, or legal advice. We are not healthcare professionals. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your child or family’s specific needs. Use of this information is at your own discretion. For full details, please visit our Legal page.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024). Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents.https://www.healthychildren.org
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2021). Serve and Return Interaction Shapes Brain Circuitry.https://developingchild.harvard.edu
Golinkoff, R. M., Hoff, E., Rowe, M. L., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2019). Language Matters: Denying the Existence of the 30-Million-Word Gap Has Serious Consequences. Child Development, 90(3), 985–992. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13128
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024). Speech and Language Developmental Milestones. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004/2009). Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships: Working Paper No. 1. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. https://developingchild.harvard.edu
Rowe, M. L. (2012). A Longitudinal Investigation of the Role of Quantity and Quality of Child-Directed Speech in Vocabulary Development. Child Development, 83(5), 1762–1774. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01805.x
Zero to Three. (2023). Language and Communication Development: Birth to Three. https://www.zerotothree.org
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