Can Your Baby Understand the Tone of Your Voice?
Babies already recognize their mommy’s voice when they are born, but what about the tone? Does your baby understand what you are trying to say? Find out now.
Do you wish your little bundle of joy to communicate to you and recognize your voice with all its intonations? At birth and in the months to come, your little one is like a visitor to a new land. She can’t yet understand the language you speak or the tone of your voice at birth, but she is definitely familiar with it as she has heard you all along from inside the womb.
In months to come she will start tuning to the tone of your voice and try to communicate back to you by certain sounds and expressions. Understanding the tone of your voice will be an important development milestone your baby will cross in the first early months of his life.
When Does it Develop?
At birth, your little one may not understand the tone of your voice, the meaning behind the words or the language you use to communicate to her. However, she can perceive emotions like love, happiness, concern, anxiety and anger. She will slowly pick up on vocabulary and in time learn to comprehend what you are trying to say by the tone of your voice.
Following are The Development Milestones of Your Baby’s Understanding and Perception of Language and Communication:
1. Newborn to Two Months
As soon as your baby is born, he begins to absorb and perceive information. Although this information may seem foreign to your little one, your baby is learning to emotionally adapt to you and the rest of the family. Your baby is getting secure in the family environment she is born in.
2. Two to Four Months
Your little one begins to observe everything that goes around him. He is now able to understand your responses to his activities. At three months your baby will start attempting to respond back to your actions. He will start making certain gurgling noises when he hears the tone of your voice.
3. Four to Seven Months
Your little one can now fully tune into the tone of your voice. She will start recognizing the names you call her and will respond to your words in actions or funny noises. When you sound happy, she will respond back joyfully and if you seem angry, she will begin to cry. She will be able to make out the difference between you and other family members. She will link each tone of voice to the personality associated.
4. Seven to Twelve Months
Your baby can now obey orders. He will follow and do what you say. Your little one will also test your responses to his action and behaviour. He will also understand and associate actions and gestures to certain words, such as refusal to eat, or waving someone goodbye. He will slowly start uttering and copying words that you or your spouse speak.
Talking with your baby on a regular basis will help him grasp the ability to understand the tone of your voice, and pick up communication skills. Encourage your baby’s responses to your behaviour as he will understand what is acceptable and what is not. Your baby will soon develop eye contact, body language and communicate the same way you do!