Baby talk - an all-important influence?
The way you talk to your baby could affect their social skills later on in life.
Researchers at the University of York have found that using specific 'mind-related' language with children when they're little has a huge influence on their empathy and understanding of others.
The more mums commented on their baby's thoughts, like asking if they were frustrated when they struggled to open a door on a toy car, the more their children were able to understand other people's feelings by the time they were five. The children's ability to understand the thoughts of others was directly related to how 'mind-minded' their mums were when they were little.
The research claims that a mum's ability to tune into her baby's thoughts and feelings early on then helps her child to empathise with others, and the importance of verbal interaction between mums and their little ones from an early age.
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