Sounds and smiles
	It's a sign!
	Ta-ta to tantrums

In fact, babies like human voices and enjoy vocalising in their first efforts at communication. Likewise, you'll find yourself instinctively talking to your baby and mimicking her cooing. You may find yourself speaking in 'babyese' - the high-pitched language that most people instinctively use when talking to a little one. This is entirely natural and scientifically proven to be pleasing to babies' ears.

Remember that your baby starts communicating with you from birth, especially on a physical level - try poking your tongue out at your baby and she may well poke her tongue back out at you.

Of course, a young baby's main method of communication is crying. At first it may seem hard to work out which cries mean what, but if you listen carefully as the weeks go by you will soon be able to hear the differences between an 'I'm hungry' and an 'I need changing' cry. Touch is another important method of communication - by frequently holding and stroking your baby, she'll get to know that this is your way of soothing and loving her - and, as she grows, she'll touch you when she wants your attention.

It's a sign!
Older babies sometimes invent their own sign language to help them communicate with you - for instance, pointing to their nose when it needs wiping. Now this has been extended with the invention of baby sign language, which enables your baby to communicate physically with you. In theory, this should lead to less frustration from your baby - she'll be able to tell you fairly quickly when she wants some milk, for example. Baby sign language teachers say that the best time to start teaching it to your child is when they reach six months. Buy a good book or video on the subject and you and your baby can learn together.

If you decide to teach your baby to sign, remember that you must speak to her as much as possible as well. Your baby will try and engage you in conversation in her own way by babbling and even uttering simple words like 'mama' and 'dada'. You may find that she is especially vocal when you're speaking as she tries to join in with your conversation! Listen carefully to her baby talk and see if you can tune in to what she's trying to say. By responding to her with noises and even words, she'll know that you're as intent on communicating with her as she is with you.

It's important to chat to your baby as much as possible, maintaining eye contact if you can. Try it at home, in the supermarket, in the swimming pool - in fact whenever the two of you are together. Your baby will love hearing your voice - and the attention, of course!

Also watch out for your baby's smiles and laughs and the first signs of other facial expressions - like surprise, confusion and discontent - as she begins to connect with and express his feelings.

Ta-ta to tantrums
As your child reaches toddlerhood, one of her main methods of communication will be the tantrum! It's down to you to stay calm so that you can pacify her and get down to the root of what she wants. Try the methods used in the Toddler Whisperer book, which will help you communicate with and understand your child.

It can be hard to get your child to understand or even listen to you, especially if they are crying or angry at the time. If, for example, you need to tell your child not to do something naughty again, make sure you get down to their physical level, look them in the eye and talk slowly and calmly. Remember that young children have a limited vocabulary, and much as you want to teach them new words, the times when you are telling them off or pacifying them are not the times to extend their verbal repertoire.

Facial expressions are just as important with your infant as they are with a baby. We all know that a smile goes a long way and also remember that your expressions and actions can serve to underline what you are trying to tell your child.

Perhaps the most important aspect of communicating with your child is that of listening. Make time every day to listen exclusively to her with no distractions. Resist the temptation to interrupt your child as this will lead to frustration on her part. As your child gets older and her vocabulary increases, encourage her to express herself fully. For instance, in conversation, encourage your child to give more than 'yes' and 'no' answers by asking open-ended questions in conversation. This will encourage her verbal communication skills and help increase her confidence.