In the beginning the cooing of the parent to the infant is truly for the benefit of mom and dad, but it is an opening of the doors. You look depressed in that stupid outfit your mother put you in. This begins the practice of affective language. At about 18 months the child becomes aware that other people and things have feelings. This is the point where imaginative play begins.
Children are role-playing with trucks, dolls, and stuffed animals.
They may identify with a character in a movie and discuss the feelings of the character in different situations. These are opportunities for the parent to engage and talk about how feelings are important in the child s life. As the child develops the discussions on feelings will expand. It can be overwhelming and enlightening at the same time. Overall it is a worthwhile endeavor that will lead to better communications in the parent-child relationship through the lifespan.