And even when we're in the office and we're examining babies at 2 months of age, we can coax the baby into a smile by talking to them and making good facial expressions. But for their moms and dads it doesn't need to be coaxed. Well, with the social smile comes the first planned vocal movements. And that's a very important thing for parents to be aware of, that their child is talking to them, even though it is not a word that we can understand, and that they need to also talk back to their babies. Get good eye contact and let them learn the rhythm and the sound of the American language.
Consonant sounds come later in the first year.
I think it's important for parents to understand that they should look at their baby and talk to them, and they shouldn't talk baby talk. They should use the words that they would use in any other conversation because the baby's watching their mouth. And so, speaking to them clearly, or singing to them, is a way to get their language development started. And sometime in the early months, each baby learns to roll over, usually that happens in their crib. Parents should notice that their child's shoulder muscle, arm muscle is getting stronger right around 4 months of age and then rolling will take place shortly after.