Get set for life: Mealtime with baby

Everyday routines, such as mealtimes, offer many opportunities to use Comfort, Play & Teach: A Positive Approach to Parenting. As you prepare a meal, eat or clean up in the kitchen, there are several simple things you can do to encourage your child's language development.

Babies are naturally drawn to rhythms and melodies, so singing is a powerful way to expose your child to the many words and sounds of his language. This will also help him feel comforted and secure by showing him that you are there for him even when you are busy cooking. It doesn't matter if you are out of tune or don't like your singing voice – research shows that a baby prefers his mother's voice above all others, so remember that to your baby, you have the most beautiful voice in the world!

If your baby is alert and awake, include him in conversation at the table by sitting him in his high chair next to you. You can play a game that consists of copying his sounds and actions. When he gurgles, coos, gestures, babbles or smiles, respond in kind. This back-and-forth exchange allows you to demonstrate how we take turns when we talk. This basic "conversation" will set the stage for the more complex communication skills that will develop in years to come.

Sometime around her first birthday, your baby will say her first word – but she is capable of understanding many words, and even some basic grammar, long before this unforgettable moment. This means that it's never too early to start teaching your child language. You can do this by describing your actions while you prepare food or by naming the items she is eating, such as "peas" or "banana." Hearing you talk will help your baby become familiar with the sounds, structures and intonations of her language. As time goes by, she will learn to recognize more and more of the words you use, gradually begin to associate them with particular routines and eventually understand their meanings.

If Your Child is a Toddler
Toddlers are on a word-learning rampage; they want to know what everything is called and seek every opportunity to use the words they know. Encourage your child by asking him which foods he prefers as you are preparing a meal. But don't expect him to say all his words perfectly - sounds such as "r," "l," "s" and "th" are more difficult, and it is normal for children to say things like "wadish" instead of "radish" for a long time. Showing your pride in the words he says, rather than correcting him, will give him a sense of comfort and make him feel confident in his ability to communicate with you.

You can also have fun together by playing a game in which you and your child name the ingredients you are using and describe or ask questions about their various features. You can talk about their colour ("What colour are the potatoes?"), their size ("The beans are small"), their shape ("Are the apples round or square?") and their consistency ("Tomatoes are firm"). This will teach your child many new words to describe things in her environment and will introduce her to concepts such as colour and size, which play an important role in early intellectual development.

If Your Child is a Preschooler
While you are preparing dinner, take the opportunity to talk with your child and ask him about his day. Showing an interest in what he did will give him some comfort because he has someone who listens to him and cares about what he has to say. Asking him open-ended questions, such as "Who else was there?" or "Where else did you go today?", will encourage him to practise using a wide range of words and structures instead of just answering yes or no. This can be a good way to take your mind off daily stresses and for both of you to simply enjoy each other's company on those nights when you're tired and hungry.

You can also play with your child by inventing rhymes about the ingredients you are using; for example, change the first letter or syllable of the word (e.g., "carrot" becomes "barrot," “marrot," etc.). Manipulating sounds in this way helps pave the way to literacy and is terribly funny to a young child.

As you go along, discuss what will happen next: ask questions, such as "What else do we need to do before we put this in the oven?" or "What will happen after your brother sets the table?" This is a good way to teach your child how to talk about sequences of events and use tenses correctly - both are important when telling stories and sharing information with others.