Serve and Return: Simple Interactions with Big Results for Babies

In This Episode: Long before babies have words, they use gestures, facial expressions, gaze, body movements and sounds to communicate their interests, feelings, needs and wants. Then it's our turn to follow their cues and "return" the "serve" they gave us, joining them in their interests, helping them do what they aren't able to do alone, and acknowledging their feelings with words, smiles and touch. Through these simple ongoing interactions over time, babies learn language, strengthen motor skills, build confidence in their own abilities and trust in the caring adults who respond to them sensitively and consistently. Of course, no parent can be available to respond to every cue, so how much is enough? What can we do when we aren't able to respond? And what in our lives sometimes distracts us so much that we fall short of being responsive "enough"? In particular, how are we managing the tech devices that consume so much of our time and energy if we let them? As useful and fun as phones and tablets can be (both for parents and kids), what steps can we take to manage our devices rather than letting them manage us? Tune in to this week's episode, brought to you by Help Me Grow MN, to hear Dr. Megan Gunnar discuss all this and more with Marti & Erin. WHAT DO YOU THINK? "Serve and return" is especially important for a child's emotional development, including self-regulation (ability to calm down, inhibit impulsive, regulate difficult emotions) and empathy and respect for others. Why do you think these small interactions in the earliest years of life are so important to that aspect of development?  WANT TO LEARN MORE? ❉ HELP ME GROW MN. Learn more about child development from birth to 5 years, get tips to support your child's development, get help if you have concerns about your child's development, and more at Help Me Grow MN's easy to navigate and helpful website.