Babies typically start saying simple words like “mama” and “dada” around their 12th month, but one baby blew her parents away after she appeared to say “hello” at just 7 weeks old.
The adorable moment, captured on video, shows baby Evelyn Matthews watching her mother Sara’s face intently as she says “hello” to her baby over and over again.
“Can you say hello?” Sara asks.
Evelyn appears to be concentrating as she tries to mimic her mother, releasing a gurgle.
After Sara repeats the question, Evelyn says “hello” back, stunning her mother, who immediately sent the video to her family and friends. They were just as amazed as she was.
“It’s so lucky we caught it on camera”
“I was repeatedly saying ‘hello’ and you can see that she is really concentrating and trying to say something back,” Sara told The Sun. “That made me keep the recording going—I felt that it was a build-up to something and the expression on her face seemed like she was really thinking about it.”
“It’s so lucky we caught it on camera,” Evelyn’s dad James said. “It totally surprised and amazed us. We are so proud.”
“I was saying the word and it was the only thing I was saying, there is no doubt about it that she was definitely trying to say ‘hello’,” Sara added. “It’s definitely not a fluke.”
Now 15 weeks old, Evelyn’s amazing feats haven’t stopped at forming words. The precocious baby was rolling over at just three months (for most babies, this happens at 4 months at the earliest).
On the next page: learn how to encourage your baby to start talking.
Language is complex, and it could take a while for your baby to start forming words. According to BabyCenter, your child won’t be forming two- or three-word sentences until she’s 2 years old or even later. Here are some tips from Parents on encouraging your baby to start talking.
1. Start from day one
Just because you aren’t expecting your newborn to understand what you’re saying doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make efforts to talk to them. One study observed the preterm babies exposed to more words were more likely to make sounds of their own.
2. Pay attention to your baby’s cues
Observe what your baby stares at or reaches for and engage with him. Describe the object—talk about its size, color, what it does, and so forth. If you see your baby watching you, narrate to him what you’re doing. Your baby won’t understand exactly what you’re saying, but your responsiveness will encourage him to interact and communicate with you.
Photo: Fotolia
3. Read to your baby
When you read to your baby, the plot isn’t the focus, but how you share the experience. Cuddle with your baby as you flip through the pages and talk about the pictures. You don’t even have to stick to what’s written—by all means, make up the story as you go along.
4. Encourage back-and-forth dialogue
Letting your baby respond to you clues him in on how conversation works, and keeps his attention for longer than a monologue from you. Give your baby a chance to respond and answer him when he babbles.
5. Lessen screen time
Because television programming doesn’t have the back-and-forth that actual conversation has, TV can actually deter your baby’s language development. When it comes to language development, nothing comes close to social interaction.
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