According to a new study, published today in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, the way a parent talks to their little one can greatly affect the strength of that child’s social skills later on in life.
A team of experts found that the children of mums who made ‘mind-related comments’ regarding their baby’s thought processes (asking them if they were ‘frustrated’ when they are struggling with a toy, for example) found it easier to understand the feelings of others by the age of five years.
As part of the study, the team observed 40 mothers and their babies, when they were aged 10 months, 12 months, 16 months, and 20 months.
The team made a note of every time the mother made a ‘mind-related comment’ during a 10-minute play session with her child, then they assessed each of the children once again at the age of five to six years. During this final assessment, the team presented the children with 12 scenarios that included lies, sarcasm or misunderstanding, and tested them on their comprehension of the stories.
The team concluded that there was a strong link between having a parent use mind-related comments and a high score in the comprehension test.
Commenting on the significance of the findings, the study’s lead author, Dr Elizabeth Kirk, said: “These findings show how a mother’s ability to tune in to her baby’s thoughts and feelings early on helps her child to learn to empathise with the mental lives of other people.”
