"Parents with face-to-face prams were more than twice as likely to be talking to their child, however only 22% of all those observed were chatting with their youngster."
At first this kind of statement makes one's jaw drop - life in the pram is very impoverished indeed. But then, I got to thinking...
- Babies spend a lot of time sleeping. Many mothers bung their children in prams to help them to sleep - not just for a break: the child is clearly tired, but seems to require the motion in order to drop off.
- How long could they possibly have observed each mother for? Is it possible that some of the mothers of awake babies had reached a lull in the conversation?
- Observation without the need for constant commentary does have value.
Our pram is face-to-face, and to be honest, I don't always want to talk. Sometimes we are just being contemplative. But then again, sometimes, I forget to talk: so the challenge for tomorrow (and always), is to remember to tell my baby what I am thinking about.
...............
The researcher heading this study is Suzanne Zeedyk.
Relevant links: National Literacy Trust
Sutton Trust Research and Publications (scroll down to "What's life in a buggy like?")
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