Babies have long had a reputation as little sponges, soaking up information from the world around them.
But that’s only part of the story.
Here are six of your babys abilities that we think are anything but infantile.
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Sense Emotions
Infants are sensitive to emotion.
Around their first birthday, a child can even sense how other people feel.
But your child isn’t just aware of your feelingsthey actively care about them.
The researchers concluded that the babies were showing an empathetic preference toward the bullied figure.
Tap Their Talent:Display your feelings.
Whether you’re gently patting the dog or enthusiastically greeting a neighbor, your child is watching.
“What you say to babies is less important than how you say it,” says Dr. Gopnik.
But don’t expect to fool your child by saying “Yum!”
as you put strained spinach to your lips: Babies can often tell when you’re faking it.
Talk With Their Hands
Infants are eager to learn sign language before they begin to speak.
Researchers then removed one puppet and closed the curtain; when it reopened, the same puppet remained.
Then they repeated the experiment and changed the ending: two puppets appeared when the curtain reopened.
The babies' prolonged stares indicated they understood that two minus one doesn’t equal two.
Babies also seem capable of solving problems using scientific logic.
“That’s very sophisticated reasoning for a baby,” says Dr. Gopnik.
Tap Their Talent:Research shows that your child learns math and science best through daily exploration.
Learn a Second Language
Your infant possesses the innate ability to learn a second language.
Traditionally, experts have suggested waiting until age 3 to introduce a second language.
But a2017 study by an international team of researchersfound that even infants can distinguish between words in different languages.
The study reported that by 20 months, bilingual babies can accurately and efficiently process two different languages.
A child’s ability to pinpoint facial featuresmay start to wanearound 9 months.
But some experts believe it doesn’t have to.
Helping maintain this skill will encourage your baby to become more accepting of others as they grow.
Respond to Music
Your baby was born to boogie!
Tap Their Talent:Parents instinctively rock infants to the beat while singing a song.
Scientists think this is a crucial way babies learn about rhythm.
you’re able to help by exposing your child to a wide range of musical genres.
If you’re listening to your favorite song, sing along and look into your babys eyes.
