Boosting your little one’s language learning doesn’t have to be complicated or take up lots of your day. Which is good news for parents everywhere… including our celebrity ambassadors JB Gill, Jess Shears, Dom Lever, Annie Price and Neev Spencer.
They took part in a Tiny Happy People session to hear the science behind how babies and children learn to communicate. Speech and language expert Danielle Matthews and speech and language therapist Anne McKee led the video call, and also shared their everyday tips for helping little ones build their vocabulary.
And the celebrities’ verdict? It’s MUCH more straightforward than they thought. Here’s what our ambassadors learnt from the session…
JB Gill
The JLS singer is also a 鶹Լ Countryfile and Springwatch presenter. He’s dad to son Ace, born in 2014, and daughter Chiara, born in 2018.
“I was really struck when Anne mentioned how important ‘extra talk’ is. This is basically when you talk to your child about what they are doing or what is happening around them and use lots of descriptive words.
It was the first time I’d heard it called that, but it’s something you do enthusiastically as parents when you first have a child. When you’ve got the stresses and strains of two children along with life and work, this extra talk can get forgotten. It’s much easier to say, ‘eat your dinner’ or ‘get dressed’, especially if your child has already mastered some of the basics and you’ve got a lot of other things on your mind or you’re busy at home.
For me, it was a great reminder that our kids are still young and to keep this extra talk going. We’re not going to be perfect all the time but putting our minds to it and making extra talk a priority can be really beneficial. It’s definitely something I’ll be doing with Ace and Chiara.
I’ve got the eldest child out of all the celebrity ambassadors and we’re all at different stages. The session also showed there is something to be learnt at each stage. Parenting doesn’t come with a rule book - we all need help at times - so any tips and insight that can be shared are incredibly valuable.”
We’re not going to be perfect all the time but putting our minds to it and making extra talk a priority can be really beneficial - JB Gill
Jess Shears and Dom Lever
The Love Island stars welcomed their son in 2019.
Jess says: “Sometimes it feels like parenting is made more complicated than it needs to be. Hearing in the session that simple is best was so refreshing. It made me realise I don’t need to find an hour to do a snazzy game or activity with my son. Instead, it can simply fit into my day which makes it much more achievable and takes the pressure off. You don’t need expensive gadgets or toys; you can use what you have at home and make it work.
Another thing that really resonated with me was Anne and Danielle saying that when it comes to parenting, ‘good enough is good enough’. I don’t need to worry about making sure I’ve got a full face of makeup or my son is impeccably dressed. Instead, it’s important to be authentic and real. Parenting isn’t all rosy, there are ups and downs. We’re all in the same storm we’re just in different boats so showing the good sides and bad sides is important.”
Dom says: “Being a parent, especially for the first time, is pretty daunting and you do compare your child to other kids of a similar age. When you see someone post a video of their child talking, when yours isn’t, you think, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ It’s easy to think other parents are doing something different or know some secret trick and that’s why their child seems to be ahead. But actually, Danielle and Anne made me realise we’re not doing anything wrong which is a big relief! They explained that different children hit developmental milestones at different times and that’s totally normal.
It’s just another reason why I’m so happy to be involved with Tiny Happy People. It’s almost like a shoulder to cry on or a friend you ask for advice. The videos and tips make you realise you’re doing your best and that parenting isn’t grand ideas or activities. It’s the little things you can do every day.”
I don’t need to worry about making sure I’ve got a full face of makeup or my son is impeccably dressed - Jess Shears
Annie Price
TV presenter and fitness trainer Annie is mum to Sonny, born in 2018, and Lennie, born in 2020.
“I loved what Danielle and Anne said about having moments of connection with your child and the joy you’ll feel when you do. I was nodding my head when they said that! No matter what happens in the day - and a lot can go wrong - if I can have a bit of connection with my kids then I feel so much better. It doesn’t have to take lots of time. It might be a five-minute conversation about the funny dinosaurs that Sonny is pretending are chasing him. Or a 10 minute ‘face time’ with Lennie where I hold her hands so she’s facing me and we babble back and forth like we’re having a chat. A few moments like that throughout the day and I feel so much better.
Annie also talked about finding ways to make those tough moments in the day easier. “If the weather is bad and you’re stuck inside, it can be really hard to keep your kids entertained and the day can feel very long! After the session I started think about activities you can do during those times that don’t cost any money. I’m going to make binoculars using toilet roll and tape. Sonny can then look through them and we can talk about what is outside. I love that something so small can not only help you get through the day, it can also help your child learn new words.”
Neev Spencer
DJ, TV presenter and mental health advocate Neev is mum to Genevieve, born in 2016, and Vivienne, who was born in 2019.
“I learnt so much from the session and started putting what we heard into practice straight away! The key thing for me was the importance of letting your child lead the way and focus on things that interest them. Rather than starting an activity that I’ve thought of, I’ll now watch my toddler and see where she goes and what she’s focusing on.
When you have more than one child you assume they’ll like the same things. But while my eldest really liked nursery rhymes and they helped her learn to speak, my toddler hasn’t taken to them at all. Instead, she’s learning words through adventure play which is what she really enjoys. She is very curious in a different way so it was really interesting to hear that if you get into your little one’s mind, you can open up so much more vocabulary to them.
It was also very reassuring to hear that you can keep the momentum of learning going even in lockdown. You feel the pressure as a parent of, ‘Are we doing enough?’ which can be quite consuming. So it’s good to know you can do simple things with your child and they’ll still be progressing.”
Rather than starting an activity that I’ve thought of, I’ll now watch my toddler and see where she goes and what she’s focusing on - Neev Spencer
