Resources for parents

Using dummies helps babies settle down to sleep and soothes them and can be helpful for developing sucking patterns in young babies.  However continually using a bottle or dummy throughout the day as a comforter could lead to the following problems:

• Dental problems and tooth decay
• Less opportunity for babbling and learning speech sounds.

Top tips for reducing dummy use

• Start to use a dummy less when your child is 12 months old. You can do this by only giving the dummy at certain times, for example at bed time, nap time or when your child is unwell
• Mmake sure your child only has access to one dummy at a time
• Choose an orthodontic dummy, not a cherry shaped dummy.
• Prepare your child by reading books about giving up their dummy: ‘The last Noo-Noo’ by Jill Murphy or ‘No More Dummy’ by Bernette Ford and Sam Williams
• Give the dummy or bottle to the ‘dummy fairy’ or someone who regularly looks after your child like their nursery teacher.  This may help to make a clean break especially if in return for a small present
• Soothe and remove: as a last resort, if your child is extremely distressed, let them have the dummy to soothe them, and then remove the dummy when they are calm
• Having quality time together which can also distract your child from using a dummy, for example, sharing a book, blowing bubbles, singing or playing a favourite game together.
• Never use bottles for sweet / sugary drinks (e.g. fruit juice, squash, pop) or let your child walk around, sit in his/her pram or lie down with a bottle in his/her mouth
• Do not leave a bottle in the cot with baby to suck on during night as this can cause tooth decay even with milk.

Contact your child’s Health Visitor or your local Family Hub if you need further advice around reducing and removing your child’s dummy or bottle. Also see advice at Tiny Happy People

Tongue tie is where there is a piece of skin connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is shorter or tighter than usual.  Tongue tie is often snipped or released when babies are young due to issues with breastfeeding or taking a bottle.

However sometimes a tongue-tie does not impact on a baby feeding and may not be snipped and the child or adult continues to have a tongue tie.  This may be noticeable when you put out your tongue, particularly if you are unable to put your tongue out very far and may have a heart shape at the front of the tongue.

Tongue tie does not usually affect speech.  You can have a tongue tie and have normal sounding speech.  However, some children may find certain sounds more difficult. There is no evidence that tongue tie is related to delayed speech and language skills.

If you are unsure if your child has a tongue tie or if it is affecting their speech then speak with your GP, Health Visitor or Speech and Language Therapist. Read more on the NHS website.

Giving your child access to a tablet or phone is a way of keeping them busy and happy whilst you get on with other things, but did you know that too much screen time could have an impact on your child’s language development?

More and more countries around the world are recognising the impact of screen time on children’s speech and social development, behaviour, mental health and wellbeing. Professionals are increasingly advising parents to reduce children’s screen time as much as possible.

Positive and healthy screen use is possible with proper guidance and consistency.

What is screen time?

Any time spent interacting with a screen-based device such as TV, smartphone, tablet, games console, computer, laptop, etc.

Screen time can impact:

• Learning –  Babies and young children learn best from experiences and interactions with those around them.
• Language and Communication – The more babies and children interact with interested adults, the more opportunities there are to develop language and communication skills. This development involves observing faces, hearing talk about what is going on around them and taking turns to make sounds and words with an adult. These turn taking interactions form the basis for conversation as children develop.
• Attention and Social Skills – Interacting with people at an early age helps children develop attention and social skills.  Too much screen time can limit the amount of interactive time a child has with an adult, and this has an impact on the amount of talk they hear and join in with.

Research suggests that children are not actively able to learn language from a TV until they are around 2½ years old.

Top Tips for safe screen time:

• Set rules such as time limits and screen free days. Ensure there are clear limits with young children. Most little children prefer time with their parents, playing, exploring and doing physical activities
• Supervise and share screen time – sit and talk to your child about what they are watching to help them learn and understand. Choose things that you and your child can watch or play together
• Turn off background TV/devices – these can distract children and impact on listening skills even if the sound is low
• Avoid screens before bedtime and try not to use them as a way of settling your child. Read a book together or engage in storytelling instead
• Set an example and limit your own social screen time
• Turn off screens during family meals and when out and about spending family time together
• Discuss screens for schoolwork and social media use – minimise personal screentime use with healthy boundaries for older children
• Teach children about online privacy and safety
• Learn about and use parental control

The World Health Organisation (WHO) professional network recommendations for screen time are:
For children less than 2 years old – no screen time
For children 2 to 4 years – up to 1 hour of screen time per day
For older children – limit non educational screen time and encourage healthy habits

Glue ear is a build-up of fluid in the middle ear, behind the eardrum. This fluid can become thick and sticky, like glue, hence the term “glue ear”.  Glue ear is common in children between the ages two to five.

What might you notice?

• Your child might not seem to hear you when you give them instructions, or they might seem like they’re not paying attention or are off in their own world when you try to talk to them. They might answer you in a way that doesn’t really make sense. They may find it even more difficult to hear when there’s background noise, like the TV or vacuum running.
• They may not want to join in with other children. It may not be because they don’t want to play with others, but because it is harder to hear and understand what’s going on around them.
• Speech sound errors – Glue ear can make it tricky for a child to say words correctly. This might mean they have trouble making sounds the right way and their speech might not come out clear.

How can you support children with Glue ear?

• Reduce background noise e.g TV, radio.
• Get your child’s attention – before talking to your child, make sure you gain their attention first.
• Face your child – make sure to face your child when you are talking. Try to get down to their level so they can see your face.
• Repeat it back correctly – If your child says something which is not quite right, repeat the word/phrase back to the child correctly
• Use smaller sentences
• Use visual cues – such as Makaton signing or pictures or objects to help your child to understand. 

Getting help for a child with glue ear

Discuss your concerns with the GP/ Health Visitor/ Speech therapist who will be able to help with a referral to ENT/Audiology for further investigation.

Further advice is available at this NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/glue-ear/

It is an advantage to speak more than one language.

Children learn to talk by interacting, talking and listening to the people around them.

The most important thing is that children hear a ‘good language model’. This means that they hear people talking the language they know best, so that they hear the correct words and grammar.

The best way to support your bilingual or multilingual child is to be consistent with the language you use when talking to them. It is typical for the child to have a ‘silent phase’ where they talk less and use more gestures and pointing in their new environment. This can last for a few months but, if the child has good home language skills, will usually pass.

Using signs and gestures can sometimes help bridge the gap while children are learning an additional language. If your child has good language skills in their home language, then they should be able to learn English once they start preschool or school.

Benefits of speaking more than one language

• Children can communicate with people in their extended family/community.
• They will feel secure in their cultural identity and will experience a sense of
• belonging.
• It helps learning because children can think about ideas in both languages
• It helps them think more flexibly and creatively meaning they will be able to come up with solutions to problems more easily and be better at multitasking.
• It can help their overall language development.
• It helps them to learn other languages.
• There may be economic advantages later in life.

What if my child’s speech and/or language is delayed?

If your child’s speech and/or language development is delayed in their first language you should talk to your speech and language therapist. They will give you ideas about how you can support your child’s skills in their home language. Boosting their skills in their home language will help them to then learn other languages later. A child is only considered to need speech and language therapy if there are difficulties in the child’s primary language as well as English.

There is no evidence that being bilingual makes it harder for children to talk or causes them to have a delay.