What babies know

Thu, 12 Oct 2023

‘The father shall make known Your truth to the children.’ Isaiah 38:19

A researcher at Johns Hopkins University informed us that children as young as eight months old are capable of hearing and remembering words, good or bad. ‘Little ears are listening,’ said Dr Peter Juscyzk. Babies in this study, which appeared in the esteemed journal, Science, were exposed to three taped stories for about ten days. Two weeks afterwards, they were tested in a lab and clearly identified the words in the stories while failing to react to words they hadn’t heard. Professor Emerita Robin Chapman, a language specialist at the University of Wisconsin at the time, emphasised the importance of this study. It demonstrates that very young children do pay attention to the sounds of language and are able to select those that are familiar. No, they may not fully understand them, but their brains are wired to record them and replay them later on. So, taking the time to talk to tiny children not only teaches them language skills but sows seeds of truth that can bloom later in life. This shouldn’t surprise us; mothers have known it intuitively for thousands of years. Words are formative; they are creative! The first words your child hears will be spoken by you. The first music your child listens to will be chosen by you. Your child is a precious lump of clay, and you are the potter God has called to mould them. In Scripture, we read about vessels of ‘honour’ and vessels of ‘dishonour’ (see 2 Timothy 2:20 NKJV). As a parent, you help to shape the kind of vessel they become. If you’re wise, you will begin the godly moulding process as early as possible.