Sharing Family Stories
Parent shows baby a family photo and talks about the people in it, building face recognition, social awareness, and early language exposure. The agent coaches the parent to observe social engagement, visual attention to faces, and bonding responses.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Baby held comfortably in parent's lap or next to parent. A family photo (printed or on a device) within easy viewing distance. Quiet, comfortable setting.
How it works
- 1~30s
Hold the photo where your child can see it — about 10 to 12 inches away. Point to yourself in the photo and say something like 'Look, that's Mummy!' or 'That's Daddy!' Watch your child's eyes — does they look at the photo? Does they seem drawn to the faces? Babies are naturally attracted to faces, so you might see your child staring at certain people in the picture. Tell me what your child is looking at.
Watch for: Baby stares at faces in the photo, showing attention to the person speaking or to faces generally.
- 2~30s
Now tell your child a little story about someone in the photo. Maybe something like 'That's Grandma — she loves to sing songs!' or 'That's your big brother — he's so funny!' Use a warm, animated voice. Watch your child's face while you talk. Does they look at you? Does they seem to listen? You might see your child stare at your mouth, widen their eyes, or get very still and attentive. What happens?
Watch for: Baby engages socially by attending to parent's speech, looking at parent's face, or responding with vocalizations or expressions.
- 3~25s
For the last part, let's make it extra warm. Point to your child in the photo — or if they is not in this photo, point to your child and say something like 'And this is YOU, your child! You are so loved. You are the most important part of our family!' Give them a cuddle or a kiss. Does your child respond to these loving gestures? A smile, a coo, reaching toward you, or snuggling in — all of those count. What do you see?
Watch for: Baby responds positively to loving gestures — smiling, cooing, reaching, or relaxing into parent's arms.