Nursery World - Babies boosted by tuned-in mothers

A mother's understanding of how her baby ticks is a better way of predicting her child's future development than how much money she has or her social background, according to a new report. The research, carried out by the University of Durham and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, included making videos of more than 200 mothers at play with their babies at eight, 14 and 24 months.

The research, carried out by the University of Durham and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, included making videos of more than 200 mothers at play with their babies at eight, 14 and 24 months.

Transcripts of the mothers' comments revealed that some were more able to 'read' their babies' minds. While some mothers made 'appropriate' comments - for example, remarking that a child was content when playing quietly with a toy -others misread their baby's emotions, thinking they were tired or upset when they showed no signs of this.

Researchers identified a definite link between 'mind-minded' mothers and their baby's development by the age of two. Babies whose mothers were good at reading their feelings had higher scores in language and play tests.

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