Meet Dr. Le-Bucklin
home pregnancy infancy childhood adolescence picks tips about us contact us links
PARENT QUESTION: Audiobooks and Twins

PARENT QUESTION:

Just picked up "Twins 101" today and I'm loving it. I'm doing as much as research as I can to prepare for upcoming twins (my wife is in her 2nd trimester). Regarding tip #46, "Make Time for Talk," what do you think of playing audiobooks as a supplement to parents talking to their twins? I often listen to audiobooks and wonder if they would contribute to infants' language development.

Thank you,
Leo (San Diego, CA)



DR. LE-BUCKLIN'S ANSWER:

Congratulations to you and your wife! I'm sure you are very excited about your twin pregnancy. Having twins is such a blessing. You're going to love parenting them!

Great question about audiobooks!

Audiobooks are great for older children and adults (as you have found). I love listening to them myself! However, for babies, I recommend parents invest their money in a simple tape or digital recorder and record their own voice instead.

The reason is that babies learn to recognize their parents' voices by having heard them in the womb. Even before your babies are born, they are already attached to you! As newborns, your voice (and their mother's voice) will attract their attention more than any other voice. Because of this attachment to you, a recording of your voice would have greater benefit than a commercially prepared audiobook. And while the time investment is greater, it's probably cheaper in the long run!

You can be as creative as you want with the recordings. You can record yourself talking or even singing to your babies. If you don't know what to say, you can simply read your favorite books to them. Hearing your voice is what matters.

These personal recordings are especially useful if you decide to leave your child in the care of a nanny or other childcare provider. They can play these recordings for your babies throughout the day. In the long run, these recordings will become cherished keepsakes for your children.

So I suppose the short answer to your question is that audio recordings of your voice are more likely to impact your babies' development than commercially-prepared audiobooks.

If you do want to buy some commercially-prepared items, I would suggest buying some music recordings. Music (especially classical music) has been shown to have beneficial effects on a baby's mood and development.

Hope that helps answer your question!

Best wishes! And feel free to contact me anytime! I'm always happy to chat with parents of multiples!


With warmest regards,
Dr. Le-Buckin


...read more

AM Northwest Morning Show Items

...read more

Assign Bottle/Cup Colors

The following tip comes from Shelby, mother of adorable boy-girl twins and owner of Double Up Books:

Pick a bottle color or sippy color that you designate to each twin that way you’ll always know whose drink that is, who doesn’t finish their drink, and who is drinking out of the wrong cup. For example, my son always has orange, blue or green cups and my daughter always has red, purple, and pink cups.



...read more

TwinsDoctor.com -- Founded by the Author of Twins 101


         


Twins 101 Named iParenting Award-Winning Book for 2009



Disclaimer: The content on this website is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for medical care through your physician. Information on this site should be discussed with your physician to see if it pertains to your specific situation. Use of this site implies agreement to the Terms and Conditions of Use.


TwinsDoctor.com -- Health Information Exclusively for Multiples
Founded by Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin, MD, FAAP, MOM -- Twins' Health and Parenting Expert and the Author of Twins 101
© 2007 Twins Doctor. All Rights Reserved.

                                       

The New Parents Guide - Seal of Approval My Twin Pregnancy And Beyond Member Badge Twin Mom Seal Of Approval