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Social & Emotional Development
Developing Relationships with Peers & Adults
WiseTip: SE-REL-M0009-I01C

Name what your baby is seeing, feeling or doing. For example, if your baby points to their feet, say, "Yes, those are your feet."

0-9 months
Interaction with child
WHY IT MATTERS

Neuroscience research has shown that "

serve and return

Serve and Return Interactions - Serve and return interactions shape brain architecture. When an infant or young child babbles, gestures, or cries, and an adult responds appropriately with eye contact, words, or a hug, neural connections are built and strengthened in the child’s brain that support the development of communication and social skills.1

1. Harvard University. (2020, January 27). Serve and Return. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Retrieved December 29, 2020, from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/serve-and-return/

" communication can help build brain architecture. When an infant or young child babbles, gestures, or cries and an adult responds appropriately with eye contact, words, or a hug, neural connections are built and strengthened in the child's brain that supports the development of communication and social skills.

The persistent absence of "serve and return" interactions acts as a "double whammy" for healthy development. Not only does the brain not receive the positive stimulation it needs, but the body's stress response is activated, flooding the developing brain with potentially harmful stress hormones.

Following the child's lead helps them to explore the world and makes more "serve and return" interactions possible. Research carried out by the Harvard Center on the Developing Child has shown that this form of "serve and return" interactions shape brain architecture. Read more at SE-TRU-C03 under "Developing Trust and Emotional Security".