ABSTRACT
Babies learn most of their communication skills - both verbal and non-verbal - through watching people who are demonstrating good conversation technique. If a child is facing out toward the world in a buggy before his non-verbal interpretational skills have started to develop, he will be looking at everything and will be unable to distinguish what is helpful to him from the profusion of sights, sounds and clues in front of him. Parents should be made aware of sitting at table participating in a family meal as a key opportunity for children to acquire many essential non-verbal skills. There have been profound changes to society since the last part of the twentieth century and little research to evaluate the effect on the development of basic skills in children. These skills are the foundation for the development of bonding, thought and language and as such should be the first focus for midwives and health visitors.
