Babies may share mini stories with their parents before they can talk

MedicalXpress | Mär 29, 2026

New research suggests that babies take part in simple, story-like interactions with their parents long before they learn words, helping to build emotional connection and early social skills. The "Narrative Development in Infant–Mother Interaction" paper, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, shows that everyday exchanges between infants and their mothers follow a clear pattern that looks like a very short story, with a beginning, a build-up, a peak moment, and a natural ending.