'Small talk' can help parents cultivate language skills in their kids

A new study suggests that "small talk" helps parents cultivate linguistic skills of their little ones.

For many parents, the idea of talking to their newborn seems foreign, and even a waste of time. But Nicola Lathey, a children's speech and language therapist, said that mindset couldn't be further from the truth.

Lathey, a mother of one, told the New York Daily News that one can predict the level of intelligence by how good their language skills are at 18 months.

She said that she has really tried to tap into that 18 months' time frame, showing how wonderful it can be to be in tune with your baby to give them the best foundations for communications.

So, how should new parents - and expectant ones - broach the topic of talk? Lathey believes conversations should start around the dinner table.

She said that mealtimes are one of the most social parts of the day, adding that there's a lot of storytelling and relaying information, and that's important for little ones to hear how to structure a story.