From the mouths of babes comes clear meaning..

BABIES can be a real mystery to their parents. But just because these little people can't talk doesn't mean they can't communicate.

- BY LISA SALMON

The lack of verbal communication in new babies means they have to show their parents what they're thinking by crying in different ways, pointing, using body language, and even sticking their tongue out, according to parenting author Tanith Carey.

She's teamed up with clinical psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin to write the new book, What's My Baby Thinking? to explain research, neuroscience and what's known about baby development to help parents understand what their little ones are trying to tell them up to the age of around two years.

"At first, babies can feel like a mystery," says Carey. "They seem so helpless that much of parents' time and worry is spent trying to work out what they need.

"But although your baby can't yet talk, that doesn't mean they can't communicate. We've never known more about how babies and toddlers think, experience the world, and express themselves.

"With a bit of insight, it really is possible for your baby to have subtitles and when you understand what they're trying to tell you, those early years become easier and even more enjoyable."

Here, Carey explains some of the ways parents can understand what's going on in their baby's head...