Helping kids to talk

[Miss.September]

Books are awesome too - get some rhyming books like Hairy Maclary or Mr McGee. Once she's familiar with the story, leave off the second rhyming word (ie - Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy - leaving off the "dairy" for her to say). We found this works a treat!

[HotI]

We read lots, and go to rhyme time as well as lots of singing in the car. At the moment if i waited for her to complete the sentence, she would just look at me amusingly. She will sing to songs but its generally just her language. Might get more of the rhyming books out.

She has some words, but that link from Epacris said by 18 months kids use about 50 words, she definitely wouldn't have that many.

I have a MCHN appt at 18 months and will see what she thinks. i get along pretty well with her.

ETA- a few people think she is just going to have an explosion of words (DH, my MUm) cos she understands things, just isn't verbalising in a way that we understand

[Epacris]

Yeah, I think my DS1 had about 10 words at 2 years. I remember mentioning it to our GP at a check-up but he wasn’t concerned, there is so much variation.

But like meow’s experience, it can sometimes be hard to know what is normal variation and what is indicative of a potential problem.

[~Hestia~]

Your DD sounds a lot like my Moo, the intellect is there but he just doesn't verbalise it. He says maybe a couple of dozen single words and a few little sentences (like "where is it?" and "see you soon") at 2 years old. But I know he understands me and he knows so much more than he actually says. Just yesterday I said something to DH about not having a gold coin for the trolley...up pipes Moo in the back seat with "gold, gold, gold!" Then he wouldn't say it when prompted but today he said it again with a cheeky look on his face so I feel like he just doesn't feel the need to say things ITMS.

We read heaps, he loves books so we read all through the day. We go to Hey Dee Ho music once a week and I'm always talking to him. I elaborate on general things like instead of truck I say green truck etc. I've always done this with him but he's still not a huge talker. It was worrying me but I've kinda relaxed now that I can see how much knowledge he really has!

[ElleJay]

DS is 2 next month and he's not really saying much either. He used to be such a chatterbox and now not so much. I'm not overly concerned, but DH is. Only just recently he's been just coming out with 'Mumumumum' and 'Dadadadad' (of course, when DH isn't around ) and 'Nanananana' and lastely 'No no no no' (of course) but other than that, he's not a big speaker. All I've been doing is repeating words to him and sentences and he seems to be understanding them, but not being vocal

[HotI]

Is late talking more common in boys? Seems to be more Mums of DSs than DDs replying.

[deletedit]

Is late talking more common in boys? Seems to be more Mums of DSs than DDs replying.

I have 3 kids - 2 girls and a boy.

From my experience I can say that girls with brown eyes talk extremely early, boys with blue eyes talk late, and girls with green eyes are very grumpy

[Jellyfish]

Is late talking more common in boys? Seems to be more Mums of DSs than DDs replying.

There is my DD but she does have a speech condition so not sure where that fits in. I wouldn't consider 17 months late for talking though, I think right around 2 is very common

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Oh HotI i don't know if your DH told you but she said GIRLS and was trying to say AVA while she was here the other day.
I think every child is different although the MCHN did tell me later speach is more common in boys but having a look around i think it's suggested that most 18mth old will have roughly a dozen words.
After having your DD and mine together the other day i'd almost give anything that mine spoke a little less

[deletedit]

Miss 3's first word was 'cat' when she was maybe 9 or 10 months and words just flowed after that. She really really liked the cat.

Master 1 is also utterly obsessed with the cat but when he sees her he just gets excited and starts giggling. Actually a lot of things get him excited and make him giggle, he's just one of those babies. We keep pointing to ourselves and him and saying people's names and now he thinks that's hilarious and goes around poking everyone in the chest giggling, and then Miss 3 starts poking everyone yelling "POKE POKE POKE" and ... well, its not hard to see why he doesn't talk ...

The cat is almost 6, still doesn't talk, and is not very impressed with small children.