Speech - NOT a brag thread

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I've been debating in my head whether or not i want to start this thread, i don't want to seem like i'm bragging but i am actually quite curious if this is 'NORMAL' for children DD2's age and if it's not whether i should encourage her speech more or try and back off.

** I am aware all children are different but just on 'average' **

At DD2's 12mth MCHN appt we discussed where she was at with her speech, she at that time had roughly 10-12 words that were regular, not all were CLEAR but we knew what they were and the MCHN understood her quite well.
The MCHN said most 1 yr olds would have roughly 3-5 regular words.

I dismissed it as DD1 also had more than 3-5 at the same age.

Of late DD2 has been picking up words quite quickly so i thought i would make a list tonight to see how many words she was roughly saying.

Her list is as follows:
Mum, Dad, Daddy, Nan, Nanna, Pa, Poppy, Lyn, Matt, Ava, Sissy, Eve, Mark, Sit, Get, Down, Outside, Please, Thank You, Cat, Dog, Jack, Cass, Teddy, Door, Drink, Booby, Egg, Feed, Apple, Pear, There, Is, She, Shoes, More, Yum, Quack, Row, Clap, Dance, Gone, Ball, Toast, Up, What & Turn

She often says SIT DOWN and GET DOWN, if you ask her to sit down she actually knows what it means and has actually been caught telling her big sister to SIT DOWN.

When we play peek-a-boo at the end she says there she is and has copied me say Ava's turn.

Now not every word is 100% clear 100% of the time but more often than not it is, my mum and MIL have mentioned she is quite clear in what she says.

So is this normal, should i continue encouraging her to speak the way she does or should i let her go?
She is more than happy to sit and 'copy' what i say and DD1 does the same.

As i said i'm not trying to brag, i am honestly curious... hope no-one takes this the wrong way.

[Catherine]

Of course you should encourage her speech - she clearly enjoys it.

I read somewhere that kids who start speaking 'early', like your kids, are good at picking up other languages, now and in later life.

For comparison, my DD was nearly 2 before she said very much. She certainly understood everything, and communicated in her own way, did a few signs. And DS who is now 20 mths is just starting to parrot words.

Don't back off - actually, it probably isn't something you have control over! Enjoy the marvellous journey.

Teach her some songs, play with it...sounds like you all have lots of fun together.

[Pretty Butterfly]

Harmony is very simular, so much so I have wanted to tape her and put it on FB to show how clever she is!!!

She is 2 now, but was the same as your DD at 1.
H can say full sentences, very clearly, and understands EVERYTHING we say.
We ask her to do 3 or 4 things, and she will say "all right", and toddle off and do them.

She is tall as well, so we get asked all the time if she 3 or 4.... .. umm, JUST turned 2!!!!

I cant list her words, she talks like her almost 5 yr old brother!

She really is remarkable, and I am very proud, and a little braggy too I guess.....

But out of 6 kids, I have had "early" kids, doing thinga a little earlier, but Harmony is the first to be actually so smart at only 2, so i dont think its all that common, but not uncommon, if that makes sense.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Teach her some songs, play with it...sounds like you all have lots of fun together.

Thank you, we take her to rhymetime and story time at the library and read a bit at home so i think that helps.
I forgot she does say ROW as in row row row your boat and also CLAP.. cheeky girl.

I think i will go with the flow, when we drive i pick random places or things and get DD1 to say them, maybe i can do the same with DD2.. it passes the time and makes car trips less boring.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

She is 2 now, but was the same as your DD at 1.
H can say full sentences, very clearly, and understands EVERYTHING we say.
We ask her to do 3 or 4 things, and she will say "all right", and toddle off and do them.

She is tall as well, so we get asked all the time if she 3 or 4.... .. umm, JUST turned 2!!!!

I cant list her words, she talks like her almost 5 yr old brother!

She really is remarkable, and I am very proud, and a little braggy too I guess.....

But out of 6 kids, I have had "early" kids, doing thinga a little earlier, but Harmony is the first to be actually so smart at only 2, so i dont think its all that common, but not uncommon, if that makes sense.

Your DD sounds like my DD1, very independant and ahead of herself.
DD1 is the same and i wonder if it's just DD2 being a parrot.

[diva det]

yeah its totally normal for 2nd and susequent children's language to develop quicker
my DS2 has just turned 2 and he can not only tell us what he wants that you can understand him but says the alphabet, recognise all the letters, count to 10 and now is trying to count to 20!
i think my dS1 was in prep before he got the counting right lol
its amazing the influence of older kids

[HotI]

You forgot "what"! And Ball/ Balloon

[Miss.September]

I get where you're coming from. It's pretty special that DD2 can say so much and so so cute! We find that if we try to tell people that DD can say the things she says, they either blatantly don't believe us, or they think we're bragging (which is a little unfair considering we only respond when asked if she can talk). I remember telling the MCHN how many words she could say, and the woman just looked at me and went "Oh, really". She didn't believe me until DD started to chatter of her own accord.

Our favourite thing we've done to keep DD going and increasing her words- have some favourite books that rhyme (Hairy Maclary, I know a rhino) and encourage her to say the last word to each sentence and once's she can confidently do that, increase the amount of words you leave out for her to say.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

You forgot "what"! And Ball/ Balloon

Oh yeah, also her attempts at water. Lol

[~Trish~]

She sounds like a bright little button . It's amazing how much they learn so quickly!

DD freaks me out, at 12 months she had 20 words and now at 18 months she has more words than I can count. Last month she said to DS1 "Joel, look at that, it's raining!" . My MCHN said she's very advanced and that most 2 year olds don't put that many words together. I was very proud! But I think it's because she's 1. A girl (we were born to talk ) 2. she learns a lot from her big brothers.

DH asked her to put her yoghurt tub in the bin the other day and she said "Alright" and promptly did as told, we cheered for her and she looked at DH and said "High five!" and put her hand out . They're such amazing creatures, I could watch my kids all day in amazement and not do anything else

The only things I do to encourage DD to say new words is to ask her to repeat them after me. My boys do the same with her because they think it's cute! I also read to her, but she's pretty much learning quickly all by her self.

[helle]

how would you discourage speech... out of curiosity?

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

how would you discourage speech... out of curiosity?

I tend to ask her to repeat things, I guess I wonder if I'm pushing her when I shouldn't be. IYKWIM.
She picks up a lot on her own but when I hear it I'm like Z say booby and she will copy.

[helle]

I tend to ask her to repeat things, I guess I wonder if I'm pushing her when I shouldn't be. IYKWIM.
She picks up a lot on her own but when I hear it I'm like Z say booby and she will copy.

ooh im with ya now! Nah... kids don't generally do anything if they don't want to, as I've discovered with jack

[Catastrophic]

Brag away!!!
I think my DD2 copies alot from her big sister. She is speaking heaps and making sentences like "I'll get it, I'm done mum, DD1 smacked me (usually she hasn't and it's just to dob lol) I hurt my arm/leg/nose which ever body part it is, I pretty" as well as alot of others and heaps of words. It's so cute to be able to have a conversation wig such little people (even if half of it is in her language)...
Ok I kinda hijacked your thread.
Brag away, she sounds like a smart little cookie


Love MN ;-)

[SammyRo]

yup, brag away!! I made the mistake of not saying to a friend what dd could do, but then she would always say what her dd was saying (who is 3wks younger than mine) and I was always thinking, hmmm dd was saying that weeks ago, but because I never bragged and because dd didn't say much when we went to that particular house, I think the lady thought that dd was a bit behind!

i don't see any harm in keeping going the way you're going! I think if they're a bright button and absorb stuff like a sponge, then its best to encourage them and also try and "push" them to reach the next level. (but obviously not in the same way as one of those chinese tiger mom's)

[beckoes]

i think i take DDs speach for granted as we dont hang around with too many other kids, but people always comment on what a good vocab she has. She is 31 months old and has a great vocab. like you i dont really know what normal is, she has chatted away from a young age. i read alot to her and talked to her alot but really i think its just one of those things, nothing i did or didnt do really. Id just carry on talking alot to her, reading, singing, and she will pick up what she wants. Unfortunatley there is a down side.....DD told me i was a pain in the arse today! which is something i say to the cat....so they pick up the bad just a s quick as the good
We now play 'word of the day' DH started it, he will tell her a word, a big word, that she probably wouldnt hear or use in normal speach and use it in sentences etc every so often the word will come out when she is talking, its funny but great to know that it goes in and stays there a skill i never had at school, so there is hope yet!

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Thank you everyone, i was very worried about DD2 as DD1 talks quite a bit, SIL's son is in speech therapy as his older sister basically spoke for him for the first couple of years of his life.
My younger brothers are close in age and the 2nd child was also a little slower as the older child took control, i have been trying to teach DD1 she's NOT to talk over the top of DD2 and she's not to end her sentences.

I talk a lot so i guess the girls have already picked up that they need to chat a lot themselves to stay ahead..

Beckoes - DD1 has on more than 1 occasion used the S & F words in context so i know what you mean.
Word of the day is a great idea too, i was quizzing DD1 on words while we were driving, got her to say things like utility, greensborough, our home town and things like that.. cheeky little turd would huff after each one like come on mum.. REALLY... lol

[beckoes]

haha, i remember doing that, silly words like aubergine and overture. funny!