Stressing about DS's development again :rolleyes:

[Shanti]

My DD is 17mo and has been talking from a very young age.... while her other little friends were all learning to crawl she was focusing on her language and communication skills! And she then caught up with the crawling, walking etc!!

Honestly, they all are so different.... as long as you are reading to him alot, singing to him, playing music around him, communicating with him as much as you can, he will eventually learn language skills....... when I change DD's nappy I say to her "c'mon lets change your nappy"... for example... I talk to her all the time. I'm a chatterbox though you'll find out on Fri night haha

Practising animal noises with him also helps too..... like show him a picture of a cow and say "what does a cow say? Mooooo" then let him try and copy you! I did that with DD from when she was 7mths old and she'd start copying me!!

I do LOTS of music with my DD and we go to a weekly music class. I honestly think that has really helped my DD with her talking as we get lots of comments on how well she talks (she can say 3 word sentences, shes only 17mo!) and I think it's because we've always done so much music..... research has shown it helps alot with language development.

There are lots of things you can do with him to help him along and music is just one of those He is only little, and boys do develop differently to girls also remember.....

[STARRYSKY]

Hiya,
my DS is almost 21 months old, he can say mum, dad, kitteeeee , taa, thankyou ... maybe a few more but these ones get used. he is right now pointing at evrything and questioning in babble, but he never repeats the words, they all sound like the same thing.
He only started walking at 19ish months, he was late to crawl also, used to roll everywhere. I was a little worried as all the kids at mums group (3-6 months younger) have a lot more words and were ALL walking etc, but its perfectly normal development, his father didnt walk till 18 months and my brother didnt walk till 2. genetics maybe?
BUT...if you are at all worried, mention it to the MCHN next visit, they will assess and more than likely re assure you all is well.

[Mrs Jak]

He's fine

My DS has been around 3 or 4 months behind what his older sister was in his 'milestones'. He was a 'late' crawler at 9 months, didn't sit up unaided until around 71/2 months and didn't walk until 15 & 1/2 months. (He was similar to your boy with the rocking for ages before crawling and just didn't walk until he felt ready - he would let go while standing as well from about that age or earlier)

He's 16 months now and says 'mum', 'dag' (his version of dad), 'ella', 'dog', 'ah, ah' and 'woof'. lately he calls both of us 'mum, mum'.

Even though he's not as quick with some of his milestones, he's more cuddly than his sister was and I've noticed his memory seems more 'advanced' than what his sister's was too. They really are all so different.

I have a friend who has a 2 year old who says less, but I can't see anything wrong with him

Just enjoy! Your next one will probably be completely opposite and you'll be wishing they'd slow down

[Miss E]

Don't stress honey, by the sounds of things he's doing fine! From what I know 8 months is the average age for little ones to start crawling, some do it earlier and some do it later. Same with walking, but I don't think there is an average age, I do know that boys are usually later though and actually know a little boy who didn't start till 20 months but is perfectly normal. As for the talking, my DS who is the same age is doing pretty much exactly what you LO is. He says mum and dad, but doesn't necessarily relate it, I'm not sure if he gets what no means either... Honestly I wouldn't worry, I thought talking started (first few real words) was typically around 18 months. As long as he is showing signs of understanding what you're saying to him (where's Dad etc) then his language is coming along well. xoxo

[ss_storm]

I don't think he is behind at all hun! DD doesn't really call either of us mum/dad, she just babbles it randomly although she knows who we are. She can kind of say "hello" and "duck", but I don't think it would be recognisable to anyone else that that's what she is saying ITMS because it just sounds like random noises.
DD took ages to crawl properly, she dragged herself around on her tummy (probably helped by the wood floors! Lol) for a few months before one day she just got up on her knees and crawled properly. She doesn't stand on her own, even for a few seconds, so she is still really wobbly on her legs (probably doesn't help she likes to stand on her toes ). I wouldn't be worrying about his development just yet, he sounds like he is perfectly on track

[~Kim~]

nah he's just fine. My DS was a bit of a silent assassin until this week and he's 17months old.
My DD talked very early and very well so having another child who rarely talked words had me thrown a bit.
Only just this week has he started saying about 10 new words.
He din't say Mum and all until after he was 15 months old.

[Calluna]

Thanks ladies. Gotta love those "omg what's wrong with my baby" moments
what concerns me is not that he's "slow" in one area or another, I know that's normal. It's more that he's slower in all area's ITMS. He isn't accelling in anything.

Ok. Thinking positively... he knows:
- waves hello/ goodbye when he feels like it
- "no, eat it please" (instead of throwing food on the floor)
- (very enthusiastically) nods for yes
- waves his arms around (as if pushing something away) for no but doesn't get thier meanings
- what "milk" is
- kind of understands come here but tends to ignore it
- where his head is and his ear
- understands and almost always responds to "Ta"
- when to scream if I sing "row row row your boat"
- very occasionally tries to copy actions, he was getting quite good but seems to have forgotten how.
Ok. Feeling a little better now, I think...

Some days he seems to understand something perfectly then the next he'll just give me a blank look. The other day he threw my mobile on the floor so I asked him to pick it up and give it to me and he did . I asked him again yesterday and he just looked at me. I dont understand it. Maybe he's just stubborn.

[ss_storm]

I think that sounds pretty good! Seems like he knows a lot of things, and out of that list DD can wave hello/goodbye, responds to 'Ta', and shakes her head (very vigorously ) for 'no'. Don't underestimate him, or you, I think that sounds fine!