Hmmmm, so at 6 months how much do yout hink they actually understand?

It's something Shel and I talk about all the time, how much does she REALLY understand. Like, I know she knows that high chair means food and laying in bed means sleep (only, not at night :doh:) but what about words?

Do you think babies understand spoken language? Or is it just tangible associations?

I know she understands a whole heap of associations, like boobies = milk LOL and when she shakes a rattle-ball it makes noise, when I throw a blankie over her head she laughs because she knows I'm going to pull it off and make funny noises (LOL), when she hears the garage doors in the afternoon she knows Shel is home, and when she sees the pram she knows we're going outside... well, I think she knows as she gets excited about it, and I assume its in anticipation.

I know associations like that lead to words, because thats all words are right? An association to a thing or action. But when do you think they start understanding that words can be used as well? Is it when they start talking? Or before then? Do they start talking when they understand words? Or is it a physical limitation that stops them from talking? But they understand well before then... like maybe... now?

Ah just some ponderings... I'm studying ;)

Oh, one more thing... what do you think babies think? Jazz concentrates so intently on her toys sometimes that I just wonder what is going on in there. I just wish I knew what she thought... how does she think? In pictures? Maybe she understands word and uses them in thoughts?

And do babies dream? I wonder how they dream. Sometimes Jazz smiles while she sleeps. I jooke that she's dreaming of boobies :lol: but I really wonder what shes dreaming about.

hi there
interesting pondering
from the time my little one could sit up she was fascinated with picture books, and would point with her whole hand (cos she couldn't actually master pointing with just one finger) at an object in the book and wait for us to tell her the name of it.... from about 7-8 months we would carry her all around the house and point out objects to her (like clock, fridge, sink, microwave, couch, tv etc etc) and from about 9-10 months if we asked her where an object was, she would point to it, or at the very least look at it and smile...

she started talking at around 14 months and now at almost 2, she speaks in solid sentences and even asks questions (whats that, whats this show, where's daddy etc)...

anyways to answer your question, in my opinion they definitely have the ability to understand language from a very young age, and actually it helped her become less frustrated and a more relaxed kid because she could start to express what she wanted, through language...

now there's no stopping her and she doesn't shut up... i love my littler chatterbox.

Ohh, i ponder too Leasha!!

Shane will get this concentrated look on his face and his mouth moves like he really wants to talk and communicate something, but no sounds come out!! He does this especially when i sing him songs that he knows, its like he sees my mouth moving and he tries to do the same, but just doesnt have the sound thing happening yet, so it makes me think he must be thinking words, but just cant express it yet.

Also when we went to playgroup- we sang some of the songs that i have sung to shane, and he gets the strangest look on his face, like HOW DO ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE KNOW OUR SONGS!! IYKWIM- he recognises the words and tunes.

He knows who "daddy" is, i just have to say Daddy and he gets all excited and grins and jumps up and down just like he does when he SEES daddy.

He knows "yum yum yumms" means i am about to get his food ready and that Splashy Splashy means we are going to have a shower or bath or swim in the river, and that Bouncy Bouncy means i am about to put him in the jolly jumper- when i say these words, he gets excited and i say the words BEFORE i show the visual stimulas.. like i say bouncy bouncy, and then get the jolly jumper thing, and i see he is excited and then when he actually see's the jj, he gets REALLY excited!! Or i say we are going for splashy splashy and then get the towels etc ready and by the time i get to the bathroom he is grinning and nearly jumping out of my arms!! (he likes his shower/bathtime!!)

I wish i knew what they were thinking!! My mind keeps going back to the movie Look Who's Talking, and i just picture that their little minds are taking everything in figuring things out in their own cute way!!

Its funny that you should ask this today, i always wonder what she understands and know she understands alot of stuff, but was suprised this morning at what she did...

we recently had DHs mum up to stay, and MIL loved the fact that G could wave and they just waved at each other CONSTANTLY, It was very funny. well, this morning i was just chatting away to G and started talking about nanna...and when i said "nanna' DD started looking around the room and waving franticly! i thought just a coinsidence as she does tend to just wave sometimes! so we carried an talking about other things and i said "wheres nanna" and she did the same, looking around, eyes lit up and waving like crazy, i actually felt a bit mean when she looked at me as if to say "well, where is she"??

I have always explained everything to her, where were going, what were doing and the times when i dont she doesnt like it, i even explained to her last night before bed that 3am isnt party time! and we didnt have that hour wake up that we have been having all week! Coinsidence??...maybe....but who really knows!

oh beckoes that has happened here to, not the nanna thing, but the dont wake up at 3am thing!!! I told shane that i didnt want to be woken till at least 5 and it happened, and once i said to him please sleep for three hours and he did- hmmm makes me wonder why i dont ask or tell him all the time.....

Right, off to talk to Jazz about night time sleeping!!!!!

On a side note... Jazz doesn't wave... or get excited over certain words... I talk to her heaps, but she gets more excited about 'stuff'. Like at breakfast, I say num-num-num its breakfast time pretty much every day, but she'll only get excited once she see's me getting the high chair and her bowl of food...?

Is that normal? Now I'm worried :doh:

HOWEVER... if someone calls her 'cute' or 'adorable' or 'gorgeous' she'll break into a smile ;) like she knows EXACTLY what that means!!!! And she smiles when she hears someone say 'mum'.

Aww Leash dont start worrying!! I'm sure jazzy is perfectly fine!!

no, dont worry leash....she has only been doing that in the last few days! sounds like jazz understands enough...who need to know more than "mum" "breakfast" and "your beautiful":lol::lol:

I think the only reason babies don't talk early is so we don't realise how much they know! It's the dumb ones who start early, not the clever ones. The clever babies don't talk so they can laugh at Mammy going mad trying to figure out what they want. They don't walk so they are carried everywhere.

Come on, it makes sense!

I think it does depend on the parents. If you spend time with each other and chat a lot, of course your baby understands a lot of what you say. Maybe not reading from your study textbooks, but certainly the basics like "mummy" and "gorgeous". DS did go through a phase of thinking his name was gorgeous - he was quite confused when he heard another child being thus called!

As for breakfast, if you mention it quite a while before the event then it won't be linked so much. I know I can tell DS clean teeth then weetabix and he understands that now; before he'd be confused at the two together. He runs off shouting "teeth!" then once those are clean drags me into the kitchen to ask for his "bix an duce" (weetabix with milk... he has to specify now that Daddy tried to make it with water last week).

good thought there Leesha.

I often wander what Lachlan thinks about his hands, he stares at them for ages.
He isnt waving yet but has the motion going just not at the right time.

He understand what no means, DH said to him the other day "you know what that means dont you Lachlan" cause if you say No to him he has a paddy.
He also knows if he turns the tv off while the kids are watching it he will get a reaction.

I am sure Lachlan has boobie dreams too, he smiles and goos in his sleep.
He knows who Mummy and Daddy are, during the day i hear Dad da da all day , when dad comes home he gets a big smile and a dada. I only get Mumma when he is hungry and really tired, im sure its just cause he knows Mum has the boobs and thats what he wants when he is tired and hungry.
I am sure they understand more then we think, i love watching him sit and watch what his older siblings are doing he just takes it all in.