Toddler Talking???

My child did not start talking (not even mama and dada) until she went to preschool. She started there at about 26 months. She has been there about 10 months and is talking in sentences, but not around strangers. She was always around adults and had tons of books read to her. She just needed to be around kids her own age.

my son will be 3 in sept and he didn't really start talking til around 18-19 months. now he doesn't stop LOL

Hey there,

I would not consider this child a "late talker"... every time you "panic" over these milestones (and I know, I do it too) remind yourself first and foremost that every child is different. Every single human being is different! :D I think it is remarkable, considering what I have heard about boys and verbal skills that he mastered any language at 10 months! Wow, that's great and I am inclined to agree with the other mom who said that once a toddle has "mastered" one thing that tend to move on to something else. My daughter just turned 3 and she can count to 20 and knows the alphabet backwards and forwards, but she still struggles with a lot of words and doesn't make "full" sentences much. She goes back into "baby babble" when she is tired or frustrated. But she loves books and she loves learning things so I know she will put it together in HER time. Please don't hold your child to the measuring stick like so many people do. Encourage his brillance, because he is brilliant! And allow him the space to grow without pressure. Hang in there. You are a great Mom or you would not be asking these questions! take care, L.

My "What to Expect the Toddler Years" book says by the time they're 16 months they should be able to say between 3 and 6 words. Seems like he's on target so far according to that. Do you ask him where the "dog" is or where the "ball" is and have him point to them in the books? That will tell you how his receptive vocabulary is which is usually faster to develop then expressive. Also, I tried using some baby einstein First Signs and First Words Around the House DVDs for occasional entertainment and my daughter loves them! She can sign a lot more things than she can say. She says "that" (or "dat") pretty often too, but she really enjoys the signs. Plus she can tell us when she needs a drink or something to eat etc which is pretty nice. Keep doing what you're doing with the reading and label things when you're out and about - also narrate what you're doing - and he'll pick it up pretty fast. Good luck!

We had the same issues with our little boy. He is 23 months and was at about the same level as you are describing. We finally had a speech therapist evaluate him. Right after we contacted her, but before the evaluation he had a major breakthrough and is now babbling and making 2 word sentences. He is now at an age appropriate level. If you are really worried you can have him evaluated, but it may be that he doesn't have to use words to get what he wants so he chooses not to.

I had two early talkers then a late talker. By late I mean 27 months she still was only saying turtle and NO. She didn't even say M.. I had her into the dr's and speech pathologists and they never found anything wrong as she could correctly identify things in a room. If we said "get the doll" she could get the doll or block or whatever. By the time she was three she was jibberjabbering all the time.
I think so far he is fine. Keep up the good work and read lots of books. You're doing great mom.

My son is doing the same thing. Our ped told us that its normal for little ones not to say very much and for others to talk our ears off. He said to give it time and not to worry unless he's still not talking at his 2nd birthday. So I have been waiting and over the last couple of weeks he has picked up a dozen words or so, just from conversation. Its in there. Its just a matter of waiting it out. :)

hope that helps.

Each child is so different. We were at a cousins 2 yr. old party this weekend and he said maybe 5 to 10 words, mostly "NO". My oldest started talking in complete sentences a week after his 2nd birthday. I agree with the other posts, as long as you understand each other he'll be fine.

My niece did the same thing. She really didn't say much until three. I eve mentioned it to my husband because I was worried. She now has a very high IQ and has been place in 6th grade but is only 9.

I have a 22 year old son that didn't put 2 words together for a sentence until he was 3. The pediatrician told me that he wouldn't even test him until then. Once he did that, he began to put more and more together and soon he was 'caught up'. Girls language skills come together faster than boys, it's not unusual for boys to be slower. The boys usually advance more quickly in physical things, walking, running, etc.

So I wouldn't worry. If you know he's hearing you ok. So just keep talking to him, trying to get him to say things but not getting frustrated if he doesn't.

Hope it helps.

Most boys start really 'talking' after age 2 -- maybe even nearer to or after age 3. He's listening, though, and will understand much of what you say even though he can't repeat it coherently. Just keep talking to him in regular sentences (not baby talk) and one morning he'll wake up and say, "Mom, I've decided to start talking in sentences today!" (Or it will almost seem thus! LOL)

Every kid is different. My son had a vocabulary of about a dozen words at 21 months, then all of a sudden I started hearing at least four or five new words nearly every day. He hit the "parrot stage" (repeating everything you say)around his second birthday. My daughter was an earlier talker, probably partly because her big brother spent so much time talking to her and saying, "Say ... (fill-in-the-blank)." Don't worry about it -- if you're talking to him and reading to him, he's most likely learning the words, even if he's not saying them yet and once he starts talking, you won't be able to shut him up!

Hi L.. I wouldn't stress too much about his speech at this point. My son, now 2 1/2 didn't start talking until his 2nd birthday, and now he is a total chatter box. I too was worried when I would hear other kids his age talking more, but I learned that all kids develop at their own pace. Just keep doing what your doing. Reading helped my sons vocabulary a lot. I couldn't believe what he had retained from all the reading we did when he starting talking. I'm sure your little one will be talking your leg off in no time!

If you are reading parenting or child developng books that say a child should be saying 20-30 words by 18 months old then trash it. Each child will develop at their own pace and speak when they are ready. My oldest son didn't begin to speak until he was about 20 months old. I mean he said mama and da da and ball and dog. But he only had about 10 words he really liked to say until he hit that 20 month mark. Before then he was busy exploring and learning other things like how his body worked and how he could manipulate and move objects like stacking blocks and knocking them down. Now my 14 month old has always been very quiet. He hardly cried as an infant or made a sound it was as if he was observing everything for when he could walk and do what everyone else was doing. Well he walked at 10 months and talking has followed. At 14 months he can repeat everything we say when we ask him to. But he doesn't say these words on a regular basis. He can say Edna, Matthew, Tyler, Sadie, doggie, ball, stop, get me, and on and on. He's even called me a meanie. But he still doesn't talk alot, he's usually pretty quiet. He talks when he gets ready. The point is they are learning so many things right now that while you think he should be doing one thing I bet he's doing something other children his age aren't doing. I think reading books to him is wonderful. We did with our oldest son but what helps most is that you don't baby talk with him. If you want him to talk - then talk normal. I've never baby talked with either one of my sons. He'll come along when he's ready. Then once he starts talking you'll wonder when he's going to be quiet he'll talk so much. Just know he's an individual not like everyone else and he shouldn't be expected to develop like other children do.

Watch out. In a few months he'll be talking your ear off. Totally normal and the books are perfect. Keep it up!

Hi L.,

Please don't worry! Our daughter now 28 months did not start adding more than the basic words (Mama, Dada, more, that, dog)until about 22 months and since then she has been talking like crazy and is speaking in sentences now. Our pediatrician said some kids learn individual words early and can say them and others take longer because they are putting everything together before they start talking and when they do they learn very fast. We have found this to be true. Enjoy the quiet while you have it haha!

Don't worry too much about it. All kids are different but by his age he seems about average. My daughter was the same. She had a few words that she would say but once she turned two, it was like someone flipped a switch and she started really talking, stringing words together to form real sentences. You'll see, the day he starts really talking, you'll feel like it's too soon. :)

Completely Normal! Don't worry. All kids progress at different rates. He is paying attention and learning so keep up the reading and teaching him all that you can. He will start with more words when he is ready. My little guy was doing the same thing. And just now at 18 months has started using more words. I have a niece who didn't fully say many words til the age of 3. Then she couldn't stop talking...lol. The milestones are merely guidelines and shouldn't be held to such strict standards. And, for goodness sakes, don't let yourself or others compare your LO to others in his age group. You will drive yourself crazy! Sounds like his speech is developing just fine for now. Enjoy your sweet little boy!

Very Normal.

When a toddler "masters" a skill, he will often abandon it to concentrate on a new one - such a walking or stacking blocks.

He's busy learning, be patient... when he's 3 you will long for the silence again!

P : )

My son was a late talker too. We did some tests(like hearing) and they came out fine. We were not too worried about it, but the doctor was pushy. We started working with some sign language for him, which he loved, and talked to him constantly. At about 27 months, he started talking in full sentences and now he never stops! He just seemed to be taking it all in first before he was ready to talk. You should feel OK to give him more time unless he's showing any hearing problems.

There was one other issue with our son that may have delayed his talking -- he had a problem with his tongue. The piece under the tounge came all the way to the tip of his tongue so he could not move his tongue very much. We don't know if this contributed to his delayed speech (although it turned out to be why he was so poor at breastfeeding). He got that piece cut at 25 months and may need speech therapy later because the sounds he did learn before that he learned wrong. But he's great now and talks nonstop at 2 and a half. You may want to check for something like that.

But I think it's fine to give it time. If you're comparing with friends with girls, girls talk a lot sooner. Good luck.