Anyone else's 17 / 18 mo regressing in lockdown?

[Worriedcoronamum]

Can't work out if being daft / over thinking.

DD is nearly 18 months old and for months been waving bye bye and responding to name. Not seen her do either for weeks now and guiltily suspect it's in large part down to unprecedented and in reality basically unavoidably increase in screen time with nursery closed, no other childcare available and both me and DH having loads of work to get done each day.

Stupidly googled and now seen loads of things about regression this age being a sign of ASD - going to try to cut down the telly as much as possibly can to work out if this is something to look at further or predictable response to our crappy parenting.

Wondering if anyone else had similar experience?

[NuffSaidSam]

It's important to investigate the loss of any skills, but I would say it's almost certainly due to not being at nursery.

Does she not respond to her name at all?

[Worriedcoronamum]

Thanks so much for responding. No - not for weeks I don't think although only really realised / started trying to get her attention this last week. She toddles over for cuddles and laughs a lot with me and her dad being silly etc, has a handful of words and plays well generally so not totally shut down but yeah, the name and the waving / saying bye bye almost totally gone - name for weeks, waving / by bye v v occasionally.

[NuffSaidSam]

It's maybe just because she hasn't needs to respond to her name or wave bye bye as everyone is home all the time.

Has she developed any new skills over the last 10 weeks? They should be learning new things all the time at this age, a word, a gesture, how to get/reach something. Anything like that?

[Worriedcoronamum]

Yeah quite a bit - much quicker at walking, playing a lot more with ball, reaches for crackers, says ball, better pronouncing yes and no, better with spoon, consistently points at right things in books and likes doing that, also now sleeping through night in own room. I generally think she's ok but worried have taken eye off ball being worried about keeping jobs, juggling everything and not noticed things I should have.

You're really kind coming back on this, thank you!

[Worriedcoronamum]

actually thinking about it she's into shape sorting, putting rings on a hoop, smacking the posts through the board with a hammer on whatever you call the toy you do that, trying puzzles - she's been doing quite a few new things so maybe focusing on other stuff...

[NuffSaidSam]

No worries! It's an anxious time for everyone. She sounds like she's doing great and sometimes they stop doing something for a while when they discover something new. It's probably just that plus being home all the time means she doesn't need to day goodbye or respond to her name as much. The lack of response thing could also be that she's just ignoring you! Try saying 'biscuit' or 'chocolate' or whatever her favourite thing is and see if she responds to that. I sometimes worry my kids have hearing loss, then they hear a crisp packet rustle from half a mile away and I realise they're not deaf they're just insolent!

[Worriedcoronamum]

insolent is an under used word :) Brilliant, think being crackers - thanks so much for being kind!

[ParentalParanoia]

Hi there! I know this message is old, but I was wondering how your little one is doing now @Worriedcoronamum?? My little one is going through something similar and I am concerned about regression.

[Worriedcoronamum]

So sorry I missed that you had posted - I’m happy to say she’s doing fine thanks, big old happy chatter box. In hindsight two things were happening. One - my dd was in a bit of a funny phase - maybe missing nursery / bored or whatever, maybe just grumpy - who knows. As important if not more so though really was that I was going through a very difficult time more than I had realised. Like so many I was working full time and sharing childcare with husband who was at risk of redundancy so unable to do his usual fair share and basically over thinking and think this became a source of real anxiety that came out in a very odd way. I only mention this because I know lots of friends at different points in lockdown had unusual and unprecedented anxiety about lots of things eg marriage, self image whatever that passed when they got some support with work or childcare. Hope that’s helpful not patronising to mention and that your little one is doing ok.

[ParentalParanoia]

Aw thank you so much for getting back to me, it is so reassuring that your DD is doing well! I have also been going through a really high-anxiety phase and definitely once I stopped worrying everything seemed so much better. Thank you so, so much, and I'm so pleased to hear that everything is going so much better, I hope you've been able to escape some of that anxiety. x