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Original poster

Or is this normal for a 20 month old?!

33 replies

Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 20:54

First time mum here so not entirely sure what is ‘normal’ at what age this age - but my 20 month old DD amazes me at what she understands. She can’t yet talk in sentences, but we’ve just had this conversation…

”Where have we been today?” “Granny’s, car, rain”
“What did Granny make you for lunch?” “Sandwich”
”What was on your sandwich?” “Chicken”
”What else did you have for lunch?” “Crispies, cucumber”
”What fruit did you have for your lunch?” “Strawberries”
”What book did Granny read to you today?” “Bear” (brown bear, brown bear)
”What else?” “Caterpillar”
”Did Granny do some stickers with you today?” “Elephant, giraffe” (an animal sticker book)
”Granny yoghurt, orange” (she fed her a yoghurt and orange)
”What else did you play at Granny’s?”
”drum”
”Did you cry when we had to leave Granny?” pretended to cry “car, sleep, shhhhh” (she slept in the car on the way home).

All of her answers were correct.

Is this normal for her age or is she ahead of where toddlers typically are on their understanding?!

OP posts:
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Sunnytwobridges · 28/05/2024 00:52

nwsw · 27/05/2024 21:02

I think she sounds pretty clever!

Same!

my DD wasn’t speaking like that until she was much older. If she had spoken like that I would’ve thought she was a near genius 😂

Hana89 · 27/05/2024 23:54

I think your DD sounds really bright! MN can be quite begrudging with praise but your DD is clearly ahead of the curve in terms of memory and detail.
My DD is 16 months and her vocabulary is incredible. She wouldn't be able to answer questions like your little girl yet, but she can link images and phrases to actions and memories in a simpler form and I do think she's a naturally clever little kid just like your DD ❤️

CelesteCunningham · 27/05/2024 21:40

There's a massive range in language at this age, I know siblings where one was speaking in full sentences at 18 months and the other hardly spoke a word before 3. Both lovely bright teens now.

They have language explosions at this age, it's such a lovely time as you can start to properly chat with them and their personalities really come through.

They will sometimes surprise you the other way though - on holidays last week 3.5 hours drive from home my nearly 4yo thought we were walking to our local playground 5 minutes from home. Grin

Original poster
Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 21:39

PrincessTeaSet · 27/05/2024 21:35

Absolutely not normal. I think most people aren't reading your post properly and think you are talking about the vocabulary, which although good isn't out of the ordinary. I think the level of detail of the memory is very unusual. I don't think my 4 year would remember all that. My 2 year old was a very early and good talker, spoke 200 words by 18 months, would have understood the questions, but he wouldn't remember all those details about minor things that happened hours ago.

Show quote history

I also said to her:

”We did some colouring in too. Do you remember what we coloured in?”
”birdy”
”what colour did we colour the birdy?”
”red”

Which was correct!

Again, the language I don’t think is special. But just the fact that she remembered the exact page we chose in her colouring book and also what colour she chose.

OP posts:
PrincessTeaSet · 27/05/2024 21:35

Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 21:07

That’s what amazed me. Not her speech, but the fact that she understood my questions, had to think back to earlier in the day and answered correctly!

Show quote history

Absolutely not normal. I think most people aren't reading your post properly and think you are talking about the vocabulary, which although good isn't out of the ordinary. I think the level of detail of the memory is very unusual. I don't think my 4 year would remember all that. My 2 year old was a very early and good talker, spoke 200 words by 18 months, would have understood the questions, but he wouldn't remember all those details about minor things that happened hours ago.

MalibuBarbieDreamHouse · 27/05/2024 21:34

Kids are sponges, if you want to encourage sentences- I would model her answers back into complete sentences - “that’s right, you read the gruffalo with nanny etc.” My youngest just turned 2 and is talking in more sentences now and asking questions that make sense!

BurbageBrook · 27/05/2024 21:31

But I agree with other posters, normal is amazing 🤩 it's so lovely watching children learn to talk and seeing how much they understand.

BurbageBrook · 27/05/2024 21:29

I think that's pretty normal surely.

Matronic6 · 27/05/2024 21:28

Sounds clever to me. Just had our 2 year old check up and the HV explained that the expectation for 2 was 50 words and forming small sentences of 2 words. So she definitely sounds like she has strong communication and memory for 20 months.

WhyamInotvomiting · 27/05/2024 21:21

Sounds within realm of normal to me and both my DC were similar at that age. Wait til they're about 2.5 OP and then she will start coming out with some real corkers I'm sure! I love kids learning to talk, it's my favourite thing so far tbh, just such fun and amazing to witness. Even my 6yo when she comes out with a long word I've never heard her use before and didn't know she knew, I honestly just find it magical!

ATribeCalledQuestion · 27/05/2024 21:19

Catscookbook · 27/05/2024 21:08

Sounds clever to me! I barely get that information out of my four year old…

I think it's more than my 16 year old has said to me in a week 😂

OP she sounds like a bright little thing! They all develop at different rates, my eldest would have had that kind of convo with me at that age, my younger son didn't speak at all until he was 2!

It's lovely your LO is doing so well and you are obviously encouraging her communication skills nicely 😊

Catscookbook · 27/05/2024 21:08

Sounds clever to me! I barely get that information out of my four year old…

Original poster
Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 21:07

MidnightPatrol · 27/05/2024 21:05

What I find impressive about this is that she remembered these things / understood these questions.

No way mine would have remembered what’s they’d eaten, done etc. They could just about remember people they’d see only occasionally’s names.

In the moment they could ask for things, show me things, use multiple words together etc.

That’s what amazed me. Not her speech, but the fact that she understood my questions, had to think back to earlier in the day and answered correctly!

OP posts:
MidnightPatrol · 27/05/2024 21:05

What I find impressive about this is that she remembered these things / understood these questions.

No way mine would have remembered what’s they’d eaten, done etc. They could just about remember people they’d see only occasionally’s names.

In the moment they could ask for things, show me things, use multiple words together etc.

CountingCrones · 27/05/2024 21:05

Sounds like she’s thriving!

At this point her memory will be better than yours, she’s absorbing everything. Her concepts of time will be shakier, though.

Just wait until she starts correcting you when you are reading bedtime stories and you skip a line. They know them word-perfect!

ValueAddedTaxonomy · 27/05/2024 21:04

Very normal - but also very normal for you as a parent to be astounded at the brilliance of it. Small children are such amazing learning machines. It does feel a bit like a miracle every day. Enjoy!

WaitingfortheTardis · 27/05/2024 21:03

It is normal, but that normal is amazing when they've been alive such a short time.

BertieBotts · 27/05/2024 21:03

Normal and she is doing great :) It's amazing to watch them grow and develop.

Make sure you take lots of videos of her talking, it's soooo sweet to look back on and they really change so fast and you forget!

Original poster
Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 21:02

AhBiscuits · 27/05/2024 21:01

Sorry OP, I wouldn't be labelling her as gifted just yet 😄

I’m only joking (just 😉). It just amazes me how quick they develop at this age. Especially as I don’t have many other children of the same age to compare her to.

OP posts:
nwsw · 27/05/2024 21:02

I think she sounds pretty clever!

Sue152 · 27/05/2024 21:02

Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 21:00

Ahhh - sounds pretty normal then! Here I was thinking I had a baby genius on my hands!

I can’t believe how great their memory is already. I didn’t expect her to be able to recall events this clearly for ages yet.

Sounds pretty good to me!
A typical 20-month-old has a spoken vocabulary of about 12-15 words, though many children have far more.

NeedToStopSpendingOnCrap · 27/05/2024 21:02

Very average. 3 of mine were like that the other didn't say more than 10 words until over 3 years old.
1 of them was definitely before 18m as I found videos.
They all learn at different times.

wizarddry · 27/05/2024 21:01

Absolutely normal

Original poster
Curiousparentt · 27/05/2024 21:01

Marianus · 27/05/2024 21:00

Very normal. Are you worried about it?

Why would I be worried about this?

OP posts:
AhBiscuits · 27/05/2024 21:01

Sorry OP, I wouldn't be labelling her as gifted just yet 😄

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