Is my 14th month old a bit behind?

[Littleegglet]

HV doesn’t seem particularly interested but I’m a little worried. I’m not comparing and finding him lacking in a nasty way, I’m just concerned as he seems really behind his peers.

He’s just 14 months old. Can crawl speedily, cruise speedily and climbs everything he possibly can. He’s been pulling himself up for months.
He’s started standing alone when distracted and has taken the odd couple of steps if we hold his hands but he’s quiet independent and gets impatient and drops to a crawl.

He doesn’t clap or point. Has waved sporadically but doesn’t do it so much anymore although we don’t do a lot of waving at him. He does gesture to things he wants - food, me, sippy cup.

In his 12 month check he was slightly behind in communication but over the threshold. He was fine in all other aspects.

He doesn’t have any words - I think this is what’s worrying me as I thought they were either a talker or a Walker...

He understands things like “do you want water?” He will come over to get it or look at it and gesture at it. He understands “put your arms up” when I’m getting him dressed and complies. He looks to us when we say where’s mummy or where’s daddy and comes to us if we ask him to.
He will also do a high five if we ask and do the gesture.
He shares toys, brings books he wants us to read, rolls a ball to me when he’s in the mood so we can roll it back and forth.

He loves me singing nursery rhymes but doesn’t do the actions, but he giggles before bits he likes as he knows they are coming.

He babbles a lot and is constantly “chatting” and makes lots of different noises just no words. He’s very interested when we are trying to get him to say words though he watches our mouths very closely.

He eats amazingly, manages finger food really well and eats a good range. Is interested in everything, plays with his toys well on his own and loves mirrors and opening cupboards.

He will watch a bit of baby sensory on tv and enjoys that but gets bored of it quickly. Loves climbing and bouncing and cruising and trying to clamber onto us.

I think the fact he’s not either walking or talking is bothering me - I feel like he should be doing one or the other by now and that I’m not doing enough. Even though he’s not talking he communicates with us in different ways to show us what he wants.

Does he sound normal to you?

He sounds fine honestly. They are all different but he's well within all parameters. The walker or talker is rubbish.

He's communicating and moving well.

When ds was at the stage of standing and crawling, we just moved the things he cruised round slightly further apart so it was not quite reachable but not worth getting down to crawl to. Worked a treat.

Yes. Yes he sounds delightful. And normal. There is nothing in what you have posted which would worry me.

I think we all want our children to be ahead of the curve but the reality is that often they are not. But this doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with him.

And you sound like an amazing mum. By all means go to your gp if you are still worried in 2 months but I honestly don’t think you will need to

Sounds like you are spending lots of time with him so just continue to encourage using gestures yourself etc. He'll be missing out on copying other babies, you just have to fill that gap :)

Thank you so much! I’ve just felt recently like I’m not doing enough to stimulate him etc with everything being shut and not much going on. We made our own soft play the other day and play with him a lot - DH plays lions with him so every time he sees DH he starts doing the lion roar

I was just a bit surprised by how many in our NCT group chat are already speedily walking or saying a few words and wondered if I’d not been doing something I should

He sounds perfect.

...and you and your dh sound like you are great.

Love the roaring

Fwiw
My now teen didn't walk until over 15m
Didn't talk until nearly 3!

Your ds sounds absolutely fine.

Mine are adults now but I had one that barely said a word until he was 2 and another that was talking in sentences at 13 months. They are both now in university

My brother walked at 8 months. He's not an athlete.

When they start school it would be impossible to tell who walked first or talked first or used a spoon first etc.

You are doing a great job and you have a happy child.

I agree sounds fine. Mine could say a few words at that age, maybe about 5? I did know other kids who didn't have any though. And she didn't walk til she was 16m. I agree the walker or talker thing is bollocks and can make people whose kids aren't miles ahead in either (which realistically, is most of us!) feel shit.

Thank you! The roaring also comes with a “lion face” which is very cute and not as scary as he thinks it is.

That’s exactly it @MeadowHay at his 12 month check up because his communication scored lower the health visitor said oh he’s more physical, he will be walking soon! And it planted the seed, then seeing friends babies (virtually of course!) and reading their messages about them toddling and all sorts made me worry a little. So hard at the moment when we aren’t at groups and things so can’t see the broad range of skills of that makes sense.

He sounds very normal My first born didnt walk til 16 months and while she said mum and dad and words, didn't say anyone's name til 3 years old (which was concerning to preschool and paediatrician) but is caught up now at 4.

This sounds completely normal. I don't know where the idea that they talk and walk by age 1 comes from. Most children take their first step and say their first word somewhere between age 12-18 months. But actual talking is more like a 2 year milestone than a 1 year one.

Thank you! I feel like he’s on the cusp just not there yet and will do it in his own time.
It was actually the health visitor who planted the seed as she made it sound like if he didn’t have any words he should be advancing in his walking

I think he sounds fine and has a lovely mum who engages lots with him. Children are great little induviduals who all reach milestones when it suits them and not some Health visitors tick box chart. None of mine walked before 18 months . Trust me as a mum and grandmother when I say that when he starts school nobody remembers whose child, smiled, rolled over, sat up, walked, talked or ran first. Enjoy these precious early years and please don't worry.

Is he babbling? DS is same age and has a lot of words - made up as well as legitimate ones. So he can effectively ask for things. Does he sign?

As for the walking mine has only just taken his first steps and is trying (not very successfully) to walk independantly. He was cruising from 6-7 months so we thought he’d be quick but going to nursery seemed to put him behind as he was around younger kids lol.

Suggest you let go of one hand when you support him and see how steady he is - that seemed to help DS want to walk. Another thing is to give him a toy to distract him and encourage him to come to you. It always works on my DS - I think he thinks the toy is holding his hand lol

He sounds fine to me, they are all different and sounds like he understands lots. He'll walk and talk when ready.
For context I felt the same with my second, same sort of thing, not walking at 14 months and speaking only gobbledygook. I was worried something was wrong.
DD1 was walking at 9 months and talking pretty well by 14 months.
DD2 same as yours! Started walking at 15 months.
DD2 is now at science college, getting straight A's and training to be a doctor.
DD1 on the other hand, well lets just say ummmm isn't, lol.
So its definitely not an indication of anything at all, just normal differences in baby development.

Maybe slightly on the slower end of normal but nothing that is worrying.

I think physical and communication skills are pretty separate to be honest so some babies will be quick at both, quicker at one or the other or slower at both. So long as both are in the normal range it’s fine.

@GrumpyHoonMain he babbles loads and uses different tones for things and gestures to things he wants by pointing with his fist if you see what I mean. I haven’t taught him to sign.

Yes he sounds fine. They all learn and develop at different rates. I was concerned because at 2, my daughter didn't have anywhere near the amount of words I read she should, but it all came together at once. It won't be long before he's walking everywhere. I really wouldn't worry.

Honestly, this is far too young to be making predictions. There's a huge range of normal at 14 months for both speech and mobility.

My dgd was still stuck on 'gah' for granny when her little friend could say 'dishwasher'. According to their GCSE results, she's brighter than him now.

Otoh, her brother, who really is exceptional, was surly and silent as a toddler and struggled to ride a trike. It was only when, aged 3, he read a notice in the park including the word 'suitable' that we discovered he'd been teaching himself to read. 'Suitable' was in the small print on the back on one of his DVD's. He's not surly or silent now, at 15, but still can't ride a bike, not that it bothers him in the slightest!

I have a 15 month old and could have written this word for word as my little boy sounds so similar. I was worried but he has just started with a childminder and she thinks his development is normal. He is pretty stubborn and independent and could walk if he wanted to but refuses. He climbs and cruises, has great understanding but no words. He shakes his head for yes and no and does clap but does not wave. He only points to things in books. He waved for a bit last summer but then stopped but does do high fives.

I have 4 boys and he sounds totally normal to me, he crawls because it’s quicker he’s a smart boy and he will walk. One of mine didn’t walk till almost 19 months but he talked loads. Let him do it at his own pace and he’ll get there eventually. Enjoy him I so miss my boys being small and cute and cuddly

[quote Littleegglet]@GrumpyHoonMain he babbles loads and uses different tones for things and gestures to things he wants by pointing with his fist if you see what I mean. I haven’t taught him to sign.[/quote]
Sounds fine to me then.

OP you now have this post as a bookmark of sorts about what he was doing today. Obviously keep up with any posts for the next few days but then I suggest you hide it/don't look at it for 4 weeks. Then do a comparison, if you think there has been no progress then give it another 4 weeks. I think then as PP says it would be appropriate to contact someone as you aren't seeing progress rather than because he's not at the top end of the milestone.

I bet though that this time in a month you will see that he is progressing.

Maybe get him picking up small peas and rice crispies to help with him using his index finger and he might start pointing more?

Great idea thank you @WaxOnFeckOff I confess I forgot about this thread this afternoon as he reassured me so much I’ve been completely distracted playing with cornflour goop and coloured spaghetti with DS. The mess is horrendous but his little face and squeals of delight (and uncertain initial poking and prodding) were worth it