Should I be teaching DS to point or does it come naturally?

[Swoonforpeterbishop]

DS has just turned 15 months. He’s sort of pointing - he points at the textured bits in books. Will point his finger to meet my point if I point at him, sometimes points at his sippy cup although other times gestures with his whole hand.

He’s not really pointing at things of interest to show us, like if we are out and about, and I hadn’t really thought about it until I saw a video of my sisters little boy who is two months younger and he’s pointing at everything.

It made me think - should I have been helping him more? He sometimes holds his hand in a point by his side when we are out as though he’s thinking about it but not actually pointing anything out.

He’s also not a big waver - he has done it and will do it when he suits him but I think it’s more mimicking as he only does it back if people do it to him first and then not always IYSWIM.

I know these things can be red flags as his getting older but I wasn’t worried previously as his comprehension and engagement with us seems good. Should I be pointing at things all the time to show him?

Thank you!

The one thing he does point at is his dads credit card he’s very interested in that!

When my son was young (and I was frustrated at never knowing what he wanted!), I sat with him with a book with animals in it and guided his hand to point at the animals. I made a sound for them whenever he pointed. He learned quite quickly that pointing got him what he wanted. I think he was about your sons age at the time. I don't know if it's something you're meant to teach, or if it comes naturally, but it worked for us.

Thank you!
He’s quite independent and doesn’t love it when I guide his hand to things, he tends to snatch his hand away then do it by himself 🙈 but I could demonstrate by pointing myself

My son really only started doing lots of pointing at 15/16 months. I don't think it is meant to be a red flag until 18 months.

I found putting things out of reach helped e.g favouite toys and offering him choices e.g holding up 2 packets of cereal and getting him to gesture to the one he wants. If it does not work try with something unmotivating and something he really wants.

Thank you. I haven't really given him choices yet but I could do it with snacks (he wouldn't recognise cereal, as he mainly has porridge).
I think he would probably gesture with his whole hand for snacks as he would be trying to grab them instead of showing me what he wanted but it's worth a try!

Seeing how far he's come on in the last month, I can see he will probably be doing a lot of this naturally after three more months have passed.

I wasn’t sure if it should be taught or whether it would come naturally