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Original poster

14 month old talking in sentences?

208 replies

Foal · 18/02/2023 15:58

Does anyone have or know of a just turned 14 month old who speaks in sentences?

A woman on a WhatsApp group I'm in is often mentioning how her DC talk in sentences from 13/14 months old (and not just simple things but telling someone about their day was one example she gave). I don't know why she would lie about this in a random WhatsApp group but it just seems so far fetched and of course there's never any videos to back it up! So, to the wisdom of Mumsnet...is it possible that a 14 month old could do this?!

OP posts:
Todaynotalways · 18/02/2023 16:20

DD did - not complex sentences but three or four words that made sense together.

'it's a poo poo' (it was)
'more carrots please'
'hey there cat'

She is still verbally really smart (aged 7) but everything else is very normal (literacy, numeracy etc.).

NameChangeForThisBear · 18/02/2023 16:20

I could.

My parents didn’t think it was anything unusual (it was a long time ago and they hadn’t had much to do with babies before me). I could read very early too, and was a maths whiz. By the time I was at school, I liked most adults fine, but couldn’t stand children my own age: they were noisy and messy and I didn’t have much in common with them. After a variety of issues flagged by school, I was eventually diagnosed with Asperger’s (which would now be subsumed into the categorisation of “autism” more generally).

So precocious sentence-forming is totally possible; and although it can be quite a cool thing in and of itself, it’s not often something that occurs in and of itself - so it might not be great for the little one if it’s part of a bigger picture. Society isn’t especially hospitable to the likes of me, especially these days.

FlyingSquid · 18/02/2023 16:20

Mine certainly could at 15 months, and thank goodness for that, as she was able to explain her broken arm to the A&E staff (‘I felled over and I hurted it’ level, not a detailed description of greenstick fracture or anything).

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1 year olds Behaviour & development Families
GetTheGoodLookingGuy · 18/02/2023 16:21

Full sentences seems unlikely, but 2/3 word toddler sentences, then potentially. My parents say I was talking in full sentences at 18 months. At this age, (I think it must've been a little older, just due to the time of year it would've been when I was that age) aparently I replied to my DGM tucking me up with "a nice purple blanket", "That's not purple Granny, that's aubergine." (I had an aubergine in my toy kitchen that was that colour!) I, like lots of other earlier talkers mentioned in this thread, am autistic.

Dyslexicwonder · 18/02/2023 16:23

AmyandPhilipfan · 18/02/2023 16:18

I went to many baby/toddler groups. I've worked in nurseries. My neighbour has childminded several children that age. I've never met a child that age who could speak in proper sentences. The odd one could put a couple of words together but even that was very rare. Most that I've come across are barely saying anything until after 18 months and no real sentences until after 2.

In my experience, the ones who most loudly claim their children are doing something out of the ordinary are usually lying or are interpreting things differently to how outside observers would.

Well you would expect their parents to understand them best ! DS is 19 next month he and his little friend I described are both at University, I have no skin in this game.

NameChangeForThisBear · 18/02/2023 16:23

“I replied to my DGM tucking me up with "a nice purple blanket", "That's not purple Granny, that's aubergine."”
@GetTheGoodLookingGuy now that’s precocious 😂😉

Rachelthesellotape · 18/02/2023 16:23

Both of mine did - but they were very late crawling and walking. It was obviously easier to say "Mummy please pass me that toy" than actually move to get it Grin

Needmorelego · 18/02/2023 16:24

Mine was an early talker but can't really remember when the sentences started.
I remember when she was about 21 months old being at the health clinic and they were amazed we were having a 'conversation'.
As in something like -
Her - "I want food"
Me - "Would you like a banana"
Her - " No I want cracker"
Me - "I haven't got any crackers"
Her - "We go to shop?"
That apparently is quite unusual for that age.
Speaking "in sentences" can be interpreted in different ways. "I want drink" is a sentence which many 14 month olds could say but they wouldn't be able to follow it up with a what type of drink or which cup conversation.

Todaynotalways · 18/02/2023 16:25

GetTheGoodLookingGuy · 18/02/2023 16:21

Full sentences seems unlikely, but 2/3 word toddler sentences, then potentially. My parents say I was talking in full sentences at 18 months. At this age, (I think it must've been a little older, just due to the time of year it would've been when I was that age) aparently I replied to my DGM tucking me up with "a nice purple blanket", "That's not purple Granny, that's aubergine." (I had an aubergine in my toy kitchen that was that colour!) I, like lots of other earlier talkers mentioned in this thread, am autistic.

That's funny about the aubergine comment.

At her 18 mo check up DD informed the nurse that a duplo brick was 'more of a coral colour' (rather than orange as the nurse suggested).

Needmorelego · 18/02/2023 16:26

@Rachelthesellotape mine was a late walker.
Someone said to me "they either walk or talk not both".
Not sure how true that is 😂

SignOnTheWindow · 18/02/2023 16:27

DD said 'Mummy read book' at 14 months. Not sure whether that counts?

henchhen · 18/02/2023 16:28

My DS did. He is autistic though, I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Lovemylittlebear · 18/02/2023 16:28

Yep one of my nieces. Her speech is insane. Literally bonkers for her age. I have four kids and work in a field where I assess small children’s language (and other skills) regularly. She’s so smart. At 20 months she was talking in sentences, asking questions and using adjectives, pronouns and some simple prepositions in her sentences. Her articulation was also super clear and she could sing full songs rather than just fill ins. It’s really unusual for speech and understanding of language to be that advanced but it does happen.

Theelephantinthecastle · 18/02/2023 16:29

AmyandPhilipfan · 18/02/2023 16:18

I went to many baby/toddler groups. I've worked in nurseries. My neighbour has childminded several children that age. I've never met a child that age who could speak in proper sentences. The odd one could put a couple of words together but even that was very rare. Most that I've come across are barely saying anything until after 18 months and no real sentences until after 2.

In my experience, the ones who most loudly claim their children are doing something out of the ordinary are usually lying or are interpreting things differently to how outside observers would.

I think some of your perception is that actually kids are different in those settings than with their parents. DS2 was very quiet at nursery. A good six months after he was doing 2-3 word sentences at home, nursery told us that he had started to talk.. they genuinely believed he had just started. They probably wouldn't have believed me if I had said otherwise so I didn't bother.

bellsbuss · 18/02/2023 16:33

Our second child could speak in sentences at that age and could spell by 2 and a half. Did well in exams but our eldest did better.

BlueSpool · 18/02/2023 16:34

One of mine was like this at around 16 months, and by 18 months was holding full conversations and had more advanced speech than a sibling that was a year older.

itsgettingweird · 18/02/2023 16:34

My cousins DD did.

But there are 20 of us in our generation and a further 10 of our children.

None of the rest of us did and we did note it was unusual - plus quite fascinating!

So possible but rare.

evilharpy · 18/02/2023 16:35

Mine never really said single words, she just went straight to simple sentences. I remember at 15 months she would say things like "I want a pouch" (Ella's Kitchen type things) or "I don't want that" or sit in front of the TV and say "Ben and Holly on now". By the time she was 2 you could have a proper two way conversation with her. She's NT to the best of my knowledge, and very bright but by no means gifted. She was incredibly good at reading from very early on, I don't know if there's a correlation between early talking and advanced reading ability.

Someone mentioned walking - just before her first birthday she got up and walked and that was that. She never did the stumbling, taking tentative steps etc that I always thought babies did.

urrrgh46 · 18/02/2023 16:37

2 of my children could talk in sentences at 14 months. 1 has ADHD and the other is autistic.

WiIson · 18/02/2023 16:37

Yes my first child spoke in short sentences at that age. They were really early with speech. Second child spoke much much later than average. You wouldn't tell the difference now they are older.

Zebratan · 18/02/2023 16:37

My ds did. Full on conversations by 18 months. I didn't realise it was unusual at the time.

Pardon44 · 18/02/2023 16:38

My 2 both talked in sentences by 14 months. At my daughters 2 year review. Which took place a 2 years and 4 months she was talking in 8 word sentences. The HV said her speech was very advanced. However, she was below average in critical thinking. My youngest is exactly the same.

Wereongunoil · 18/02/2023 16:38

Well, as no is a complete sentence it's entirely possible 🤷🏻😂

urrrgh46 · 18/02/2023 16:38

Would add that eldest child didn't and she has an IQ of 155 so i really don't think it makes any difference. All children develop differently and it's only if they're really outside of the norm that anyone should worry - which is why HVs do developmental checks.

Needmorelego · 18/02/2023 16:39

Once mine started talking she essentially didn't shut up until she was about 3 and a half.
(First day of nursery - "Does she ever pause for breath?" 🤣)
Her nursery teacher said she had to sort of learn how to use her inner dialogue. Essentially every thought she was having she would be yabbering on about it.
But apparently not everyone has an inner dialogue - which I find really bizarre.
Maybe early talkers have inner dialogue, late talkers don't ??? 🤔