To think wtf?!

[ohcheeseandrice]

Went to the health visitor today started talking about baby nearly crawling and we get to talking about ds (3) and how he took his first steps at 10 months. She then proceeds to tell me
'Well that's why he's got a speech and language delay then'.

For context ds was partially deaf from about 18 months until he was 3 so is now catching up. I've had confirmation that this would've delayed his speech development.

So curious old me questioned this and she goes on to explain that because he was so advanced in walking that all his other developments fell behind.

Am I right to think wtf is she on about?!

My DD1 walked at 9 1/2 months and was a late talker, but she was all but deaf for 6 months of the year, until she has her grommets fitted at age 6. I would say the deafness, rather than walking held up her speech.

DD2 walked and a year old. She also talked fairly average for her age.

DS, well, he is another one altogether. He walked for the first time at 15 months old. He didn't really talk until quite late too, mainly because he could not get a word in edgeways.

I have said this before and will say it again. DD1 is now 23, DD2 is 12, DS is 11. You would not know which ones were later with which things, or earlier. They can all three walk and talk, except DD2 could trip over fresh air and talks more than most people!

Tbh it pissed me off. I've had wait months for appointments, wait in clinics for hours, he's had an operation, stupid number of ear infections/ sleepless nights for this silly woman to spout some whimsical reasoning behind it all. If he had been say 6 months delayed and then caught up, I'd deal with it. But we are nearly 2 years on and progress is slow

My DD was a late walker (15 months) and an early talker (was saying sentences of 3 - 4 words by a year) whereas my DGD was an early walker (11months) but was not anywhere near as advanced with her speech at that age as her DM was. She was nearer 2 years old by the time she was at that level. So from my POV there seems to be a grain of truth in this theory.

There is more truth to saying that children tend to excel in one area over another to begin with. So maybe more physical then cognitive learning or speaking. But that's just natural imo. Both of my ds was walking early able to climb like a pro by 1 but was slower on speaking. Ds2 had develmental delay though. Iv seen children talking in full sentences at 2 but their physical development isn't as matched.

In your case it's blantly because he had hearing problem which will have a direct effect on his speech.

The only one of my HV that was any good had a large family and gave advice from personal knowledge. It was grounded in experience and always useful. Everyone else I spoke to rated her too.

The other HV I had, had no children and based her knowledge on theory. She was useless. Not saying HVs have to have children but they do have to be curious about people’s actual experiences rather than just spout things from books. It’s dogma and often out of date.

Unfortunately it can be very demoralising if you’re unconfident (eg first time mother with little support and little exposure to babies)to be told you or your child don’t fit the model. That’s why my second child was a dream experience after the first one. I was able to follow my own experience rather than the narrow, theory-driven advice from many HCPs.

Oh and there was that health visitor who thought he was Swedish because I have a slightly unusual name and he was talking absolute jibberish... as in 'gillywabbadodo'

Stopping myself laughing at that one was hard!

I had three children and haven’t yet met a HV who knew anything about children ......
I still can’t get over the one that ‘knew’ we ate lots of potatoes. Was most insistent. I don’t have a clue how she jumped to that convlusion. Not that it matters, but it seemed to to her
Take no notice of her OP x

Conclusion not convulsion
Ruddy spell check

Not true in my experience! My DD was walking at 10 months and was an early talker too. She could ride a bike age 3yrs and could read by age 4yrs.

From anecdotal experience of friends, girls seem to be more verbal than boys at a young age.

Reckon it all evens out for the majority of kids by junior school!

What absolute bollocks! I was walking at 10 months and talking in full sentences in two languages before I was 1.

My HV told me that soy milk (prescribed briefly to DS after he'd been hospitalised for days with constant and chronic diarrhoea) would 'turn' my son gay, and recommended that if I wanted grandchildren I'd take him off it.

I threw her out of the house and made a complaint (upheld). She's still practicing.

Dljlr

toolonglurking

"Most health visitors are full of crap and old wives tales, just smile and nod and wave her off smile"

🤣

Rubbish. I was walking at around 10 months and talking by 11 months. I haven't stopped since .

However a HV told my DM to get my sister's eyes checked because she had flat feet .