To think that an 11 month old does not have 50 words?

[spugzbunny]

I was casually googling 'how many words should my baby speak' yesterday and I came across a thread where numerous people swear blind that their baby can speak 20 odd words, some saying up to 50! Am I right in thinking that's madness? Any more tiny, chatty genius babies out there?

I had suspected that my PIL's claim that DH said his first word - 'tacta' for 'tractor' - at 8 months was a bit dubious; apart from anything else, they live in a medium-size town so I was a bit sceptical that tractors were so familiar a sight. I knew for certain it was bullshit when they saw DS aged four months holding a stuffed owl toy and making 'aaa-ROOOO' noises and said, in all seriousness, that he was saying 'owl'. They are very nice people but they do not know what is and is not talking, it turns out!

I think DD did and my mother reckons I did too though DS had more like 20 around that age but including bra and he definitely knew it as he would point at my bras giggle and go bra- bra-bra. So think its possible but its right at top end of range.

And I would like to hear some of these 'other people were amazed to hear her talking in full sentences!' stories from the other people! Very few people are going to be like 'what are you on about, she's just making nonsense noises?'. The 'my child was talking fluently at 1' stories on these threads always massively outweigh the 'I know someone whose baby was talking at 1 - I heard him and it was astonishing' stories, which is odd because you'd expect a lot more of the latter.

Both my DC had only one or two words at 11m! Surely 'Mama' and 'Dada' is about as verbose as it usually gets at that age?

Depends - does goo goo count as one word or two? Same for ga ga?

I knew someone who claimed their baby could say 100 words and even kept a list of the words. Her child just babbled and hit itself on the head with a spoon like 11 month olds do. The bairn could no more talk than fly to the moon.

My DD2 didn't speak at all until she was nearly three about from a few indistinct mama type noises that i knew what she meant.

She now has a degree in aerospace engineering.

People like to exaggerate about their kids. Especially online! But in real life too.

A lot of my friends/family members had babies at the same time as we did and I'd constantly be shocked when they would mention in conversation that their 9 month old was walking already, or their 14 month old was speaking in full sentences, etc. I often felt worried because my baby was nowhere near that advanced! Then when I'd see them the next week, I would realise that to many parents, taking one step while being held by both hands = walking already, and saying "want ball" = speaking in full sentences.

I quickly learned not to pay attention to people going on about the amazing things their kids can do.

Just checked an old memories book. My son had 70 words at 18 months.

This thread just shows they are all different!

My 15m DS has one word “mama” meaning dummy.

Older DS is 3 and is having speech therapy for a stammer. But, here comes the boast.....he can read. Will literally read anything. Signs, menus, books. We’re amazed!

My boy was 18 months and speaking in sentences.. didn’t walk til nearly 1 though.
Daughter was 8 and a half months when she walked and didn’t talk until about 2, and that was just single words. She’s 4 now and she’ll speak sentences and yabber on about unicorns and rainbows but I think my son at 18 months was probably speaking clearer. It’s just the way it is. She saw a speech therapist and she just gave us excercises to do but wasn’t worried at all.

It’s all so different! I suspect a lot of people feel they can lie on anonymous forums though

DP was telling me last night that one of his colleagues children apparently crawled at 4 months and spoke at 6 months. I called bullshit and said there’s no way that’s even possible... Some people are full of utter crap.

People like to exaggerate about their kids. Especially online!

Just scanned the rest of this thread and it's a good example of this fact!

DC1 spoke her second word at 11 months (already walking though) but DC2 could probably say 50 at the same age (behind in other areas) so I would say that you need to look at the whole picture and remember that just because a baby looks advanced in one area, doesn’t mean overall they are. They also generally all catch up before long.

DD didn't speak apart from Mamma Dadda type stuff till she was 2 then spoke in perfectly formed sentences.

Suddenly came out with everything at nursery who couldn't believe what they were hearing.

Ds walked at 9 months, he was born at 38 weeks. He could run, jump, climb by 10 months but apart from some garble which only myself and his dsis could understand he didn't talk till he was 4

DD talked early, first word at around 10 months. By 18 months she was talking in 4 or 5 word sentences. According to a speech therapist who assessed her (standard part of her assessments because she was preemie) she was really advanced in speech, but there was no way she had 50 discernible words at 11 months. The SLT explained to us that “words” only count when they can be understood by someone else. So, just because you understand that sound to mean a particular object, an SLT would count it as a word, if that makes sense.

But, it really doesn’t matter. Early talking isn’t a sign of anything other than the fact they are talking early. The minute they talk you spend your life asking them to shussh anyway 😄

It's definitly possible.
I think a lot of kids dont necessarily speak at toddler groups, just as most dont sit down for stories from mum.
Dd1 spoke very early and extremely clearly no fake words or guesswork needed.
I have also seen dc walk or sit up very young. But it is surprising how vast the range is of walking and speech.
What i found helped with dc1 was picture books and i would flick through and repeat the word several times. As i read it can take 50 times hearing a word to remember it.
But dc2 i didnt have as much time and didnt do this as much. She did speak well early but nowhere near as clear as dc1.
Interestingly dc1 also found reading very easy (cvc words by 3.5yo and free reading before 5yo). I think she has a good memory.
But also neither had dummies or sucked fingers. Or any ear infections before 3yo and were bf which supposedly helps with jaw strength. Also neither really slept or napped so by say 5m (when they started saying dada to him) they were probably like a 10+m old.

Thats really interesting SoHumble what counts as Im constantly being asked if my 18 month is talking.
At 12 months he could make one animal noise, point and ask (with pointing and a specific noise) for something, and go ugh and put his arms him up to be lifted up. Now theres more animal noises plus about 6 other words.

My ds only had mama and dada at 11 months. He's 17 months now and only has mama,dada,ta(thankyou), hi, nana, bye and sasa(dogs name is sasha). Sometimes he puts hi with mama or dada. I guess he is a little behind for his age. He has done better with his physical/locomotor skills so far.

I don't remember how many at 11 months, but I filmed dd at 12 months saying 20 or so words (light, door, weewee, Mumma, Dadda, wall etc) but she could say a lot more of her own babble words (that were consistent and recognisable even if they weren't exact English....e.g. babbo instead of table and wadoon instead of window)...so at least 50 recognisable to us and 20 recognisable to everyone else.

My DS was 2 in September and still babbles, although he can say words and basic sentences when he wants to ("I do it"; "I want that"; "I go"; "need poo poo" etc) but he's of the mindset that it's easier to lead someone to the kitchen and point to the food he wants rather than tell us.

I can remember DD1 saying “XXX (her name) look at daddy book” - we were on holiday at the time in Malta and were getting the ferry to Gozo -she wanted to see the guidebook. She was 18months old at the time. She is 17 now and doing English A level.

The most intelligent children I've ever known were not verbal at 11 months. They didn't need to be - they were able to make themselves clearly understood by gesture, facial expression, body language etc..

Course they can.
Others don’t.
Both are normal.

I had one who said ‘please have a pink cupcake mummy’ on her first birthday.
Another who wasn’t putting two words together by her second birthday.

Both are normal kids and talk a lot these days.

I think at that age, both of mine had mastered:
Hiya
Mama
Dada
Taa (thank you)
Juice
Cat
Bye bye
Dinner
That was about it. Then by the time they both got to 18 months the words were coming thick and fast.
They are 2 & 3 now and can’t shut either of them up