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?

It’s unusual and advanced to be talking at that age but doesn’t mean anything in particular.

DS1 didn’t have more than 10 words until he was 2.5. Shortly after he turned 3 a HV commented on how good his speech was for his age, so he caught up quickly. He’s nearly 4 now and starting school in September, you’d never know now that he talked late. He chats constantly and you can’t get a word in edgeways.

But, DS1 was/is active, crawled at 7 months, has always been “on the go”. My DS2, 11 months, isn’t mobile yet but is very vocal and expressive, and his fine motor/communication skills are much more advanced than DS1’s were at that age according to the development questionnaire I’ve just completed.

I definitely believe babies are waking very early. I know of 2 in my baby group who were walking at 9 months. I am yet to meet a baby who can ask for a pink cupcake please at 12 months!

I agree with many posters here. Just coz a baby/toddler doesn't say loads of words before they're one, that doesn't mean they are not going end up academically smart, and generally intelligent. As I said, my DD said loads of words really young (before one) but didn't walk until she was almost a year and a half old. My DS was the opposite and walked before one, but didn't say his first few words til he was two. Both mine are smart and intelligent and have done well academically.

By the way, I actually spoke to my GP when DS1 was 2 as I was concerned about his lack of speech. She said that it had nothing to do with intelligence, and that her own daughter needed speech therapy until she was 4-5 and was now at medical school.

My DS had basic words at 11 months , mama, dada, dog, car, milk but stopped talking at 13 months only a month later to start talking in full sentences. At 2 he came out with "that lady is a geophysicist" his favourite programme at that time was Time Team & he had learned the word from watching that. Once he got his words back at 14 months he was able to use words in their proper context & could hold a very good conversation. I've been told that this is consistent with his ASD (Aspergers) diagnosis

I wrote down all my pfb's words but I had to stop when she was 15/16 months as it was going into the hundreds. By 18 months she was speaking in sentences and could hold a conversation. But then myself and my husband were early talkers as well. It did make things a LOT easier for us/her though!

Just done a count up and I reckon my 14 month old has 10 words - however some of these others might struggle to understand.
She seems pretty typical compared to others at baby groups/ play groups we go to. I'd be fascinated to meet a pre-12 month old who was talking in full sentences, I honestly can't picture it!

I had a friend who used to go on about how many words her son could say and how he was putting three words together. I spent a day with the little guy and he wasn’t. He would babble something and she would say ‘oh look, he just said he wants to go home and see the dog.’ It was quite funny how diluded she was.

My very small for his age older son was walking at 10 months. He was tiny and looked like that freaky dancing baby from Ally McBeal. It is a bloody pain when they walk that early as you can't just plonk them down and expect them to stay.

DS2 was much easier - lazy blighter didn't walk until 14 months (average apparently!)

she would say ‘oh look, he just said he wants to go home and see the dog.’ It was quite funny how diluded she was.

Or maybe she wasn't deluded, she just understood what her son was saying in a way that you, who didn't know him well, could not?

I did. But I also started walking very late (aged 2 I think). It's not the norm but it's not impossible.

I'd be fascinated to meet a pre-12 month old who was talking in full sentences, I honestly can't picture it!

Me too! I'd love to see a video or something. Mine was completely a baby at that stage - still breastfeeding a lot and crawling and putting everything in his mouth.

My 18m old hardly says anything
By the same age DD probably had 40-50 words and phrases

At 11 months my DS said the following “eeieeio” (like as in old McDonald), “Santa”, “numnum” when he wanted food “dada” “mama” and by 12 months strangely “yellow” or yeya as he pronounced it.

He’s 9 now and pretty much never shuts up

If an 11 month baby knows 50 words than they are incredibly bright and should be in Mensa. Inhate all these comparisons, all children are different, with different paths, we don't compare adults intelligence, and expect them to be the same, why do we compare children and get so worried about it. A saying that I came across: All children are gifted, they open them at different times!

My 12 month old says
Dada
Mumma
Nan Nan
Cuddle
Tickle
Book
Dis (this)
Yeh
No no no no no no no
Dadda do do do do do do do (baby shark!)

and;
oh dear
All gone.

The rest is waffle with hand gestures.

They often include animal sounds to so if they know moo, meow, woof etc they are also “words”

At 22 months they only words we have regularly without prompting are

Mama/mum
Tak for Thankyou
Yeah
Meow (when I say cat)
Woof (when she sees a dog)
Go

She can say other words if I do the say “duck” game.. about another 6 or so

Some will be early, some will be late and most will get there in the end

My DS had. And he wrote his name on a piece of paper aged 2 1/2. I still have it with the date written on the back (I wrote that).

Mine had 15 words by 1 and seemed like a really fast talker compared to others we met whose children were a lot more physical than mine was (does seem that you tend to be one or the other). Putting words together came a few months later definitely, not at 11 months.

This thread reminds me of a time I met a woman with a 14 month old baby, who she insisted was potty trained. Even though she couldn’t walk. She was very insistent that this was a sign of the child being extremely bright.

What she meant was, she’s trained her daughter to wee when she held her with her arms over the toilet, and went ‘wisss wisss wisss’. She sometimes did it.

I didn’t really know what to say....

I was intrigued by all these ‘my baby was reciting the complete works of Shakespeare by 11 months posts’ (especially loving the one who could recognise and identify colours, cupcakes (which I’m sure an 12 month would never have eaten) and remember to be polite enough to say please). So I had a look on YouTube as I’m assuming all these parents of baby geniuses would have recorded something interested - so far no requests for pink cupcakes. If anyone finds a video I’d love to see one as I am highly skeptical (bearing in mind that the milestone is 50 words at 2 YEARS).

I’m also chuckingly at some of the posters asserting that they said 50+ words at that age. Assuming it’s not your super memories and that your parents have told you this, do you not think it may be possible that your parents have exaggerated (Lets be honest, we all do as it parents).

I think the likelihood is that some babies do make a variety of unique sounds and parents attribute meaning to it - but to an onlooker it would be babbling. Of course it’s special and lovely to the parents but I don’t think it qualifies as 50+ unique words with meanings and context attached.

Chuckling*