To think a 13 month old cannot say 106 words?

[TinyChatterbox]

Just over a year ago I had my first child and like many did an antenatal group. As lockdown commenced several of us managed to track each other down on Facebook and we started a group chat. There are now 5 of us who were in the original antenatal group in this chat and its been lovely to catch up albeit virtually every now and again.

All 5 of us are first time parents and one of the group boastfully posted yesterday evening that her daughter (who is 13 and 1/2 months) can now say 106 words. Now I'm not disputing she may think her child says that many words but she's talking utter bullshit isn't she. There is absolutely no way her 14 month old actually says 106 words which could be understood by anyone.

It's really pissed me off and I'd love some clarification because one of the mums in the group, who is quite a young mother, has responded in a blind panic that her child who is also 13 months only says 8 words. She's understandably completely freaking out and has messaged the health visitor as there is clearly something wrong with her daughter.

YANBU - The mum is deluded to think her child says 106 words.

YABu - It's perfectly possible a 13 month old can say 106 words.

Mine didn't but I would think it is possible. Very rare though.

DD1 was an early talker and spoke in full sentences very early as well - to the point the children's centre manager would come over and start listening in to what she was saying as she was amazed at a child that young coming out with that level and clarity of words (she's never bloody shut up since) - late as hell walking though. I do remember very distinctly that around the 16 month mark we were getting comments like "look! a loon! it go up in the sky! woosh!" (because they did 2 year checks at 18 months here then and it was something I discussed then.

Never made anyone else feel bad about it though - I used to feel crap at baby groups when the tinies were up and toddling and DD1 still was barely crawling.

Second child has a significant speech issue - still at age 7.

It's certainly possible. But the mother whose child says 8 words needs to know that's normal too.

There's such variety at this age. I don't understand why it has got to you so badly OP.

I never counted DD2s words but she talked very early and likely had over 100 understandable words at that age, s she used sentences of several words by 15 months. She walked bloody late though - 19 months - and didn't crawl, so hurt my knees having to carry her up and down stairs for so long! DD1 spoke much later on but walked at 11 months and was very much a whirlwind, always in the move toddler and pre-schooler. I always observed that they seem to do one or three other, early talking or early walking.

Perhaps put it to the back of your mind.

More weird is that she's keeping count, does she walk around with a notebook in her pocket???

Take it from me, early speech means nothing. My dd (adult) didn't have proper words at all until 3, 4 before joining them - her vocabulary now is far above normal, we are talking linguist level, been like it from early teens, she asked for a large dictionary and thesaurus for her 8th birthday!

If you are a parent of a 12-18 month old who isn't speaking, relax! Just make sure you speak to them lots and read books to them.

I just dont believe a 13m old says 100 distinct words with consistent meaning

Mine did. Not boasting. Just a fact. More than a hundred in fact. Jeez some people on MN are truly bizarre.

@Kljnmw3459

Mine didn't but I would think it is possible. Very rare though.

See I would have thought it super rare too hence why I was sceptical. However lots of posters on this thread have said their child or a child they knew could do it which is blowing my mind!!

Mine are at uni now reading maths and physics. I remember when they were little other competitive mums going on about first steps, how many foods they ate, how many inches they grew over and above everyone else. It’s not a competition and yanbu. I wouldn’t stop to even worry about how many words. She will be going on about something else by next week

I’d say it’s possible. If you include animal noises in the total, they can account for a surprising amount.

However you know now that it’s not indicative of normal language development, so why give it any more headspace?

Life’s too short to worry about what other babies/mums are up to.

My daughter was talking very well at just before two. I mean proper sentences and questions.
I don't really know when she started talking and how many words she could say at what stage as I didn't think this was something someone counted??
But I can definitely say before two because a woman who was listening to my daughter chatting to me on the bus one day told me how cute she was because she was so little and asked how old - I told her my daughter was one and the woman simply wouldn't believe me
My daughter is now in her twenties - fairly normal, bright but not a genius
Children's development is so varied.

I hope no one comented

Why do you hope no one commented? So no one should say that's great, you must be pleased, or anything like that, because clearly she's a boaster or a liar?

“HettieMillia

And for those saying who would count them, I was asked the number of words by the Health Visitor

Oh yes, I'd forgotten this. The health visitor did used to ask. That's why I so carefully counted. Presume they don't ask anymore then if people are so surprised by it.”

We were asked re how many words at the 9-12 month check. It was done bang on 9 months and the feedback was speech was fine but DD was behind in her gross motor skills because she hadn’t met one or two milestones. She caught up within a month and I remember how upset I was at the time thinking that they thought there was something wrong with her.

I’m seriously considering opting out of doing it with my son as I’d much prefer to just contact them if I think there’s an issue, but I don’t know if that’s “allowed”. I’ll probably just end up looking like an asshole 😂

Exceptional precocity usually goes hand in hand with neurodiversity

I can't speak for anyone else, but that was certainly my experience, @MoodyMarshall

@curlymom

I remember those days, I was the one with the non verbal child. Dd1 did end up being diagnosed with autism but dd2 was also a late talker, around 20 months for first words. Both at university now. Both of mine were walking at 9 months and running by a year - one is still very physically orientated eg fitness, sports, is a trainee engineer. The other loves words, the one who talked so late (3)

I would say it is possible, my dm, a very sensible woman now in her 80s, has always said I was fully talking, walking and dry day and night by 13 months, my two dbs were not dry at night until nearly school age.

For all my 'forwardness' I was a very average child, did moderately well in school and am of fairly average intelligence as an adult, dont know what happened to my early signs of genius

One of my children was like this - though very few people knew and honestly it wasn’t a big deal to me at all. My other child was the complete opposite. At the moment, the child who could speak early is a bit of a bookworm (and learned to read v.v early) and the other child has almost caught up. It’s rare - but not unheard of.

It does sound like this mom is being a show off though, and it’s not great for others to hear especially if they have anxiety (I do and panicked when my culls couldn’t crawl at 6 months or walk at 9 months due to a mum mentioning this to me).

DS1 started to speak at 8 months, but could not sit up independently!
By about 14 months he was talking very well in short sentences but making no attempt to walk and was only just pulling himself up'
DS2 was distinctly average re his development
DS's 3 & 4 needed speech therapy as their speech was so delayed.
BUT all 4 DS's are now all fully functioning adults who are able to converse well and no one but no one (apart from me) recalls anything about their early development!

Hettiemillia
But why is it great? It doesnt matter. The parent hasn't done anything special to make it happen. It's not like the achievement of an older child where you might compliment their accomplishment directly because they've worked hard. It's just a mother who's a bit of a show off. Its better to ignore people like that or they keep doing it.

It would be a shame to lose the support just because this parent now sees it as a competition.

You are the only one who seems to see it as a competition.

So what if she wasn’t asked about it, or there wasn’t a conversation going about talking? She’s sharing exciting news; you should be happy for her and share her excitement, not think she’s boastful just because another mum is oversensitive about her own baby.

Some babies take longer than others; that doesn’t mean the mums of the quicker ones shouldn’t share their milestones when they happen for fear of upsetting them.

i'd be laughing mostly at the fact that it's apparently 106!
Maybe she has a book of 106 words and can point to the pictures?
pretty sure mine went from 1 to 2 to 3 and then 'quite a few'. Don't personally remember getting to the 106 mark.

It’s more common when you live in an extended family set up. DN was speaking in full sentences in 3 language by the time she was 13-16 months. DS os 13 mo mths and probably speaks over 100 words but a lot of them are ones he’s just made up so he can communicate with us lol

^ I would be tempted to congratulate the mum on the success of her clearly genius child, and then ask to post a video of some of the 106 words on the chat so the other babies can have a look! 🤣

" I knew a baby that had clear words (about 3) at six months old. It was totally bizarre."

That was my eldest DD, she has ADHD (and possibly other stuff, diagnosed in the 80's).

"Exceptional precocity usually goes hand in hand with neurodiversity"

That's my experience as well.

I’m seriously considering opting out of doing it with my son as I’d much prefer to just contact them if I think there’s an issue, but I don’t know if that’s “allowed”.

I didn't go to health visitor with my dc2. I didn't feel I needed to tbh. I knew they were behind in speech and got a referral to speech therapy when they were 2. That was it. There's no law that you have to go to the health visitor, although obviously it's sort of helpful the first time round.

I mean a lot of kids that age don't talk or may say 5 words, then lose them for a bit whilst learning to walk. 8 is loads.

100 something? Bit weird. Does she write down every second sound her child makes and says "that's a word!!"