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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To worry about my 16m old DD doesn't speak yet?

29 replies

Aneley · 15/04/2021 16:08

We are raising her bilingual but she gets much more in English than in my native language, simply because DH and I communicate with each other in English. She seems to understand words and instructions in both languages (come, give me, food, water, dog, cat...) but she just doesn't say even Mama or Daddy. She babbles and she imitates our dog's barking, she keeps bringing us books and we spend a lot of time reading and singing to her, showing her pictures and naming objects but nothing. I heard that bilingual children can be a bit late to start speaking but then I also found a study that claims that the research does not support that... so I am starting to get really worried. Should we take her to a specialist? She now walks, quite confidently and is generally happy. She will come and offer a cheek when we say 'kiss' in either language, etc. but she won't say a single word.

OP posts:
squishmittens · 15/04/2021 21:13

Totally normal. I had one DC start talking at 12 months and one DC who didn't say anything until 19mo. Their communication skills by 24mo were exactly the same. Kids are just different.

Alonelonelylonersbadidea · 15/04/2021 22:00

I studied bilingualism in children and it is very common (actually nearly always the case) that the speech is delayed. By the time kids are about 7 years old they have caught up across the board and they have 2 (or more) languages to boot!

The above said, your child's speech is not delayed. It sounds perfectly normal. Do not worry and don't try and hothouse in any way. Just talk, talk, talk. My 6 year old says little in his second language, but understands everything. It'll come.

MrsBobDylan · 15/04/2021 22:19

Receptive (understanding) language is so much more important than expressive (talking) language.

One of my sons didn't talk but didn't understand either. He didn't use gestures (which are really just physical words) and there were lots and lots of signs that he has a communication disorder, from when he was just a tiny baby.

He is 11 now and has an abundance of words. But if I give a two-part instruction he can't understand it. He has the receptive understand of a child around the age of 3.

You dd sounds as though she's in sponge-mode, gathering up words ready for when she's confident to use them.

NotTheMrMenAgain · 15/04/2021 22:40

Honestly OP, try not to worry, chill out a bit - your baby is still pretty much a baby, around 68 weeks old? Fairly sure I'd have no hope of learning two languages in that space of time!

From what you've said it's all slotting into place nicely inside her brain - she'll speak when she's good and ready.

My DD only seemed to have a limited number of words before she was two, then after her second birthday it just suddenly came together and entire little sentences came out of her mouth - literally blew my mind!

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