16 month old talks in sentences, counts and picks out words in stories

[Ophuchi]

Hello. I'm new here and wondered if other mums have had children who have developed these skills so young. My 16 month old daughter talks very clearly in short sentences, can count and knows how many objects - not just saying numbers. She also started pointing at words in stories and telling me what they said at 14 months.

I only know 4 other mums with kids the same age, all of whom are non-verbal or only saying a couple of words and just want to know if my little one is within the normal range of development. One of the other mothers I mentioned thinks there might be something 'wrong' with my daughter. In my heart I feel she is 'normal' just quick mentally.

She also crawled at 14 months and walked at 16 months so not quick at everything whereas the other 16 month olds we know were all early walkers.

Also wondering whether me being at home with her all day one-to-one has an effect. Other 4 mums all work full time, kids in nursery.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Really op it makes no difference at this age. They all get to the same point eventually, being able to do them early means nothing.

Ds could count to 10 by his first birthday, but I haven't signed him up for uni just yet ;)

Ophuchi, I think children just develop different skills at different rates. DD1 was an early talker (and hasn't bloody stopped very since) - full sentences by 12 months, could count to 20 by 15 months, that sort of thing. She did not, however, move. At all. Until she was 20 months. She progressed very rapidly though primary school and was put up a year but is now a fairly bright but certainly not gifted 16 year old. Lovely girl, though! DD2, on the other hand, was walking properly at 8 months and was a pain in the backside, but the only word she would ever say until she was almost 2 was "NO!". And now at 14 she is just as bright as DD1. DS on the other hand, was a very average baby, but is now showing signs of genius - to my mind anyway.

I would like to point out that mine went to nursery from the age of 4 months as I was working!

I just think children are all different and develop at their own speed but I don't think it is any indication of adult intelligence.

Just enjoy your DD and stop comparing her with other kids. She's doing well at the moment but the other babies might catch up/over take her over time.

Your comparison about the other babies having full-time working mums and being in nursery offensive. Comments like these just make you sound smug.

When the mum of 5 suggested there was something "wrong", she was just being daft and a bit envious, I'd say. Perhaps you were rubbing in the talents of your PFB just a little and she was having a bad day!

OMG SecondComing- Struggling with her Urdu? Mine picked that up in no time. As for Cantonese... Don't you know that Mandarin is where it's at?
It can be embarassing to have a gifted child- Experts thought they'd unearthed an unknown Shakespeare sonnet until they realized it was something DS had cooked up for me for mother's day...

Love your name return... Good to know you had one the same and she's fine now :)

I'm going to go against the herd here and say it sounds very advanced to me.

16 months? Speaking full sentences? Counting? Reading?

I know there is a range of normal but surely this is far ahead.

Have you mentioned it to your HV?

Ophuchi - I doubt there's anything wrong as such.
How are her physical skills? Some children develop some skills earlier than others pretty much at the expense of the other skills. Your DD seems to have very advanced verbal skills at the moment but it will probably all balance out by the time she's 5.

Welcome to MN, btw and good for you being so goodnatured about the piss-taking. :)

Just what do you imagine could be wrong with your DD because she can do these things?

Thank you for the advice about reading to your child - I knew I had gone wrong somewhere.

When you say "she's fine now" ... what do you mean, exactly? There was never anything wrong with her!

Met the mum of five in the park last week. Little one was just chatting away as she always does when she said something about other kid's fluffy, yellow jacket and was counting her 'swings' - I wasn't trying to rub anything in!

I started reading around that age (am not a genius now ). I did wonder whether my mother (who worked until I was two and a half, by the way) was exaggerating but I do have one friend whose elder DS started reading at 16 months too. So it's extremely unusual but by no means unheard of and probably not related to employment status.

Aaaaargh! Don't want to boast, don't want to have a go at working mums, just wanted reassured that there's nothing wrong with my wee girl!

Sorry return - worded that wrong!

Look, apart from the cock-up re. WOHMs, the OP has explained that her mum-of-5 friend mentioned there might be something "wrong" - so that's where she's getting it from - and she wants to know if this mum-of-5 is right. Which she obviously isn't.

Ophuchi - one thing you will learn about this forum very bloody fast is that people will pick up on one thing you say and it will get Chinese-whispered down the thread quite fast if you're not careful.

Cheers pirate, good to know.

She sounds very cute, and very advanced verbally for her age. I work in early years and have come across a few children like this - one in particular I remember who could tell you in whole sentences about things that happened yesterday and plans for tomorrow when he was less than 18 months

Nothing at all wrong with her though, and I doubt it has anything to do with you being at home either.

Thanks thumbs.... I really didn't mean to offend anyone. Only thought that one-to-one attention might be good for little ones. It might make sod all difference. What do I know, she's my first one.

Meant to add in my post that the only reason I said to mention it to your HV is so that she could reassure you that even if your dd is advanced there is nothing 'wrong' with her.

Well DD1 couldnt pick out words in books but by 16mths she was taking in sentences and could count to 10 but only by rote.

She's now 5.5 and whilst bright, she isnt exceptional. What she is is a pain in the bottom (though I love her dearly) who knows how to create more mischief than my other 2 put together.

The reading is a little freakishly early. Whilst the talking in sentences is unusual its not vitually unheard of. I've never come across a child who was reading at 16mths.

Oh and it really is not because you are a SAHM and your friends go to work.

You still haven't explained what you thought might be wrong with your DD?

Cheers Rita. That was all I really wanted, for someone to put my mind at rest!

exit - how can she explain it? It was the other mother who suggested there might be something "wrong".

Sorry if the piss-taking offended you, OP, I was only having a laugh. She sounds bright, though they do all tnd to even out between ages 5-6. Enjoy her!