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.

Thanks pommedechocolat :) I feel a bit awkward because of all the things she does when I know there'll be other mums worried because their little ones haven't started to talk etc. and I'm worried that other people might treat her as older than she is.

I also feel that I really wouldn't fit in. I am a working class kid done good if you like and now live in an area where many of the 'stay-at-home' mums I know who attend the group have nursery places for their children purely so they can saunter off to the gym and get their nails painted uninhibited. I'm not really into that.

My dd is quite tall and is quite forward physically and I worry the same about being treated like she's older. She has also started to hit other toddlers so I am avoiding groups too currently!
Don't judge a book by its cover and all that with regards to the other mums though, you never know.

Believe me I don't fit in with the ones I know who go (have spoken to them in the park a few times!) They're very much into keeping up with the Jones's, fashion, being unhealthily skinny and all sorts of other things I have no interest in.

But that's not to say that there might not be other mums there with whom I'll have more in common. I don't judge books by their covers - that's why I married DH :O

That's meant to be a funny grin - oops didn't work!

Hi Ophuchi

After you answered my post, I got curious about yours. Wow your little one does sound really advanced. Have you started to worry about educational options yet? I was considering having my little one assessed to get some advice on how best to keep her stimulated. I've seen really bright kids get very bored, disruptive and rebellious at school when under stimulated which is a real shame.

I do see where you're coming from, Grizzy. I was a bright kid who gave up on education about age 13 primarily because my parents showed no interest (not their fault, they both suffered mental illnesses) I used to play truant so I could work (underage, illegally) and put food on the table. That was the priority at the time.

I want a better life for my daughter. We will take a lot of interest in her education and do our utmost to support her through school. I think for the moment though, in our case, it's too early for any assesments (she's almost 18 months old now). Many people here have said they had similar toddlers who are now doing very well at school but not out of the ordinary iyswim.

DD is a very cheerful, loving child - always ready with a kiss and a cuddle - so just now we're satisfied that she's happy.

Ophuchi I echo the responses to enjoy your little girl, it'd be hard not to be proud of her progress - she sounds lovely. My DS has been very physical, I wouldn't class him as a slow talker but he had 5 words when the average was 10 etc. At 2.5 he talks amazingly well - I read every night to him too. In fact, I preferred it when he was concentrating on the physical elements - the mental elements have resulted in a very willful little man who causes many laughs but also a fair bit of hair pulling
I wouldn't write off baby groups, try each one at least twice (the nice people might be on holiday!). I tried a few and there was always a different mix of people - your HV might be able to suggest one that has more 'normal' mums
Insanity - you sound like you're descibing me when you refer to you DS. My mum used to be called to primary school on a weekly basis... Turns out I was bored.
I was a slow walker & slow talker but when I got my fat arse off the floor I walked properly and ran straight away, when I could finally be arsed to talk I spoke in long, grammitically correct sentances. I went on to become superb at maths & science. I completed all primary school maths in 1.5 school years. To stop me being bored they had to give me senior school maths and I also taught fellow class mates (at age 7!!)
But I was also a lazy sod (still am). I found school to be incredibally easy and had a photgraphic memory (perhaps this bright little girl has?) so flew through my exams without much effort.
I am now an accountant for a Government Department. I love my job, I'm still lazy, and I adore maths. I probably could have been a younger Carol Voderman but I'd be too lazy to put all that make up on for the TV shows .
IMO I think your little girl will be intelligent, don't push her too hard but watch out for boredom at school - if she plays up it's because she needs greater challenges in the classroom.
I was the first female pupil at my primary school to be put forward for the local Public School, I won one of only 2 scolarships available (highest score in the 11+)and the only one who came from a state funded primary school (the rest went to private Prep Schools)

Oh, and most importantly, I forgot to say that I'm really sorry for your mc. I hope you and your DH are recovering well.

Thanks Mummynic. I'm very happy to tell you that I'm six weeks pregnant now :)

I'll maybe ask the HV at her 18 month check up about different baby groups.

Hello Ophuchi glad to hear your happy news!

I just wanted to say that your DC sounds a lovely bright child. My DS(now 7) was also speaking in full sentences and counting at a similar age. He couldn't read, though and it now turns out he may be dyslexic and has just been diagnosed with vision problems, which I think stopped him being interested in reading and writing, and otherwise might have been doing the same as your DC.

To the point....don't push your child further than he wants to go. Be led by him. I had extremely high hope for DS (the words 'gifted' crossed my mind), but he is much more like other children now than he was at 16 months when he was light-years ahead (not physically though). He is 'able' (school's words), but I wouldn't call him gifted.

Can i encourage you to get out to baby/toddler groups, though? i set one up 4 years ago because i found them so beneficial for me as a SAHM. I needed interaction with grown-ups just to keep my sanity! You can google them. Local churches often run lovely groups, as do Surestart.

Hi just thought I'd mention that your HV and GP can refer you child for a Guthri Assessment - I appreciate at the moment you are not wanting her assessed, but if ever you feel you as parents would benefit from knowing how she is getting along compared to other children the same age.
It is an intensive assessment, lasting up to three hours (of literally testing all areas of both physical and mental development to the point of failure to achieve).
You are provided with a detailed report regarding all areas of development and support systems for any areas that are outside of the expected range.
Support is available for both under and over-performance.
There is lots of support available for parents with bright children, exceptionally bright children are no different from any other special needs children.

Thank you mrsbaffled. Don't worry, I've no intention of becoming a pushy mum. I'll just carry on as I'm doing, letting her discover things at her own pace.

As I said before, I don't expect that she's gifted only that she's an early developer. We will be doing our best to support her at school no matter how able she is.

I am going to be meeting up with some mums (from the antenatal class we attended) next week whom I haven't seen for 10 months so I'm sure one of them will be able to point us to the right group as they are all very nice people.

Thank you RosemaryandThyme, I will bear that in mind for the future if we come to feel it is necessary. For now I think she is far too young to be assessed.

Ophuchi, my first child did all that and far more at that age, and is still astonishingly ahead of his peers now (he's nine). He is off the scale in all the NFER tests (his school does them annually for all the children; his scores are apparently 'impossible' - though that just tells me that the tests aren't suitably stretching at the top end). He walked at ten months and has several other extraordinary gifts - and he has Aspergers, and has zero social skills.

My other child developed in a textbook type way - again, an early walker, but otherwise average. She has lots of friends and is utterly happy in her own skin.

I am a SAHM and have been ever since my first one was born.

Not quite sure what my point is, other than the usual one about all children develop at their own rate. Some just are brighter than others; your DD may well be among them, and may keep up her unusually fast rate of progress. Some are spectacularly bright and dysfunctional with it (I hope your DD is not among them, as it is no joke), and cost you a fortune in school fees because no state school can offer an education for thirteen-year-olds to a Reception aged child.

Thanks for your reply Whiffofbath. DD isn't doing any more than I described, she recognises more words than in my OP now she's almost 18 months but that's all. She doesn't seem to have any problems with social skills so far and our GP hasn't picked up on anything so hopefully she is just a bright toddler but we'll have to wait and see how the future pans out.

Here's hoping DC2 is perfectly average :)

I laughed and laughed at 'magical fanny'

But seriously there is no doubt that your daughter is very unusual and it's understandable you'd have concerns about her because her life will be different from other kids at school at least and she may get bored as others have said.

Yes, the 'magical fanny' was brilliant, wasn't it - I loved that one myself! I only hope she will be happy. I think that's all any mother wants for her child.

I'm not so sure that happiness is all that any mother wants for her child. Yes, of course I want mine to be happy - but if at 18, they say that living with a drug-dealer is what makes them happy, then I would decidedly not want them to be 'happy'.

I think I do want mine to be happy in their own skins (DS isn't). But I also want them to be considerate of other people (even if that means they might be unhappy themselves at some point) and to make something of whatever personality/ability/talents they might have. Beyond that, I want them to be decent, moral, responsible people, whether they be bin-men or neuroscientists.

But I am waffling. Average is a lot of fun. Brilliant isn't. IME, anyway.

You're right of course, WhiffOfBath. I was oversimplifying things there.

Yes, I'm sorry, I was just waffling thinking aloud!

Congrats on your good news!

My daughter was exactly the same at that age, she's a fucking nightmare teenager now but hey ho - happy days!

Schools can cope with bright DCs-they do actually like them!

She is very young-wait and see -it is early days. There will be other DCs who can do similar.

WOnderful news that you are 6 weeks. Fingers & toes are firmly crossed for safe pregnancy for you both.
Look after yourself and I am proud of the way you handled the negative posts at the beginning, thankfully they have now been far outweighed by us possitive people
Cherish your lovely family xxx

ophuchi you might want to google 'hyperlexia' (I haven't read the entire thread, so apologies if someone has already mentioned this).