Am I doing enough to encourage/develop my 13.5 month old DS?

[gobblygook]

I wanted to find out what others did with their near-age children, to see whether I'm doing enough to stimulate my DS and whether he is where he should be...it sounds ridiculously PFB and it's not; I just am not that confident, so am looking for reassurance that I'm doing the right stuff - and he is too!

• We do a lot of floor time - he's got lots of toys - but definitely into throwing, putting things into things, taking them out

• Rolling ball between us
• shape sorters, not always with perfect results
• books - trying to point out things over and again
• he's not pulling up yet but trying so i walk him around a lot or put him against furniture
• take him to the park/swings
• let him rummage through the paper bin in my office (only paper) because he seems to love the mess of it
• take him to a couple of music groups a week. Whereas he was v interested in playing instruments (which we have many) he has since taken to mainly throwing them
• Baby led weaning - eats very well but still with his hands
• Has a few words that he says with inconsistent frequency 'teddy,' 'dat for that', 'bye' and 'thank you' and 'night night' which he's said a couple of times only - but he babbles a lot.
• Doesn't know body parts but we're trying to teach him
• Going to try crayons and paints next week
• We point things out as we walk around or carry him around
• if cooking I'll put him on floor near me with utensils and watch him bash!

We talk to him a lot but are we talking in the right way? Sometimes he's completely disinterested, other times he watches my mouth intently

Any suggestions for exercises or ways we can talk to him etc?

Sorry if this sounds crap and ridiculous! Just better to ask here than in a book

Everything you are doing sounds marvellous - genuinely.

When dd1 was that age she was at nursery a couple of times a week so got her interaction that way (whereas you are getting from groups) but I was pregnant with dd2 so there was a lot of quiet playing too.

I would def give him some crayons, get a roll of plain paper and let him go mad. If he likes music maybe get some baby cd's to sing along with?

Honestly, he will get the talking from listening to you. And babies do tend to concentrate on one thing at a time, so if he is being very physical at the moment, his speech may come along a little later.

Thank you, that's helpful. Does it sound like he's speech for his age is slow? I wouldn't say he's 'physical' as in, he's not yet walking, but maybe he's concentrating on that...

He's fine you're fine. Dd is 16 months almost and doesn't say much, ds at this age was a real chatterbox. Both normal.

Just enjoy him.

You will prob see huge jumps in speech all in one go.

He sounds perfect!

Sounds like he has plenty! It is hard but in a few months you'll see him come on even more in leaps and bounds.
Talking wise - I had a book called baby talk, which we tried when DS was younger. It had suggestions like baby led play (sounds like you do that - let him get on and you play along), talk about things very simply (eg there's a car not there's a yellow car as that's two concepts of colour and object) and no background radio or tv for a lot of the time so he can hear you and not be distracted plus you're not distracted either. Not sure if all of this helped but it felt better to be trying something! DS talked a bit later but now at 2.3 is very verbal - it seemed to escalate past about 20 months.

Singing is fantastic - I assume that's what you mean by music groups? Teaches rythm, words, actions etc Grreat way of learning - so many options with actions to point to parts of the body, animal sounds, counting etc. Sit him on your lap facing you and sing as much as possible.

Sounds like you're doing great. Just keep following his lead and talking about the things that interest him. Don't worry about the talking- he sounds absolutely normal. My DD1 didn't have any recognisible words until 14 months, but by 2 she was a right little chatterbox.

Aww! It's hard with your first, I was like you with my DD, it didn't help I was studying Child Development so I used to look through my books and try and get her to do each stage perfectly.
Fast forward to my third, DS2 he is also about 13.5 months. He generally is doing much the same as yours, the difference is apart from talking to him all the time (usually complaining about housework poor soul) and singing loudly at him as a distraction when he is grumpy but I need to cook dinner for the others. I haven't made any efforts to get him to do anything, he just does it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is relax, they generally get there when they get there. All these things are lovely things to do but don't think you have to do them. He will not remain dormant and not develop.
The ages we walk and talk etc don't play a part at all in the majority of our lives and yet they can seem consuming when you have a baby, who is or isn't doing it.
I would say unless there is something that you feel is concerning majorly, then just have fun

I think what you're doing sounds great! Absolutely great. Just the kinds of things I did with my first all the time and I'm trying to fit in enough time to do with my second! Sounds like you're really enjoying him and giving him a great time.

Just thought, a really useful thing to do at this age is to let them play with playdough (it's easy to make your own) it really helps to develop the muscles needed later for writing.

Thanks all - really helpful.

I'd like to buy edible/non toxic playdough and crayons - and paint - as he is badly teething and everything goes in his mouth.

Any thoughts on makes that are more kid friendly/less toxic?

Cheers again

Hello :) I have crayola first crayons and also markers for my DD (14 months). Not sure about play dough - is there not just one brand?

Any stuff from the early learning centre is fine for kids.

I would make the dough yourself, the simplest one is to mix self-raising flour and water together you could add a little food colouring at this stage too, tip onto a floured surface and knead thoroughly.
This dough is stretchy, fun to fiddle with and though isn't delicious won't do any harm if it is eaten which is ideal for this age. I wouldn't recommend it for rolling out or cutting shapes though. You can also bake it though it doesn't always work and can rise randomly
If you want to do that I can give you another recipe but it contains a lot of salt which although puts some babies off others tend not to mind eating it.

it all sounds just fine, my dd is the same age, she was one on the 5th dec, so they must be similar birthday wise?

speech wise they are at the same level, she is now pulling up to standing and walking around the furniture but has literally JUST started doing that.

she is my 5th so i am a bit laid back and do let her get on with it, she is quite happy chasing her brothers round, she crawls at immense speed and can climb the stairs etc.

toys my dd loves, stacking cups, cheap from elc and she spends ages with me building them up and her knocking them down, ditto wooden blocks. she also likes toy cars and crawls around pushing them and going brrr brrm, copied from her brothers! she loves cuddly toys and one of her brothers toy dolls. oh we have a little dustpan and brush that she likes as well!

re drawing you can get those aqua draw mats they are very easy for them to use and no mess!

yes to making playdough yourself, another thing they like is mixing cornflour with water and food colouring it makes an odd consistency of gloop that is sort of solid yet runny, its great to squidge make a mess with, ditto putting ice cubes in a tub to play with, or filling a zip lock freezer bag with stuff to squish!

anyway he sounds just fine and you sound like you are doing marvellously! enjoy this time, its a lovely age :)

5 children . Wait while I revive myself!!

Thanks very much for all your input and craftsy ideas.

It's really hard doing the mothering first time round. It makes you totally paranoid!

well doesnt sound like you need to be paranoid to me, he sounds just fine :)

but worrying over everything is part and parcel of being a mother that doesnt change however many you have i dont think? you just find other things to worry about

I know, it's true. One worry replaces another. I meant to say, My DS's birthday is the 5th too!!

Another activity idea is to put a washing up bowl (or v large bowl) of water on the floor and give him some cups and spoons to wash / pour and generally make a mess with. You can teach him measures, so what container is bigger/smaller etc. Preferably on tiled / wood floors with lots of towels underneath! My DS loved this and at the end just got in the washing up bowl

they are birthday twins

meant to say when they are a bit older mine have always liked a washing up bowl with dry pasta or rice to play wiht,, give them some spoons, some little tubs for pouring, a toy digger and truck to scoop up and fill etc, simple and easy enough, bit messy but easy to sweep up :)

This book has great ideas for home-made paint recipes and craft activities to do with little ones. Be warned though, the paint recipes make a lot! I have a huge mound of cornflour gloop finger paint in my fridge at the moment...

my dd2 is 14 months and only recently started walking round the furniture, she loves the aquadraw and also she scribbles on the chalkboard and runs it off again.
talk about what they are looking at or pointing to, dd2 currently points and goes uh uh uh towards what she wants but everytime i pass her the water (or whatever else she grunts at) i say water.

Inspired by the mention of AquaDraw I got DS1's old one out for DS2 to use.
He sucked the water out of the pens but I had fun doodling .

I also cobbled together a treasure basket for him, which he loved. I put in a piece of voile, a crinkly packet, a little ball, a shiny balloon weight and a spoon. He had a lovely time looking at everything, and putting them in and out of the box.

You sound like a wonderful Mum! It takes alot of dedication, effort and patience to do this stuff - rather than shove them in the buggy and make an excuse to go to the shops, again! Just keep playing, talking and enjoying each other, don't worry about everything being educational or crucial for his development - as long as you are both having fun it's all good!

My DS is 16 months and wasn't saying much at 13 months but it has come on in leaps and bounds and often he will learn 3 or more words in a day, and then none for a few days.

We go to the park a lot (but he was walking at 12 months and it's summer here in Oz, I can understand not wanting a crawler in the rain and mud), we swim lots too and he loves a trip to the shop - where I let him walk and look at everything and he points out the cars (his first proper word was car) and the colours and ask him where the carrots are and put potatos into a bag for me etc. The supermarket is surprisingly full of "educational" opportunities .....

At home, he loves stacky cups, stacking boxes, putting the rings on a stick thingy, reading books and pointing stuff out (and now saying duck, car, boy etc)as well as just emptying stuff and dancing.

I reckon his fave thing in the whole world at home though is a "water and sand table" that I got off gumtree. In the garden, full of water and cups, wooden spoons etc he will play for literally hours (interspersed with eating leaves).