Can your two yo say their own name?

[jorgesolatario]

My DS is 2.4. His language development has been v slow, most probably due to glue ear that was diagnosed recently. We're waiting for ENT ax and have a SALT ax soon too.

He can say a lot of words, and he is pretty chatty, even if it doesn't all make sense. He's got some sentences, though his promunciation is understandably rather unclear. He understands most of what we say (so it seems anyway), and certainly knows what his name is. He says the names of some of his friends at nursery, and of some of the nursery nurses. He unserstands and says "you" and "me" and "mine" (unfortunately! )

But he has never said his own name. I hadn't really thought about it too much until I saw a friend and her DS last week and he said his own name a lot. Since then I've noticed it with other friend's children as well.

I've asked DS several times this week what his name is, and he just grins at me. Or I've said "tell xxx your name", and get the same, just a grin.

Is this normal or a little odd?!

mine is similar age - he can - but he does have good speech generally so I don't know how normal / indicative of anything this is. I seem to remember with ds1 similar thing - in his nursery class there was a very great variance in speaking at that age, although they have all caught up in one way or another now (aged 4). Not sure if that's helpful or not - sorry!

Hi Jorge, DS2 could at that age but as far as I'm aware it's very variable. I would say that some kids really don't perform to order! I'd not push that particular question in case he gets the idea that it bothers you!! If he knows the names of other children and understands and uses you and me, he might not feel the need to say his own name.

If you have a SALT appointment coming up they will be able to give you a professional opinion.

My DD's are 2.6 and can say their own names in their own way - i.e pronouncing L's with Y's/N's.
Maybe to help you could start saying things like 'What is miniJorges eating/playing with/doing'
and then 'Where's mummy?' 'Where's daddy?' 'Where's miniJorges?'
When you ask him what his name is, just repeat his name and then ask him to do the same.

My DD 2.5 can say her name is meg rather than Megan and that she is 2! think it was training was nappy that got her to answer those two questions

Damn iPad - nanny not nappy

Yes, he started at about 19 or 20 months, although the pronunciation is completely unlike what it should be.

Ds2 similar (though I think speaking a bit less than your ds I think). I ask him what his name is and he says "babba". It's a big joke to him.

Surely depends on the name as well? Some names are just harder to say than others.

I meant to say: understanding and using 'you' 'me' and 'mine' is quite sophisticated so I'd expect giving his name on request will follow, in his own time.

Mine is 2 1/2 and for a long time would refuse to answer to his name. His reply "No! I'm buba"
I think it's normal. Ds1 was the same at this age, he still won't really talk to strangers and tell them his name at nearly 4yrs old.

My eldest only had a couple of words at 2.5, didn't say much - including his own name - until he was almost 3. Hopefully your SALT will be more useful than his was.

My DD2, who is currently 2.5, has a lot of words and sentences can say everyone's name...except her own. She can even say her sister Alexandra's name quite clearly. When she's asked herown, she'll clam up, say someone else's name or mash another's with her own (Miramummy is one of her favourites). She seems to think this is hilarious, though has stopped doing so much now as we no longer have many new people in the house (DS2 was born in November so lots of midwives and HVs that all would ask her repeatedly).

As long as they answer to their name and recognise it is their own, I think it is fine. Some names are harder to say and some kids find calling themselves other things very amusing.

Yes, but its a very easy name, and nana has spent ages teaching her to say it!

My DS sounds like yours OP - he is 2.4, has lots of words and some sentences but poor pronunciation (must get him checked for glue ear!). He has started saying his own name recently (ie a couple of weeks ago).

He still won't reply correctly when asked his name, but he will point at himself or a photo of himself and say it.

Another 2.4yo here. He called himself 'yeye' until about 2 weeks ago when he finally got to a close approximation of his name. Another one with poor pronunciation.

If he can say 'you', 'me' and 'mine' then it doesn't matter much.

Mine doesn't (she's 2.1). She does Mummy, Dad'n, her sisters are both called baba, and when we ask her name she just says me.

Mine does (2.1) but has only just started and she's VERY chatty and has been for a long time. She said 'me' for ages. Now she's got it she's saying her name all the time, but it certainly came a signficant bit later than the 'me', 'you' 'Daddy' etc.

She still can't get 'down the stairs' - both directions are 'up the stairs'!

• just to give an example of the little quirks in their understanding at this stage that I have noticed! I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Mine can't, though he understands its him when I say it, he's 2.5. He can say the rest of the family names though.

Mine can't (2.2) she sounds similar to yours - big vocabulary but all very poorly formed words that only me and dd1 can understand! Had not occured to me that it might be an issue tbh. Her name is hard to say anyway she says 'me' 'mine' and 'my's' all the time so I think she knows who she is!

My mother coached my dcs into saying their own names, with 'what's your name?' 'my name is blah'. So they would say their names, ages and where they lived but it was a deliberate thing.

Dd turned two in Nov and can say hers (Annabelle) but each child is different. Ds waa nearly three before he really attempted to say his own.

DS is 2.5 and has been saying his own name for at least 4m. He learnt quickly because my 92yo grandmother struggles to remember it! He has a fairly extensive vocabulary though, comes through having older sisters i think and wanting to get his point across!

(His first sentence was "Put me down!" )

Does depend on how easy it was to say.
Dd1 tried to say her name from about 15-16 months but it sounded nothing like until she was about 20 months.
Dd2 has an easy name and said it from about 12 months.
Ds didn't try to say his name until he was gone 2yo. He was speaking a lot by then. He could say dd2's name easily at 16 months, but dd1's name was "Hurry" (nothing like her name) until he was over 2.6yo. Don't even know why he called her that.

Dd1 and ds used "me" and "I" from the start, whereas dd2 used the phases "dd2 do that" and "dd2's" rather than "mine" and "I do that".

Dd is 2.5 if is say "say name" then she will say her name but she won't say her name at any other time never mind her age!!