what is your 18 month old like?

[deliverdaniel]

Could you give me a sense of what your 18 month old is like in terms of language/ cognitive development? How much can they talk? How much can they understand? What about things like pointing out things if you ask (eg where is the tree/ chair etc etc either in real life or in a book?) What kinds of things can they do in terms of stuff like shape sorters/ puzzles/ toys? What kinds of things do they like to play with and in what way do they play with them? -ie 'properly?'

I am a little worried about my DS. He is way behind where my older DS was at this stage, and can't work out whether they are both at different ends of normal or whether there is a problem. Thanks so much.

My son is a little older, coming up 20 months but I thought I would answer as I alternate between being ever so slightly worried about him, and thinking it is ridiculous to compare. But it is so hard not to.

He knows plenty of words, and often mimics and copies what I or others say. Yesterday my mum sneezed and he said 'ha hoo' straight then repeated it endlessly, very cute! He will go through stages of saying something quite often like 'wu wu' when asked what doggies say, then he seems to forget it and pick something else up. But he also has mainstays that he holds in his mind and says every day. There are some words he repeats but others he only says in context, so he only says the names of foods when they are on a plate in front of him. If I say to him 'say apple' he looks at me as if I'm talking gibberish, if I give him an apple as a snack he says it unprompted. He can count to ten, but again only if we are putting away toys and counting them as we do for example. He knows about four animal noises.

He can do the easier shapes in a shape sorter, he gets a bit frustrated with some, he is starting to do chunky melissa and doug style puzzles. He can nest and stack cups and build bricks. He likes his ride on toys and the kind of toys that shoot balls out on a vacuum, also a little shopping till with a scanner and scales, a pig money bank. He is more interested in books though.

I sometimes worry about his physical development. In some ways it is fine, he can run, walk backwards, kick and throw a ball, climb on to the sofa, he is very good at climbing onto things he shouldn't. But, I see children I think may be younger than him at softplay doing more. There Are things I know he should be able to scramble under or up or over but he doesn't, it is maybe a confidence thing as he can climb stairs fine on his own. I need to go down big slides next to him because his body seems to get thrown backwards.

There is a child the same age at playgroup who can follow instructions like pull, push, turn and who knows her colours and animal noises well. She can also with a little help climb the ladder for the slide and get on and off certain toys my son needs a bit of help with. It's very hard not to compare isn't it? It's nice to have a spectrum to compare to sometimes.

Mine is 18 months and doesn't walk . He likes music, knows the air of tunes and speaks quite well 30 words or more. Recognises animals, eats with a spoon. Climbs well. He can roll a ball, throw a ball, likes megablocks, ride on toys. Developing fine motor skills - can scribble

He cannot do jigsaws yet. He loves lorries, ambulances etc.

My dd is 19 months and has been walking for about a month. She has about 30 words (including yes, no, please, teddy, more, shoes) and surprises me daily how much more she understands. She waves, claps , does high 5 and dances. Can also use the remote to turn the tv on, little pickle! She is crazy about soft toys and tries to mug other kids for them. Also likes building towers, scribbling with crayons, balls and push along toys, ride on toys and her slide. As she has been a bit late moving she is quite good with fiddly things, has spent alot of time sat on her bum in one spot! Hth, what are you concerned about?

My 18 month old is very good at spotting things in books, she can recognise about 20-30 animals and insects, also a bunch of transport things and stuff like door, sun, moon etc. She tries to say about 20 words (many only a mum would recognise! ).
She only started walking 2 months ago and only walks indoors, pavements are a big no no!
She recognises instructions like 'put this in the washing machine' but refuses many many instructions if she doesn't fancy the activity (sg stirring). She has very little interest in art and ignores paint, glue, crayons except to put them in and out of pots.
She has no obvious awareness of peeing though some chronic constipation ensures she's aware of pooing.
She's very happy and runs around grabbing stuff shrieking lots. I assume she's slightly ahead in some areas and a bit slow in others.
I also hope and assume this will have no bearing on her ultimate intelligence. I hate to admit it but both DP and I consider ourselves in the top couple of percentiles academically and I would be disappointed if DD wasn't. However I say this now because I have no idea how I'll feel when she develops her own unique skill set which may differ from mine. I really wanted a boy and thought I'd be upset with a girl but I'm not at all, so perhaps my vast intellect does not stretch to accurate predictions of the future!

My ds 19mths can say about 50 words and its all about the word no at the moment!

He has no awareness of wee or poos.
He loves books and can point out things in familiar books.
He cant do colours at all
He was walking at one.

My DD is 21 months and can't walk and only says mama and dada. I am worried sick. We have an appointment with a paed in May.

My DD is 21 months (but 18 months corrected age, as she was very premature).

She says between 50-100 words, though a lot of these would only be intelligible to me and DH. Some are in one language and some in another. She understand simple questions in both languages (Where is the cat? / What's that? / Do you want cheese?) and generally, though not reliably, follows basic instructions (Bring mummy a book). She recognises a few letters.

She loves books! She'll point things out in books when asked (and unbidden!). In real life, I don't think she would point if I asked her where the dog is but she'd look for it. She'll point to show me things that she is interested in and will look in that direction if I point to something.

She can do the basic shapes in shape sorters but would struggle with any of the fancy ones. She understands where puzzle pieces go but doesn't generally manage to get them in. She generally doesn't have much interest in either of the above games. She likes playing with her soft toys; she puts them to bed and asks me to put her clothes on them. She does vroom-vroom on her toy car thing. She'll play pretend telephone and goes "hello?". She'll sometimes idly put a couple of pieces of baby duplo together. She'll scribble a bit if I give her a crayon. To be honest, toys are not generally a great hit at the moment, unless they're brand new. She's not really interested in playing on her own and wants constant input from us.

She walked at 12 months corrected. She can climb onto furniture and climbs up the stairs on all fours. She can't climb the stairs standing up and I don't think she can kick a ball, though I have seen her climbing up a small step standing up. I worry slightly about her motor development, as she was born very early.

My DS (20 months)is very advanced physically. He was walking at 10 months, could jump off the ground at around 12 months ect.

His lack of speech is quite worrying though. He has started saying a few words in the last few weeks but at 18 months, could only say no. Now he can say sheep, dad, drink, ball, cat, bag, stairs and balloon.

Apart from me and his dad, no one can understand him. For example drink sounds more like ing.

He can't really point out things in a book/pictures.

Dd 20 months. Physically very good can climb anything, excellent balance etc but walked at 10 months so has had more practice than others. She has about 150 words but lots of them only I can understand. Says some 2 word sentences but speech is still very unclear, I would say behind other children even those she has lots more words than. Her understanding is excellent and she can understand the majority of what is said to her. Can follow more complicated instructions, they don't need to be simplified. We have to be careful of what is said in front of her. HV has confirmed her understanding is very good. Can point at pictures in books and things in real life both when asked and spontaneously . Can identify colours and knows the difference between one object and two. Very little interest in shape sorters or puzzles, does a couple then moves on to something else or just lifts the lid up. Her play is mainly role play based at the moment, she likes her Drs set, kitchen, oushchair etc and her toy cars. Play is still very physical though and she doesn't really sit down nicely and play with a toy. Has started to enjoy more craft based things but this has only started in the last month. I wouldn't have said she was interested at 18 months. Both her speech and ability to play more properly have developed quite a bit in the last couple of months. However, she has extreme tantrums and the hv has some concerns. I would say that in toddlers there is a big range of 'normal' and not doing the things in your post wouldn't necessarily be a problem at 18 months.

I have 18 month old twins.

Twin 1 can walk, run, has been walking since Christmas. He doesn't have any words, says Dat or Dada for most things. Makes a barking sound when he sees the dog and a "brrrr" sound for a tractor or car. He loves books and holds them up to me to read. He climbs, he points to things he wants, he brings things to me when he can't turn a button on etc. He likes shape sorters. He likes cars and playing with a car park and whooshing cars down the ramp. He'll roll a car or tractor over and back. Doesn't do jigsaws. He loves outside and he loves running after a ball and bringing it back. He only has 6 teeth. He's quite whiney and loves attention, doesn't play well on his own. Can understand most instructions like "get Mama the ball".

Twin 2 is only just walking. Almost a full set of teeth. Loves music, dances to all and any music. Hums songs. Loves trains and loves books. Can sit happily on his own for ages playing away with stacking cups etc. Screams to get attention or when tired. Likes to roll and stretch and pull his feet. Also barks for dog, brrrr for car/tractor. More sounds than words, intonation and points to things. Where is the sky? - Points up. Will try and copy alphabet sounds - says Dada, This, That, Ah-Ah and shakes head when done something wrong. Said Mama about four times ever. Also rolls cars over and back, doesn't do jigsaws.

They feed themselves but I never spoonfed so they'll just eat off the plates themselves. Not great with a yogurt and spoon, most of it goes up their noses. They love baths and will splash or try and squeeze water from the squeezy ducks. They play peep or chase, if I say "I'll catch the baby" they'll toddle off down the hall and laugh for me to chase them then they'll run off up the kitchen again.

They're pretty different - they've never hit developmental milestones at the same time and they were born 2 minutes apart. I'm not worried about anything, I know they understand me and in time the words will come too, I think books are fantastic, we use a lot of board books - nothing majorly educational, just Peppa/Disney etc but they're great for pointing and recognising everyday things. I have a 3yo cousin who had quite severe speech delay and in the last 6 months has just suddenly come on an enormous amount.

DD is 19 months and way ahead of where her two older brothers were at the same stage, both cognitively and physically. She was walking at 12 months and has about 100 words, though many are probably only intelligible to me. She does a lot of imaginative play and understands most of what I say to her. She follows commands (mainly) and terrorises her brothers.

Mine was phenomenally verbal, understood loads and had the concentration span of a gnat. She was stronger at communication than sorting, practical type stuff. I noticed other kids were often better than her at that sort of thing. Also was pretty clumsy. Whenever we went to any groups, she generally ignored activities in favour of legging it about the place.

thanks everyone. Sorry. Left the thread for a bit. Sounds like a huge range and that they all have different 'strengths'.

We went to see some friends and their DD of the exact same age (same birthday week) has countless words, some phrases and was singing Let it Go with a perfect tune! Didnt' know whether she was unusual or DS was.

My DS knows around 15 words if you are incredibly generous as to what counts as a word- ie most of these would be unrecognisable to anyone else and he doesn't always use them accurately- eg digger is every kind of vehicle/ Bah is ball and bus, oof oof is dog etc. This 15 would also include his three animal noises - woof, miaow and baaah. The only really clear words he says are more and up. He won't/ can't point out any pictures in books or anything in real life if you ask him 'where's the x' and that worries me more than the talking as it's like he just doesn't get what these things are. He does follow simple commands and appears to understand quite a few things like get your shoes/ go to your highchair/ do you want a x y z (he will nod or shake head) etc. He clearly communicates what he wants by pointing/ noises etc. He will also tell me that he wants me to sing ba ba black sheep by 'singing' ba ba in the right tune until I do, and also Wheels on the bus by shouting mama buh buh! until I get it and ask , do you want me to sing Wheels on the bus? and he nods vigorously! He plays with cars/ trains etc and makes the right noises. he will also do simple pretend like imitating talking on a phone, stirring a pot to "make dinner" etc. He has no patience for books at all. Do you think he sounds in the normal range?

Thanks so much everyone.

This is really interesting, seeing the differences in babies the same age. My DS is only 9 months so although I'm not worried it about at the moment, it is something I think about.
Is there anything I can do to advance DS verbally? I read books with him, sing songs etc.

My little boy, 18 months, sounds like your friends little girl, talks in sentences, sings songs constantly, from the moment he wakes till he goes to sleep! He can count to 10 and recognise number and has started with his alphabet. He points out things in books and loves his books. He walked at 9 months so his motor skills are all good. He's not there with the shape sorter or puzzles yet. His attention varies - he won't watch TV programmes - only the opening songs but will spend an hour with his books or making tea. I would say that in January he said 10-20 words, maybe more and has really come on leaps and bounds since then, so much can change in a short amount of time. There's a little boy at the childminders who has the same birthday as him but doesn't speak but they aren't worried about him. Does your friend's DD have other children? I do genuinely think the kids at the childminders who are older than him have really propelled him forward as his 'friends' are just under/over 2 years old.

My DD 17 months started taking steps at Christmas but has only started walking properly in the last 6 weeks or so.

She can semi-feed herself. She loves packets of crisps or pots of blueberries that she can take something out of one at a time. Spoon feeding is messy but she's getting there.

She does play with shape sorters, isn't great with them but will sit and concentrate for a good 20 minutes. Her favourite game is taking her shoes off and then trying to put them on again. She'll mimic being on the phone, drinking from a toy tea-set, try to put keys in a door etc. She'll run to the potty and sit on it if she hears one of other kids saying "I need a wee" but she doesn't do anything on it (not that I'd expect her to at this age). She loves being outside and will spend as long as I'll let her in the garden climbing up the slide and being pushed in the swing. She's not very interested in the TV.

I think she's been quite slow to speak; she's saying Mummeeeeee, Dadaaaaa, her older brother's name, thank yooooooo, bye bye, bot bot (for bottle), more, uh-oh, down and no. That is literally it. Her elder sister was speaking in sentences by this point. What I will say is most of those words have appeared in the last 4 or 5 weeks, so her speech seems to be developing more rapidly now.

She does go to nursery for about 18 hours a week and has since Christmas.

I'm very slightly worried, because she seems to be developing more slowly than my elder three. But not worried enough to mention it to the HV. Her nursery haven't said they're worried. Some people have told me the 4th can be lazy but I'm not convinced that's it. I wouldn't call her lazy; she's very interested and alert. I think it probably is just a case of them developing different skills at different speeds.