Tips for encouraging 21 month old to speak more

[AnxiousLurker]

Hiya,

Long time lurker, very anxious FTM (so the username sums me up really!).

I'm mummy to my 21 month old DD who has a handful of words but doesn't seem to speak consistently. She'll babble away in her own rhyming language and have the odd recognisable word but seems behind her peers for her age. I should caveat that by saying that the 'peers' I am comparing with are internet/influencer children and not ones I actually know because I don't know many in reality. My friends don't have children, my family isn't that big so there aren't cousins etc and we go to mixed age playgroups so it's hard to tell who is what age.

I've spoken to HV and local hospital trust speech therapist, neither overly concerned because DD's comprehension is very good. She can understand the most complicated of instructions (listens most of the time!) and responds to her name. Makes eye contact, loves pretend play, doesn't show any unusual or non-typical behaviours for her age. So she doesn't present any red flags apart from being a little behind in her expressive language.

So that's that side of things. But I wanted to reach out and see if anybody has/had a fellow late talker and any practical tips or advice to share with me on how they encouraged their little one to talk more? She doesn't respond to questioning, and she rarely mimics, so we have dropped those approaches and are wondering what to try next.

Bonus advice would be how I can stop my anxiety over this ruining my experience of motherhood. And I fear my DD probably picks up on my anxiety which may not be helping, I do accept that. And I am acutely aware that I need to stop comparing her, even if it's just in my head, to others - especially those I only see on social media. But sometimes I get stuck in such a downward spiral with it all that I can't seem to stop.

TIA

@pitterypattery00 Thank you, I needed that! I am feeling more positive today and you make a very good point in your last par. I am having CBT starting this week to work on my anxiety so it doesn't have a detrimental impact on my child! And to try find out the fear if there is one driving it.

I was way behind in writing too, I remember not being allowed to graduate to using a pen and being bereft by it! I had a tutor but eventually just got it. Now I'm typing that, I realise that this is probably the same sort of thing.

Our health check was at 24 months and 1 day, and HV said she wasn't concerned as DD's understanding v high and play skills etc but will chedck in again in three months, which is July - she's doing a home visit and then we are going to take it from there.

In the meantime, I've been advised to check her hearing (she keeps getting ear infections) and her sight (my husband and I have astigmatism and apparently this means she could and she might not see our lips clearly when we speak?)

Thank you for your post, I genuinely really needed to read it. Thank you.

@1995SENNDMUM I have this morning spoken to her nursery who, while agreeing she is behind, aren't concerned at all because she is getting her needs met and communicating effectively with them. They suggested a hearing check which we do have booked but they seem confident she will catch up, and think it is good she is around children who are slightly older and slightly ahead of the curve on speech.

Thank you for your post, and all the best to you and your DC!

I found audiology were quite quick with an appointment so hopefully you ll rule out hearing issues being part of it pretty soon.

Hope so! HV referred us because I’ve had no luck pushing the GP into it the couple times I’ve asked. So glad to finally have a good HV, it’s taken until 2 to get a good one! Before 2, I’d had HV contact twice in the two years.

Oh I m glad you have a helpful HV that will keep on top of things. Ours did referrals and then never once bothered with us again.