Does anyone else sometimes find mumsnet terrifying? While trying to find out how normal my dd is...

[EBenes]

I did a search for 18 mo, to see what sort of things I should be doing with my dd and for my dd, and also what sort of stages she should be at and have come away white with fear.

First of all there are people agreeing that their children talked in TWELVE word sentences at 18 mo. TWELVE! I've counted on my fingers, that's like, 'Mummy, I went to the park today and picked some white daisies.' Just daisies is just 11! Then there are posts where people are painting and clay modelling and glueing with their 18 mos. Mine has just about learned to hold a crayon, if I introduce her to paint she's just going to stick her hand in it. Or eat it. In fact, she eats the crayons.

Rationally, I suppose this site is going to attract the entire spectrum of abilities, so the top are going to be here as well as wherever my dd finds herself. But it really is scary.

[chuckeyegg]

I really enjoyed reading this thread I have been desperately trying to find someone with a child like mine. Thank you for putting it all in persceptive.

xxx

[elfinblast]

My eldest is now 8. She was quite slow to talk in sentences. Now we don't count words, we just time her by the hour.

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

You could do what I do in these situations and repeat to yourself 'it's a stage not an age'.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

DD3 is nearly 18 months and her version of a two word sentence is "gone gone" (about her dinner. That's about it. Oh, and her counting is VERY advanced. She can count one (nnnn), two(dooo), three(neeeee), three, two, two, three. Great stuff. Absolutely normal. (I think....tell me it's normal?)

[Kewcumber]

connor- does he take a newspaper with him? Because that would be truly impressive.

[EBenes]

LOL! This thread has been a joy, thank you to everyone for being so kind. Now that the weather is nice, I think we are going to start painting. Well, I am.

[Monkeytrousers]

lol

[ConnorTraceptive]

My 3 year old has the creative ability of a newborn but the capacity to poo like a 36 year old man.

Honestly it sounds like someones dropping jacket potatoes into the toilet when he goes.

[sweetkitty]

DD1 hardly said anything at 18 months at 3 she hardly came up for breathe, we cannot shut her up.

DD2 who is 18 months younger than DD1 thinks she is DD1's twin and anything DD1 does she has to do. She was speaking in sentences really quickly, she drew a face at 2.2yo without ever being taught (benign neglect of second borns), she is already beginning to write letters all because DD1 has started to. I don't know if she is genuinely intelligent or is just very good at copying her sister.

DD2 also does all the crafty things DD1 does, plays with older toys and "read" older books so I think that plays a part in it as well.

[tori32]

LOL! I went to Mother and Toddler 3 wks ago and had my 8wk old doing foot painting. Obviously she was totally compliant (and unresponsive because she was asleep!).

[tori32]

Don't be scared, they all learn at different rates. Mine happens to be towards the forward end but not because I treat her like mini einstien! I CM so I did with her all the things I did with older children. This did include sticking, painting with hands and brush but only marks on a page, lots of help etc. Any child over 1 can have a go under close supervision, but its not a parental duty. They will have plenty of opportunity for this at creche/pre-school.

[lazymumofteenagesons]

I don't know about all this painting and sticking at mother and toddler groups. It must have changed since I was there. I thought they were invented so you could sit on a chair at the edge of the room and fall asleep while your toddler achieved highly precocious milestones in the middle of the room on their own!

[Kindersurprise]

at Kewcumber's correction

[Smithagain]

LOL. Reminds me of the mum I saw on telly who was so proud because her six month old could say daddy's name. Daddy's name was Abu ...

[Kewcumber]

thats quite advanced, At 19 months I think DS had only got as far as "addn addan addn"

[margoandjerry]

Here is my 19mo DD's twelve word sentence:

"addn addn addn addn addn addn addn addn addn addn addn addn"



a) it's a spectrum and b) half of them are lying.

[Kewcumber]

I have been thinking about this "She is getting progressively better at walking, swinging her arms casually while looking around her" I think we should petition to get it changed to:

"He is getting progressively better at walking, however he prefers a gangly flailing-limb run. If forced to walk he will stop and pick up every leaf on the way and examine it in detail as if it were the missing link between and ape and man and his Nobel prize depends upon it. He will also discover how interesting ants are at this point. On the upside, he may stop licking lamp-posts about now"

[Kindersurprise]

Chirpygirl
Perhaps your DD is truly G&T and has taught herself to speak Japanese

[Guadalupe]

oh yes, we have hama beads in the poo too.

[Heated]

DD (aged 2) loves arts and crafts, I can tell by the glitter in her poo.

She just about strings two words together, some only decipherable by translator-parent.

On the other hand she has a mean right hook, excellent coordination and is evincing a scary kind of early criminal intelligence.

[bonniefromboot]

Hi Ebenes
Know what you mean, my friend has ds same age as my dd and reckons at age 2 1/2 he could write own name, count to 50, do a 60 piece jigsaw, and use a calender?????????

sure the poor kid is very cute etc... but doubt any of that is true....
Don't worry about it

[ChirpyGirl]

My DD is 2.4 and can speak sentences that last for several minutes without stopping for breath.

Haven't got a clue what she is saying though (DH and I reckon she is talking in tongues)

[cruisemum1]

actually, my ds - 21mths - speaks several different languages and is currently working on a cure for rectal cancer

[MsDemeanor]

My youngest is three, and frankly, I can't remember a single milestone. You know, those milestones that at the time they happened you thought, 'I'll remember this forever'....

[Smithagain]

Regarding art and craft - I run a messy-play based toddler group. We start at age 2, which is when some children start being capable of concentrating on gluing, painting etc IME.

Some parents let their kids get on with playing with all the sticky, messy, pretty stuff and take home some gloriously eccentric but generally unrecognisable creations. Others do it with the children and talk through what they are doing together in a rather nice, intimate way. Yet more let their kids play in the sand while they do the craft themselves - and have a thoroughly good time chatting and reliving their childhood.

And I reckon all three are perfectly valid approaches, in different ways.

But I expect they all tell their friends that "DD/DS loves doing art and craft"

(When the kids get to about 3, they are much more likely to produce something on their own and refuse to let mummy get involved.)