How much can/could your 14 month old understand...

[nakushita]

LO is just over 14 months now and I asked him to bring me his juice cup as I was over the baby gate n just thought I would ask him to do it not expecting anything really. Just being lazy.

He ran round, found his juice cup, brought over to me with a big grin so I totally praised him and refilled it with water.

It just made me think, how much do they understand at this age as he can't say many words but gets really frustrated, biting and hitting sometimes and I think it might be when we don't understand him but he understands us. Must be really annoying for them!

My ds is 21 months and was at pretty much the same stage as your LO. He's just getting to grips with 2 stage commands, like "get your cup and then give it to daddy", but he loves doing things and getting the praise for it. Maybe give him instructions to practice so you can give him lots of praise? We've been lucky with tantrums so far, but if my LO does struggle to communicate I tend to drop everything and really focus on what he wants, even picking him up so he can reach what he's pointing at. You can always say no to whatever he wants but at least he's got his massage across? Might make him less frustrated?

It's a very frustrating age, I think! DD was 13 months when I jokingly asked her to get my keys, and she did. I spent pretty much all her second year underestimating what she 'got' cos I just couldn't keep up with her! Through the whole year she understood soooo much more than she could say. I did the same as JTM, took her towards the things she was pointing at, did 20 questions until we hit on the right thing, whatever it took to try to work out what she was on about. Also did loads of empathising when she did throw a wobbly - not giving in but doing the whole 'oh, it IS frustrating when you have to give a toy back, isn't it.' and then distracting like mad!

They can understand what you are saying from an early age that is why you can teach them to do baby signs from about 8-10 months. Started to do it with my DS who is 8mths old and he already understands the sign for 'drink' and 'bye bye'.

He is yet to sign back anything and it's a little early for that anyway but he will be able to sign long before he can articulate. It's a great way to open up communication with your baby long before they can talk. It's amazing what they do understand too.

What you have described is my son..but he 5 with low functioning autism -yes it is very frustrating for them. He is def beginning to understand more stuff now tho and will get his drink if i ask him and other little things like that for which i am v v grateful.For the first 4 years of his life it was screaming and screaming as he couldn't communicate.

Like the empathising thing Mij - will definitely store that one up for future use!

DD was very verbal early on and could understand things pretty early on too.

Key is not to underestimate what these little ones can do!

MIL does the empathising thing, works a treat with dd. DD is nearly 17 months and amazed me a few weeks ago, when I asked her to wipe her (anotty) nose, not expecting much, she went over and picked a stray tissue up from the sofa, wiped her nose and face and came over and handed the tissue to me. I nearly fell over with the shock. She understands everything. What she chooses to take notice of is a different story