What could your DC say at 12 months old?

[BambinolovesBeccie]

I'm trying desperately hard not to worry (and not google), but I am a little concerned about DS' speech development. He has never really said any clear consonants such as mamama, dadada and I'm starting to wonder if he ever will. He kind of babbles things like ga-ya-ah and makes - mainly incoherent - chains of noises to himself (especially when eating or in his cot in the morning). He'll also look at us and say "aaah" in a tone of a question IYSWIM, so he is vocal but not in the traditional sense.

I'm sure his hearing is fine as he will turn and look when we call his name and if I ask where daddy is, for example, he will look for him. If I say "give to mummy please", he'll hand me what he is holding so I'm sure he can hear me.

He's just turned 12 months and is a lovely happy giggly boy (with the odd tantrum as to be expected)and does, on the whole, make a lot of noise (squealing, laughing), just no words or anything leading up to one. I'm just wondering if this is unusual and when I really should start to worry.

Many thanks

Everyone was quite horrified at how much my dd1 could say and say very clearly. I remember at 14 months she came out completely clearly with Mummy, Daddy having not given us a name before that, they were probably her 20th or so words. It really is very unusual for 12 month olds to have several clear words.

You need to learn to filter out the comparisons that your Mum makes, other wise she could you insane with worry

LITR, you're not trying to be unkind, but you are certainly sounding it. Me worrying about my son's speech is bonkers in your opinion. I do apologise. I worry a lot, probably down to my PNA.

I came on here to ask a genuine question because - being a first time mum with zero experience of babies - I didn't know what was the norm, or near the norm. I have read that babies start babbling ma ba da etc from 9 months and should have a word such as mama by 12 months. My DS isn't so it worried me.

my ds said nothing at all at 12 months, he started saying 'dat' at about 14 months and this went on for ages. he is now 2 says loads of things including 'mummy out bed!'

most words are badly pronounced ie he can't says 'm' 'b' or 'p' but makes himself understood. i would say speaking really hurried up at about 19 months.

he is perfectly normal and i wouldn't consider him a late talker (although I was worried just like you at 12 months)

very little
CASH (crash, playing with cars)
mama
think that was probabl it

I don't think there is anything 'bonkers' about worrying, I've had thousands of worries over things that sound much smaller when written down.

My lo is 17 months, I was concerned at about 14 months because she had no real words, not even mama and dada. And like you I had the impression that they were 'supposed' to be talking around 12 months. But now she has about 30 words- once she got the first few she just suddenly seemed to click, and then there was no stopping her!

BambinolovesBeccie - my DS now 2.3 also had no words at 12 months.

I was concerned at 18 months as he didn't seem to have the "right" number of words per the leaflets etc - so I had a chat with HV and she reassured me - I think that some of the leaflets and info are v. misleading and cause unecessary worry for us first time mums!

However, personally I do think that my DS is "behind" in his speech abilities v his other cognitave abilities and I am doing everything I can to encourage this area as better communication cuts down on the frustration and tantrums.

As you are obviously interested in his speech development I can really really recommend this book.

It goes into a lot of detail about speech development month by month and how you can assist your DS. There are a lot of things in there which I was not doing - despite me thinking that I was doing the best I could just talking to him.

You need to listen to your own motherly intuition - getting this book will mean that you can take some action.

As you can see from the responses here hardly any babies are talking at 12m so you are not going to get any help from health professionals etc.

DS3 can say 'bop-bop' (bottle), Ma-Ma, Da-Da and Nih-Nih (Nanny) but even these are not very clear.

He also says 'Whassis?' and holds things up for explanation, appears to listen, then carries on whatever he was doing.

tabouleh thank you for recommending that book. I will get DH - he of the Amazon account - on the case.

You are right about the leaflets and milestone charts etc - they are very misleading, and worrisome. Just going by this thread, the majority's DCs were like my DS at 12 months.

I might also have to have a word with my mum. She means well and is so proud of my DN (and quite rightly, she is practically bringing her up) but the constant comparison isn't helping.

Stop worrying - our DS2 way behind DS1 in the babylympics stakes (walking and talking) and now much brighter and more motivated. Enjoy your moments they don't last!

Please try to stop worrying, dd1 had quite a few words at 12m, all the basics, Mamma, bye bye, Dadda, ball, dog etc.
DTs had no workds at 15m, about 3 words at 18m. They're 2.5 now and are chattering away like crazy. They saw a speech therepist one time who discharged them and said as long as their understamding is within "normal" range, then not to worry.

bambino - i was very worried about many things with ds. but he is very clever, communicative , sociable and completely normal.

many of his same age friends are exactly the same, although girls better at speaking than the boys which is very normal.

i am special needs teacher btw, but even being very clued up still doesn't stop you worrying so i know how you feel.

does he understand commands?

Do have a word with your Mum. Comparisons only make you feel bad.

If it helps, I can tell you about when DS was born. Two of my friends gave birth the same weekend. When DS was about a year old they were already starting to speak.

When the babies were all around 18mths DS was still just saying single words, Mama and ball I think.

I could hear my friend's DD in the background when on the phone. She was saying things like, 'There is a airplane. A pilot flies the plane. People sit in the plane'.

She was and still is incredibly vocal, has a massive vocabulary. Saying that DS's vocabulary is probably now as big as he is trilingual.

Thankfully DS was my second DC so I was not too worried as DD has started speaking later.

Really, speak to your mum, she would hate to think that she is worrying you.

OP - just wait... DS started with 'WASSAT' at about 20mo. Only just stopped it (at 25mo) as he now has the words to ask properly.

Say 'What's that called?' instead of 'What's that?' and you'll save yourself 4mo of WASSAT? WASSAT? WASSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?

seriously.... be thankful.

Kalo, he understands what I am saying. If I say "no" he'll stop what he's doing and look at me and either crawl away or laugh and carry on . He will hand things to me when I ask. He'll crawl to me when I say come to mummy. As mentioned earlier, he'll look for Daddy when I ask where he is. I think his understanding is good.

I am a worrier by nature anyway and like to read a lot which isn't a good combo. Knowledge is power! A PITA more like.

DD is nearly 14months and has yet to say anything I understand. She chatters loads, happily, sounds like your description of DS actually.
I know when my DS started nursery aged 18months he didn't have a word to his name, but he could sign for milk, blankie, thank you - his first word was 'lorry', clear as day about 20months!

he is fine. he will prolly either master walking completely or start talking . they don't generally do both at the same time as it is controlled by different parts of his brain, and boys tend to learn to master movement first (although not always, my nephew didn't walk til he was two but never ever stops talking)

i worried about so many things that i went mad and ended up with pnd so i know what its like.

don't get put off mumsnet when you get barked at, i know its easy to be sensitive when you are worried. it all sounds fine

at Wassat for 4 months.

I am definitely going to have a friendly word with my mum. You're right MmeLindt, she would hate to think she'd worried me.

kalo, yep, had PND which is a factor. I'm not put off by the MN veterans as I like to call them. BUT, some can be a little bit dismissive at times.

Pretty sure neither of mine were saying much at 1. Their first proper words were um interesting. DS's was 'dirty' and DD's was 'shoes'. Think they were 14 or 15 months when they said them though.

DD said Mummy for the first time two days ago, one day before she turned 16m. She babbles a LOT and you can tell she's saying whole sentences and she asks questions with her voice rising at the end etc, I can't understand a bloody word of it though!

She understands me perfectly though if I ask her to get something or do something she rarely does it wrong.

My DS is 10 months old, he will say Mum-mum and Dada specifically addressed to us but not much else discernable. Definitely understands more than he is capable of communicating.

Ours wasn't talking at a year; nor was I worried - that's rather young to be having concerns, so fret not.