Everyone with Toddlers aged from 18 mth to 23 mths, could I just have a bit of your time?

[Nbg]

I am very interested as to what other peoples children do at this age.

I would like to know the following;

What words can your child say?
At what age did they say their first word?
How old were they when they started walking?
Do you read to your child?
If so how much and when in the day?
Do your children watch tv?
If so roughly for how long, in a day?

Please tell me to b*** off if you think I'm being to nosey!

Thank you

I learnt (some) Makaton to sign with a minded child with DS ages ago - all the other minded children picked it up very rapidly. I still use it with some of the younger children I mind, and they very quickly pick up words like "drink" at a very young age, and long before they would be able to say the word properly. The older children still think it's great fun to "talk" with their hands.

Says well over two hundred words, and uses three word sentences. (Starting to use the very occassional four word ones... but a rare beast!)

Said first word quite late, but we did baby sign, and she was signing (about 100 words at 14/15 months) so that took over to start off with, now she talks and doesn't sign.

Took first steps at 11 months, could fully walk by 14 months (But learnt to sign in the meantime and so forgot about walking for a while!)

Yes, I read to my child everyday. Books are her favourite toys, and are often bought as treats. We read together at least half an hour a day.

Yes she does watch Cbeebies. One episode of either Teletubbies or Fimbles a day. (May be broken into chunks though). She didn't watch any tv until she was almost 1.

She's 20 1/2 months.

Just read the thread more thoroughly and wanted to add some reassurrance....

My DD has been a guinea pig in some research on late talkers at a University.. and in the bumpf they sent through explaining everything, it said that the vast majority (Threw out the leaflet which had the real stat on it, but it was something like well over 80%) of late talkers up to about 10 months, go on on to have no further problems whatsoever, and is not a developmental problem... only it concerns parents, but really it shouldn't just because some are late developers.

If you are worried, try reading a book called 'Baby talk' Its written by a Speech and language therapist and she sets out games to do with your child to encourage language at all ages. I do it with my DD. All it is is half an hour of playing a day, in silence, face to face. As far as your child is concerned, you're playing with them, but it gives good tips as to how this half an hour of play could be used to help your child's language development. It's really good - I'd highly recommend it!!

HTH

Oops that should have said 30 months!!

Thanks Rarrie, I'll look that book up.

Have to say you are a bit of an inspiration to me. I've read about you signing with your dd before which is what made me go out and buy the tools to help me do it.

We haven't been that successful at it though as you!
DD has made her own sign up for clock though

Thanks, I think I'm lucky in that she took to it like duck to water! But it helps that her nursery also signs with her, as do all her grandparents, and everyone else (after they saw it worked!)

I do think signing helps their language, almost all of my DDs first words were ones that she had previously signed. Now, her pronunciation can be a bit dodgy to say the least, but she uses signs to help us understand what she is saying, so if you can go for it do.

I found the Garcia system to totally not work for me though... the signs were simply too difficult for her to do, so we used the children's books produced by Linda Acropl... (I can never remember her name!) and they're great because they're much easier to do and are more obvious. My DD also made up a lot of her own signs... which is a good sign. You mentioned that your child is doing this - that's good according to Linda whatever, as she's engaging in the meaning of communication (So suggests there's nothing to worry about developmentally) and that vocal language will catch up later.

I also found that when DD started signing, she lost interest in speaking in the short term. Didn't last long, only about a month or so... and then she really picked up talking. But if you are signing, you may find in the short term when they're learning to sign, they can't both learn to sign and talk at the same time... but rest assurred that it does help in the long term!

Hope this helps to reassurre you. Sorry if I whitter on about this, but I've become passionate about signing over recent months.

No your not wittering at all. It makes total sense.
I wish now that I had stuck at it properly at the beginning or started it a bit earlier than I did.

It's nice you have the support from your family and Nursery too.

My boy is 15 months old and I have been using signing since he was 11 months. Initially there was very little response now he constantly signs and tries to say the word as well - more, drink, all gone, milk, juice, sleep. As there were no classes for sing and sign in my area I opted to buy the video J sits mesmorised even though he must have watched it 50 times. I do read to him and he loves nursery rhymes which I feel helped my eldest to speak early on and he is still advanced in his speech at 6yrs old

I really think she is fine, my son is 18-19 mths and has no words (he occasionally says something but never repeats himself, so no "dada" or "mama" and it's never clear enough to be sure it's words - the only way I tell is he says it in a different voice to his usual babbling).

He walked unaided at 17 mths and was slow to crawl.

We have read to him since he was a month old and he loves books and can point to all the different animals/cars/bits of same as well as facial features. He will choose to read twice a day.

Also he can understand complete sentences. We do not watch TV at all really (I don't like it on during the day, unless I feel the need to watch propertyporn during naptime!)

I think with speech and learning it is how much they understand at this stage. Our neighbour's child has had an appalling illness which may affect his developement but even tho they have seen every Dr under the sun, they have still been told not to worry about speech until he is 2 yrs old. So please don't worry, all babies ARE different.

HTH some, Mia

My SIL (now an adult) didn't talk until she was three. Apparently she was quite cute and expressive without needing words. When she did start talking she came out with whole sentences (and has unfortunately not stopped talking since).

We were worried that DS might exhibit similar traits, and encouraged him to talk by allowing him to get frustrated - "sorry honey, I don't understand what you mean, tell us with words" (obviously we didn't do this too much, but just with things the he tried to say eg if he wanted a sweat or something) - and gave HEAPS of praise (and still do) everytime he says something.

Each child does develop differently. Not talking now might not mean anything.

Good luck