Talking

[Joeymaynardslimegreendress]

Hi all just wanted to get some professional opinions from you guys.

I have my dgs quite a lot during the week. He also attends nursery. He's 18 months and a lovely boy.

He is tall and healthy and physically well developed can run well, climb the slide, use push along byke etc. He loves cars and trucks and plays well by himself and with me, loves songs and rhymes and playgroups etc. Never tantrums and is cooperative, knows routines etc.

However although he makes sounds and seems to hear well he hasn't spoken one proper word although will say 'ahhh' stroking the dog.

As far as I know nursery havnt raised concerns but I am a bit worried but obviously don't feel it's my place to mention it to my ds and darling dil as it's interfering and maybe fussy?

Plan to have an intensive reading week and really focus on getting him to talk.
Ideas? Opinions greatly welcome even to tell me to stop being an old fuss pot.

If you look after him quite a lot, and obviously have a good idea of "expected" development, then I think it is your place to chat about it with ds and dil.

However, if you look at Talking Point website, it gives you both expected development for different age bands, and strategies to help them develop language if it isn't where it should be.
iCan is another good site for resources and ideas.

Thanks for posting Back it's their first baby though and I know they would immediately freak out.

I will look at those sites and thankyou so much

Hi op.

I agree with you in not saying anything yet. It will worry them unnecessarily and you don't want to be seen as the bad guy.
Children develop at different stages and speech therapists would not intervene until well over 2 (unless going private, I've no idea if you can do it younger!)
I would not be concerned just yet.
I work in childcare and some things I've learnt is 1. Try using simple words and look at them when saying them. Ask them to look at your lips when you say it. Say words over and over.

1. Something I was told once which I was totally guilty of... is constantly asking the child questions. For example if the child made a whine noise I would say

'Would you like to come up?' 'Would you like that snack?' 'Would you like that drink?' Basically they would make a noise and i would generally know what they wanted. But all that was teaching them is to say yes or no. So I changed my strategy and would say 'would you like that snack?' And of they said yes I would respond with 'can you say snack' It meant they were given a chance to actually say what they wanted rather than nodding! Obviously these are just little things. I wouldn't be too concerned yet though. Keep doing what you're doing. You sound fab :)

Oh thank you so much Yakbuk that's so reassuring and I do ask questions just like you mentioned so will really watch that. Brilliant thanks again.

Hi OP,
I'm an Ofsted Registered childminder and I do think it is your place to say something given that you spend so much time in sole care of him. HOWEVER I don't think there is much for you to say as he is only 18 months old and as you say, it could cause uneccessary worry.
The poster further up has hit the nail on the head with encouraging children to talk. So many parents come to me worrying about their DC and the first thing I ask them is 'do they have any reason to talk?'. As in, what is their motivation for speaking? If they are understood perfectly well anyway then there isn't really any motivation until they get older and want to communicate more.
From your posts it sounds like your grandson is communicating with you, and does make some noises in appropriate context. At 18 months that would reassure me that there wasn't any obviously wrong and I would continue to support his speech as I'm sure you are doing

Dog

Thankyou so much for posting. Yes I think as a mum of 4 and a cm for years (ex now) I kind of know what he wants and,you right,pre empt him if you see what I mean.

I will shut up more and ask more open ended questions.

Funny enough as a cm I could tackle and handle this much easier but when it's my grandson it's much harder to be 'professional'

Also my dil is just perfect and love her to bits and she obviously wants to spend more time than she can with him and feels torn,as do most working mums, so I just can't worry her.

However he is only 18 months so you have reassured me. Thanks so much everyone

I'm a cm and based on what you've said wouldn't have any concerns yet. I look after an 18month old boy who sounds exactly the same. In the past couple of weeks he has started to say a couple of recognisable words, but he has other ways of communicating what he wants.
Keep an eye on it, keep talking to him, reading and singing, I'm sure you are doing all these things already. You know that these things generally even out in time, your dgs sounds as if he is really well developed physically, don't forget some dc won't be walking at 18 months but will be chatting away constantly. They all develop at different rates (which I'm sure you know, but sound as if you need reminding-in the kindest possible way).