A few questions

[allthequeenshorsesandmen]

If I read to my young child of 9 months, does it matter if he's on my lap so not face to face?

Is it ok to let my 3yo watch a bit more tv at weekend? Also said 3yo is a bit behind on speech wnd received speech therapy. I chat to him throughout my day but during the day if we go to parks etc he is quiet and just runs around exploring his surroundings. Is that ok? It's a bit hard to go around constantly pointing out stuff as have the baby too. So during these outdoor times I'm not as chatty. Will this make him worse?

Absolutely fine.
Do you have a DP who could have the baby sometimes whilst you go to park with 3 year old then you can have some 121 with him and chat away?

Yes I do but even then he doesn't say much back as he's delayed in speech and also he's quite a serious child generally

It's fine! Reading with baby on your lap is ideal. As for your 3 year old, far better they enjoy exploring and build good gross motor skills than you give them a guided tour of the park shrubbery every day. Having said that, he might enjoy a little scavenger hunt (find a yellow flower, find a brown leaf, find a feather etc) and that might stimulate conversation.

Good times to talk might be quieter times like the bath, at mealtimes, in the car, etc. Singing or talking along to audio books is also really good for serious types in the car!

Because he is speech delayed, try to face the 3 yr old when you speak to him so he can see how your mouth makes the sounds.

Rest: you're only human. Don't expect every moment to be perfect speech therapy.

@allthequeenshorsesandmen

Yes I do but even then he doesn't say much back as he's delayed in speech and also he's quite a serious child generally

That’s fine if he doesn’t say anything about. Just make it fun for him. I like the scavenger hunt idea from pp.