When did your babies talk and how did they start?

[Bambinobaby]

My LG is 13 months this month and can say ‘ca’ for cat but that’s it although she babbles non-stop. She truley has conversations with us and herself, I just don’t know what she’s saying.

Im obviously not worried about it right now, but I am curious to know how babies start talking? Please ignore the stupid questions but I’ve never been around babies or small children so I don’t know how this works.

We read books daily, and we talk about her wooden puzzle pieces a lot. I describe animals and the sounds they make, as well as describe what we’re doing all the time like ‘we’re going up the stairs’, ‘can you see the birds in the sky’.

So what happens now, does she randomly just start saying things eventually? Will one day she just repeat back a word I’ve said? What sort of ages did your babies start saying words? I have no idea how this all works!

My eldest DD talked really early, but I put that down to it just being us two. She would follow me around everywhere, sit alongside me on an evening when I watched the news. She would never sit and watch kids TV. By 15 months we could have quite a conversation. Obviously in kiddy talk, but I knew what she was talking about and vice-versa. She's 15 now and never shuts up.

Youngest DD was incredibly late - going towards 3. She knew what things were, and could point to show me what she wanted from about 20 months. But in most cases I would refuse to get it unless she spoke. And indeed she would say the word, but only infront of me. I don't think family members heard her utter a word until her 4th birthday, as I remember everyone being taken back by her saying "thank you". She's 12 now, incredibly shy and has just started the autism pathway - something I've been pushing for since she started reception class.