Don’t understand 3 year old and getting frustrated

[Goldielocksisreal]

DD is recently 3. Her speach isn’t clear at all, and out of everyone I understand her the most, but there are multiple times a day I don’t understand what she is saying/asking. Speech and language have an 18 month wait list. Preschool closed for the summer. We have everyday together.
She gets so angry and cross at me when I don’t understand her. We’ve both just been in tears because she wanted something on the tv and I couldn’t understand her at all to find it. Tried showing her different shows and for her to point at but none of them were right. I feel terrible but don’t know what to do. I’m massively struggling
please help.

Ask your GP about a hearing test. It could just be glue ear or similar. Getting it treated is still ahorifically long wait time, but I find it helps to at least know what the problem is.

I had this exact problem when my DD was 3. She would get so frustrated because I couldn’t understand her. It was glue ear

I don’t know what kind of things she is struggling to communicate but would some kind of picture exchange help in the short term?

Learn makaton signs. Watch something special on CBeebies to learn how.

It could be an idea to make a list as you go of favourite programmes, books, toys, food etc and make some picture boards for her to make choices. If you have a printer you can cut and paste images so it shouldn't take too long. Also the Talking Point website by ICAN has some great resources for parents, including developmental norms for speech sounds. Looking at the substitutions younger children make might help you to 'decode' her speech a bit more easily if that makes sense. A hearing test is really important as well. Good luck, it sounds like you're doing everything you can and it's such a tricky time.

Sorry didn’t mean to drip feed-she us a hearing test 4 months ago or so and they said borderline glue ear in one ear, to be retested but still waiting for an appointment.
I think picture books are the way to go, thank you.
i feel awful for her but it is so frustrating when she repeats the same word over and over again getting more angry and cross and I just don’t know what to do for us both.

I’d say don’t let them fob you off with waiting to see if it clears up and retesting lots. She is very frustrated so you want grommets to help.

A friends DD was diagnosed with borderline glue ear at the same time as mine. My DD had grommets at 3 and it improved dramatically. My friends DD got delayed a year, it’s all fine now but it was another year of frustration for them. I’d push harder with ENT

The poor thing. I was going to suggest picture cards as well or some simplified system to communicate

Definitely push again for a hearing test.

I would also really recommend signing. There are lovely resources available like books with every day signs in. Keep speaking but use sign too.