Talking?

Question

Anyone else's toddler still not talking? My son says probably 10 words but still isn't really talking a whole lot. He baby babbles still all the time. My previous children talked a lot. I know he was a late walker too so maybe I'm worrying for nothing.

Answer

I think they should be talking a lot more than that. Has he been evaluated? Also - any regressions around this age are usually not a great sign and you should definitely mention it at the 2 year check up. If you’re really concerned I’d ask for an earlier appointment. Early intervention is the best thing for kids who are falling behind. My niece is 5 and just started OT and speech therapy and it has made such a big difference but should have started a lot earlier. Don’t be afraid of a diagnosis. If there is something going on you need to know ASAP. 
My son will be 2 next month and is saying 3 word sentences. Granted he doesn’t always say every word correctly but it’s not babble. He tries. Some words are better than others. He says helicopter very clearly but you can barely understand applesauce. “Where dada go?” “Dada at work?” “M’all done” (I’m all done). “Move please Mama” things like that. There’s a “checklist” for 2 year old milestones that I’ll try to find and post.

Answer

My LO isn't saying more than 5 clear words, but babbles a lot and follows directions really well. Because it's obvious he understands us so well, my Ped isn't worried. She thinks he is on the verge, a lot of babies focus on other things like fine motor skills and other things. He can easily follow 2 step directions and points to the correct object when we say it.
Talk to your Ped.

Answer

My son jibba jabbas all day but only says a handful of words. He’s even stopped using words that he used to know. He’s always used the sign for food and said food, but for about 2 weeks now he uses the sign for food but says bird (not a new word for him) 🤷‍♀️ we correct him every time but he’s not getting it 😣

Answer

My daughter is still barely talking. Her pediatrician recommended early intervention a few months ago and she qualified for a speech delay. Her first speech session is this week.

Answer

My son says fewer words than that, and we were referred to a speech therapist. You may want to ask your pediatrician about it.

Answer

My daughter is slowly talking more but a lot of it is incoherent babbles that only I can understand as actual words. Then occasionally will spout off a random sentence to tell me something and then it’s back to babbles

Answer

I think you'll get different answers on whether you should be worried yet depending on who you ask, even among professionals. My son hasn't had his two year checkup when his language process would be evaluated yet, but his doctor wasn't worried about it when I asked about it not long ago for an appointment for a different reason (sick little one). My son understands a lot and says a few phrases (like "Good night") or very short sentences (like "Where are you going?"--just not perfectly yet) but not that many. He makes all kinds of sounds, says some different words, and still a lot of gibberish I don't understand intermixed with things I do 😆 I don't think he says the large number of words that I've read is the milestone for age two, but I'm not worried right now. Some kids' language blossom rapidly right at or just after age two.
If you're worried though, schedule to see the pediatrician, but also think about your interactions. It helps to talk as much as possible. I'm constantly explaining what I'm doing or going to do, or trying to use feeling words to give him labels for emotions even though he doesn't use them yet. I think the hardest thing is to remember to encourage language by not responding immediately to all needs. For example, if I ask my son if he wants a bite of something, I can recognize from his body language that the answer is yes. But I've been pushing for a verbal answer by repeating things. For example, in the scenario I just described, I'd bring the bite towards him and say "yes", and/or pull it away and say "no". Repeating "Yes, you want a bite." Before giving it to him. Lots of repetition for everything. Working on getting him to say "Up", "Help", and "Yes" lately. I have to be really self aware to make sure I'm not responding instantly without saying anything. It's so easy to hinder them by responding to behavior because we know it so well 😆

Talking?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey