# When did your children first talk?



## Serena (Nov 24, 2001)

I'm defining "talk" as regularly using several words in context.

Just curious. I have a one year old who kinda, sorta, maybe says "mama" but I don't think it has much to do with me.









Please share... if you feel like it, what were their first words, too?


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## LunaMom (Aug 8, 2002)

Well, talking is what dd is best at, so please don't use her to compare! She started talking at about 10 months, and her first words were "duck" and "Quack," except she said "cack." After that, her speech took off like a rocket and she had over 100 words by fourteen months. They were all words that she used correctly to name objects, and they sounded enough like the real words ("bappuh" for diaper, for example) that we knew what she was saying. Short sentences started at about 18 months. This was exciting, but sometimes frustrating for her, because she thought that she had figured out the way to get whatever she wanted! It really shocked her that, now that she could make herself understood, Mommy and Daddy still weren't going to do what she asked all the time! :LOL

The really good thing about having an early talker was that she never threw those two-year-old tantrums that are often triggered by a child's frustration at not being able to express herself in words, and she also never used her hands to communicate with other children (pushing, hitting or grabbing). The not-so-good thing is that those tantrums came a year and a half later, and they were VERBAL tantrums that sounded something like this: "Well, if I can't have ice cream, then we are going to LEAVE the playground RIGHT NOW, and we are NEVER coming back AGAIN, and we are never going to go to the museum, or the library, or do ANYTHING fun EVER, we will just STAY home all the time and stare at the WALL and do NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING." My little genius.







:









Anyway, I think parents worry a lot more abvout speech than they need to. At age two, dd and the other kids her age were all in different places with their language, some kids barely talking at all, and by now (almost four) they are all speaking fine, for the most part.

Boy, I sure gave a long answer, didn't I? Must run in the family! :LOL


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## Serena (Nov 24, 2001)

Well, wow! That is so impressive--and funny.







How incredible that must have been to hear. I recall hearing from several sources about some 6-month-old miraculously early talker whose mother took him to the pediatrician and he said to the doctor "I have a left inner ear infection."

I would suspect that this is an urban leged except there was a snippet about it in the paper.


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## ekblad9 (Nov 21, 2001)

All four of my kids started talking by 9 months. They were talking in sentences by 1 year. It is a blessing most days and a curse at the same time. It makes them VERY demanding!


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## Moon (Nov 25, 2001)

Maeve's first word, at 13 months, was "No." I was trying to feed her green beans.

Her second word was "Puussie-whacka" which is what she called our dog, Anushka. Go figure. "Puussie-whacka" is so muich harder.

She hardly spoke much else, except for "Mama, Dada" until she was two, even though I knew she was understanding everything that was said to her. At that point, she started speaking in full sentences.

Sophie is a day shy of two months and says "Me-me" for me.


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## MamaBug (Jun 13, 2003)

My first ds, now 4, started talking in 3 word sentences at around age 12 months. Full sentences follwed shortly before 18 months. He was amazing to us. People would stop and ask us how old he was and it blew their minds when we told them. He was also the most polite child that I have ever seen. By 1 he was not only saying thank you but also your welcome, bless you and excuse me/us. Totally hilarious. His younger brother, now 2, was talking relatively early as well, although not as advanced as my oldest. He nows speaks in complete sentences as well and most adults, even those who do not know him, can understand him as well. They are quite the pair. I thought youngest ds would be behind verbally since oldest ds never was quiet, but he jumps right in there. The conversations that the two of them have KILLS me:LOL


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## coracle (Jul 18, 2002)

We've got an early talker too, and I think it made his 2nd year much easier. DS' first word (9 mo) was 'kitty,' but he never said it to anyone else, just said it to himself as he followed the cat. His next words (at 10 mo, said *to* me or dh while pointing or both looking at something) were light, cat, dada, meow and woof.

I think many early attempts at words go unrecognized--I have often recognized other babies using words that the mom did not yet recognize. Getting the sounds in the right order, and getting more than a few sounds into the word, is very hard at first. We accepted 'beng' for belly button, 'god' for dog, and 'olyo' for yogurt because ds was clearly looking/pointing at those things and saying something, and because he repeated them in the next few days if not right away. Some moms might not notice these because they are too different from the adult word, or if they noticed them count them as not knowing the 'real' word, rather than knowing it and not being able to pronounce it.

There is lots of normal variation in starting to talk --some use single words early, some late, some start late but use sentences almost right away, and others have other patterns. Later siblings often start talking later, sometimes much later. In a few years you mostly can't tell who talked early or late. Still, it's fun to trade stories







.

-Sue

ds 11/99


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## lucina3 (Jun 25, 2002)

I don't remember with my older two (I have it written *somewhere*) but I remember that at 8 months I asked my youngest if she was done yet (playing or eating? I can't remember which) and she looked up and said "Not yet" as clear as a bell. And used it properly and consistently since then!


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## Safemommy (Jul 22, 2002)

Wow!! I knew I liked this board...all the brilliant kids!!









My son said a word or two started at a year, but it wasn't until about 18 months or so that he really took off. It took some work on my part to get him to understand the "concept" of language. That he could ASK for something and I would RESPOND. For a long time, he could name objects on command, but didn't understand what could be used with his language.

It did take him FOR EVER to say mama...which he finally said the otherday for the fist time (22 months). He could say "here comes the schoo bus!" before he could say "mama!" :LOL My mom said that was because he never had a need too...I responded without it!







I'm a good mama....aren't I!


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## Daddy-O (Jun 13, 2002)

I could have given 3 answers given that I have 3 children who are all quite different. I voted >2 years because my elder ds didn't verbalize at all until he was 2.5 yrs.

He is very intelligent but he is "different" from other kids. He is very advanced in some areas like reading and playing chess, but very immature socially and emotionally.

Anyone interested in the phenomenon of intelligent late talkers should read Thomas Sowell's books _Late Talking Children_ and _The Einstein Syndrome_ . A surprising number of very accomplished scientists, engineers, mathematicians and musicians were late talkers, most notably Einstein himself who didn't talk well until he was four.

*Warning* : Sowells ideas are controversial and his methodology has been faulted by some. He is critical of the therapy profession. His main area of expertise is in economics not childhood development. He became interested in the subject of late talkers when his own son was very late talking. Even Sowell admits that most children who talk very late have developmental issues that need professional attention. In spite of these caveats, his books have helped me to realize that there are many other children like my son and that his future need not be bleak.


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## saturnine25 (Mar 26, 2002)

Like coracle, my dd's 1st word was "kitty" at 9 months. At 12 months, she has about 20 words, and speaks a couple of two-word sentences- "My Daddy," and "Wat Dat?" (what's that) are her favourites.

Amy, mom to Tsuneo, 09/12/01


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## Madame Ovary (Nov 19, 2001)

At 6 months, my dd kept saying, "Buck-a-buh." We couldn't figure it out, but she said it a lot. Finally, she threw a blanket over her head, then pulled it off and said, "Buck-a-buh!" with a huge grin.

She spoke about 10 words by her 1st birthday, including Mommy and Daddy. By 15 months, or so, she had added "parallelogram" and "trapezoid."

My mother's startled comment: "I've just never heard a nursing baby say 'triangle' before!" Was it the talking or nusing at 14 months?!

At 16 months, I was hiking with her in a backpack, and she pointed to 2 buzzards and said, "Mommy! One, two hawk birdies up in sky!"

By 18 months, she knew the whole alphabet in random order, and could count to 30. My ds is 3 and still doesn't recognize most of the letters. He couldn't care less.

Around 18 or 20 months, we taught her to say, "Long and lanky leaping lemurs mingle in the mists of Madagascar," in answer to the question, "Can you talk?"


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## J&G's mom (Mar 19, 2002)

My ds was a late talker. He didn't speak at all until after his 2nd birthday. Those first few years were very frustrating for all of us. He would try and communicate and we would try and figure out what he wanted and if we couldn't, he would disolve into tears on the floor. Once he reached about 4 yo, he caught up with his peers. We did have his hearing tested when he was 18-20 months old because he had not said one word yet. It was a very non-invasive test and it put my mind at ease to know that his hearing was fine.
He just started kindergarten this last week and his teacher didn't seem to think that he speech was even a little behind, it's so hard to tell when you're with someone everyday. He also was born just after the cut off for school, he'll be 6 in two weeks, which I think was perfect for him. I doubt we would have sent him last year even if he had been born a few weeks earlier.
J&G's mom


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## snuffles (Apr 11, 2002)

i'm glad i am reading this.

i have been concerned b/c my 6 month old dd is not babbling and somewhere i read that they should be doing it by now. she says "aaaaah" and blows raspberries but thats it.

she is the 3rd child and people suggest maybe it is the younger child syndrome. my other two were saying dada annd mama by this age

what do u all think? am i overreacting?

mel


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## Alegria (Jul 21, 2002)

My dd just started speaking this month. She's 2years 3 months. She didn't ever coo or babble eaither so don't worry. I was sad when she was little and didn't make noises. But I'm enjoying her talking now just as much as I would have if it was earlier. She is so sweet. I never "taught" her this but she is also very polite. Peez, mama? thank you mama. She's always saying " I sorry mama? you o.k?" Partly the lateness might be because we are bilingual and I was always saying things to her twice. Once in English, then I'd remember I wanted to talk to her in Spanish. Poor thing , I must drive her crazy.


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## coracle (Jul 18, 2002)

Madame Ovary, I'm LOL at your whole post, but especially ' "Long and lanky leaping lemurs mingle in the mists of Madagascar," in answer to the question, "Can you talk?" '

Recently DH asked DS (then 30 mo): Can you say, "How now, brown cow?"
DS:How!
DH:That's a good start. Can you say, "How now, brown cow?"
DS:No! I can only say "How!" I can't say "How now, brown cow."

-Sue


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## Serena (Nov 24, 2001)

mat4mel, I wouldn't waste a moment worrying about it!

I'm also feeling a little insecure reading this thread... dd is 1 year and babbles plenty, but no recognizable words, let alone10,20 or 100 like some on this list!! WOW!!!!


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## Embee (May 3, 2002)

I have to admit that this is one of those threads where I begin to kick around the idea of comparing DS to others... _not wise._ I am enjoying the thread entirely mind you, lots of good stories but what I have taken from it most of all is reassurance that there is a huge, WIDE range of normal with regard to "talking the talk."









That said, DS is 20 months and although he's been saying a few words since he was about a year (mama, da, cracker, cookie, juice), he has really only begun "to talk." He is saying _Buh-bye_ and _Oh My!_ and is using them in context. His previous words are used more clearly now and he's been pointing and naming a bit as well. I see lately, that something has really "clicked." For all the waiting, there are some pretty big thoughts going on in that kid's head.









Honestly, I haven't worried much about it at all. He understands so very much more than he can say and signs just a smidge (has helped reduce some whining when he wants "more" for instance). All in all, I know the words will come and when they do, WATCH OUT!

Em


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## BelovedBird (Apr 5, 2002)

My two talkers (baby is the third child, he is 9 months old, no talking yet) WERE the biter/ grabbers who communicated with their hands. My first said less than 50 words or silibles that meant words around his third birthday. I agonised over it for a long time and sat and counted them all. I think I still have the list somewhere. We were in Israel until then. When we came to the states we had him evaled. The theory was that the dual language envirement caused him to speak more slowly. The facinating thing about him was he told whole stories using his few sylables/ words and sounds and hand motions. A car was his own made up version of "vroom vroom". It was actually the exact sound that are car made as it was starting up. Even other people said so. So he was in speech therapy from 3.5- 4.5 and ended up with beautiful speech. Now at 5.5 we have been back in Israel for a year and he is speaking three languages beautifully, though not fluently.

My second DS was evaled at 18 months and was given therapy at 2 . He is now 3 and a few months. He only had therapy over a summer. He had OT problems as well, muscle things. His speech is not clear and he still has problems with some sounds but he is way ahead of where his brother was at this age. He is begining to catch on to the other languages as well, now.

-BelovedBird


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## Julie (Nov 20, 2001)

My son was very vocal, but in his own language, He didnt start talking (including simple things like drink, hungry, Mommy) Until he was 2 1/2 almost 3. He's now 3 1/2 and speaks full sentinces...He was a late bloomer....

My DD On the other hand starting talking at 6 months, he first "Word" was "I DID IT" Which she shouted right after climing up onto the couch for the first time







She's not a very talkative child, but can speak full sentences now at 16 months, when she wants to.


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## Lorene (Dec 10, 2001)

Sonds like from this informal survey that girls are quicker with language than boys.

DS didn't say a word until he was 22 mos. I was so worried. But he swims, skis, bikes etc. Guess it's true what they way about verbal vs physical development. I do see that he works on one thing at a time.

And he's growing up bi-lingual which really slows things down but I'm sure will be worth it in the end...


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

My dd was talking in two word sentences at 12 mths. She is very verbal and now at 5.5 keeps up with adult conversations and has since she was around three. She is very thoughtful and often ponders things and then wants to discuss those things at length.
My ds only says a few words at 14 mths but understand most things. He can understand and respond to commands. Like pick up your cup and bring it to me. He was also walking when he turned 9mths and I feel that babies/children sometimes concentrate and excell at one set of skills at a time.


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## lotusmom (Jan 29, 2002)

dd said dada then mama at 7 or 8 months. then at 10 months she said baby and pointed to a pictures. 3 days later i found out i was pregnant with ds. lets hope she never learns the word twins








m


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Ok, I am near tears.

DD is 19 months old and only says a few recognizables words(maybe 10)

I am worried. All the kids I know her age are talking and using so many words.

We are going to have her assessed, just so we will know one way or another.

She is so smart in every other way though.


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

oh, diaperdiva, don't cry!







there's such a wide variation in talking. my DD (19mo) is talking up a storm, but was a late walker. she didn't really start walking til she was 17.5 mo and never crawled all over the place either. she can walk fine now, but i think she just didn't want to do it untl she was ready and could do it confidently. i think she was just working on fine motor skills and verbal skills instead. i have two friends, though, who have little boys who are late talkers. one is 2yrs 2mo and he really just started talking. his big brother was also a late talker, but boy he won't hush now! my other friend has a little boy who is 18mo and he hardly says anything, but he can run and climb all over the place -- things that my dd won't do. i think she's cautious about physical activity (large motor skills) and he's cautious about verbal activity, if you know what i mean. it may be that your dd is just taking her time until she can say words confidently and get them to sound the way she wants. i really wouldn't worry too much about it. she understands, right? she'll talk when she's ready. an assessment wouldn't hurt, but please don't freak out about it.









hth,
-beanma.

p.s. my dd's first word was "get"! not mama, or dada, or even dog, but "get"!


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Thanks so much bean! I know logically what you say is true, in fact I have said the same thing to others. Even my boss (childcare director) says there is a huge range of normal.

Last night I spoke with a friend who is a speach pathologist and she was saying how her daughter at 18 months new more than 200 words and now at 25 months she says thousands- oh brother







: She said we should have her assessed just so we would know one way or another, and I would want to know if something were wrong just so we could get as much help as possible.

BUT, I was looking at her and listening to her and she really DOES talk. Maybe not in adult clear words but she does, and she makes sense to us.

I also was reading a story about the many geniuses who were late talkers. Perhaps Kailey is just one of them


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## Gladmom (May 15, 2002)

Wow! Some amazing babies! My first started really talking between 12 and 18 months. My second is almost 12 months and has 3 or 4 (sort of ) words. "ma-ma" "da-da" "nigh-nigh" "hi" and "hot"


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## BensMom (May 4, 2002)

DS is almost 19 mos and has two consistent words - No and Daddy. He also kind of says "Dat" as his universal word when pointing at stuff. He is just now picking up signs after many, many months. He does the sign for More, Night-Night, Drink and is starting to get All Done. He is also finally waving Bye-Bye.

I called our state's early intervention program and have started the process of getting him evaluated. I agonized over it for ahile, but I figure what harm can come of it? Maybe he is just a late talker. But maybe he has a speech disorder that I can help him through. Either way, if they help me teach him ways to communicate, great!

DiaperDiva - I totally understand your frustration. Sometimes it hurts so bad to see other kids talking and hearing stories like this. But just think, in a few years no one will know who the late and early talkers were.

Jenn


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Here are the words Kailey says(although not perfectly):

hi
bye-bye
nigh nigh
dada
mom
come here
ouch
oh no
whats that?
mouth- sounds like mow
meow
woof woof
quack- sounds like cack
no no
shoe
tickle tickle

and she knows the sounds that each of these animals make:
dog, horse, cat, duck, cow, sheep.

I have been listening to her and keeping track of her words today and then thinking of other words she has said before.

These are all consistant words.

My definition of talking is using words we all can understand. But know I believe talking to mean using her words to say something. Such as pointing to her mouth and saying "mow"

Am I right? Have I just been overly "judgemental" of her ?

I also consider walking to be "walking" without holding on to anything for support. I know some consider walking to be cruising along furniture.


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## joesmom (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:

By 15 months, or so, she had added "parallelogram" and "trapezoid."
I thought my DS was the only toddler who knew what a trapezoid was!!

Joe talked early & well, as did my sister's 1st son. Her 2nd little boy will be two in Oct. & says less than ten words. He understands what we say to him & he is incredibly active, I think he is just too busy to bother with talking!

I feel bad that some parents feel sad or nervous about their kids' speech- I'm sure all of your "late" talkers possess skills that our kids were later in learning!

I love hearing all these stories though!!

Love, Jenny


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## coracle (Jul 18, 2002)

DiaperDiva, I tend to go with your second definition of language--using a word to say something, not saying a word like an a adult would. What if "walking" meant "without falling down?" Then everyone would have to count their kids as walking at 3 years, 5 yrs, whatever--but we counted it (as many do) as those very first steps without holding on, even though there were only two of them and ds fell down after that.

Knowing a word and when to use it comes way before having the fine motor skill to produce it just like an adult. We counted ds as "saying" the word helicopter when he was pronouncing it "eh-cot." He pronounced it fairly consistently, he pointed up at the sky when the noise of a helicopter was present, and we (dh and I) could understand what he meant. So your dd is definitely talking in my book! And yes, "mow" as you describe her using it counts as knowing the word "mouth."

One thing that may give me this bias is that my mom has had a speech impediment from a stroke since I was two. She mixes up the sounds in words, stammers, leaves words out of sentences. But it never occured to me that she could not talk! She knows the word she is trying to say but can't get her mouth to behave itself. This is a motor problem, not a language problem. It happens to be the same motor problem most toddlers go through when they know a word but can't pronounce it well yet. Just in my mom's case it's because of brain damage (which doesn't make her less smart, just less articulate) while in toddlers it is normal development. I also know from watching her how frustrating it is when your mouth won't do what you want it to, or when other people try to finish your talking for you, or when other people don't listen because you talk slow or in a mixed up way. This makes me give toddlers the benefit of the doubt maybe more than some parents would.

HTH
-Sue


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Sue~ Thank you so much! U feel much better after reading your post! I just got so darn frustrated with MIL, it seems like she is always asking if "Kailey is alright." In fact she just asked, "Are you sure the doctor said she is alright?" I wanted to deck her.

She considers walking at 12 months "late" that's when Mark walked- GRRRR!!!


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## Cindi (Nov 22, 2001)

Well, I couldn't vote because my two year old still isn't talking. I'm glad to hear he might be a genius. (I've been suspicious about that all along!)


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## Mothernature (Jun 10, 2002)

Of the late talkers, were they early walkers? I've been wondering about this.


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Because 12 - 18 months is the normal range for walking, and Kailey walked at 14 months, she was on the early side of normal.


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## Cindi (Nov 22, 2001)

Quote:

_Originally posted by lisa2s_
*Of the late talkers, were they early walkers? I've been wondering about this.*
not mine, walked at 14 months, not talking at 2 years...but he's excellent with his body and communicates by demonstration. He will probably talk all at once because in a rare moment he has said (I think) "Here you go" and "There you are" so it's more like he's working from the feeling of a whole conversation rather than breaking it down into vocabulary. He also has fine motor skills like holding a pencil as an adult does (he signed for my credit card at the grocery store a couple of times.)


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Cindi~
That is how Kailey is. The things she can do physically are amazing, and her mental skills seems to be very advanced for her age. She loves to take things apart...and put them back together.

She does everything a child talking does, if not more.

And I think people forget SIGN LANGUAGE is TALKING! I tell people she signs and they are like....so? That's not talking. Grrr...!!!!!!!









BUT, I have decided I am not going to worry about it anymore. God will give her voice when the time is right, and for some reason, I think we all better WATCH out! LOL!!!


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## Mothernature (Jun 10, 2002)

I had to ask because Zen walked at 9 mos and for a long time after that she lost interest in language development. At about 18 mos she really started adding to her vocabulary at an astounding rate, but before that she really only had a few words. She does sign though and she is learning German which I have heard can delay speaking.

So anyway, Zen examplifies an article I read about the development of the human brain. When a baby is mastering a gross motor skill such as walking, the language development will sort of go on the back burner for a while or even regress. The reverse is also true. This explains to me why children who talk early walk later and vice versa. I was just wanting to see if everyone else thought this was true also.


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Ultimate physical and verbal skill has nothing to do with how early it begins! At least that what all the parenting books say. And from personal experience -- my mom didn't start talking until she was three (like Einstein, although she's not as smart as him, lol) and she's a fine speaker now. And I didn't start walking until 16 months, and I'm a fine walker.









All three of my kids said 'mama' early on, and the older two didn't gain a vocabulary of words until around 2 yr. old., and didn't start stringing words together until even later. Regardless, they are, all three of them, brilliant.







All three (two boys and a girl) were physical early, walking at 10.5 months (my daughter is now 14 months and climbing up on the dining room table -- sigh.) It seems to be one or the other in kids, I don't know why.

I used to think it was a myth that kids talked before a year old! I knew someone whose parents claimed that she was stringing words together at eight months old, and I was like, yeah right. But since then I've met others. It is amazing how widely varying *normal* development is in children -- which makes me all the more determined to keep my kids out of institutions that treat them as if "normal" is defined as "the average."


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## Scout (Jan 23, 2002)

Ds is one, and he has used a few words in context since about 8 mos.

Da-da was first, then dog (sounded more like dod), birdie (dirdie) then mama (Finally!).

Now he has about 10-15 words he uses -- some sound perfect; others we just know what he means. Like we say "Good girl" to our dog a lot (it's almost like a nickname), so ds says something like "Ggog glll."

He trots up and down the hallway looking for me saying Mama Mama... it melts my heart!

He also says wa-wa, for water. It was raining pretty hard one afternoon, and he kept going over to the glass slider saying Wa-wa! Wa-wa! I was impressed -- how does he know it's water??

(Edited to add: I just went back and read some of the other posts. FWIW, I work with a man whose daughter is on a full scholarship to Princeton, and he said she didn't start talking until she was two.)

Scout


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## DiaperDiva (Jun 30, 2002)

Kailey is adding new words DAILY! No exaggeration!

This is COOL!


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## blueberry (Oct 12, 2002)

my guy is about to turn one. He now has two words:

cat (pronounced 'at!' sometimes with 'kee' in front, as in 'kee at!')
hot (ot! used interchangeably for hot and cold)

and mama, and dada but he makes so many general conversational noises that they come and go. typical discussion:

Me: would you like to look at the book?
Nathan: beeeOw wah snooOOO da nanana. eeeeah!

he does everything in fits and starts so I"m not expecting any full sentences for at least another six to twelve months. Apparently DH didn't start talking until he was 2, and I didn't start until I could speak in full sentences.


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:

_Originally posted by Cindi_
*not mine, walked at 14 months, not talking at 2 years...but he's excellent with his body and communicates by demonstration. He will probably talk all at once because in a rare moment he has said (I think) "Here you go" and "There you are" so it's more like he's working from the feeling of a whole conversation rather than breaking it down into vocabulary. He also has fine motor skills like holding a pencil as an adult does (he signed for my credit card at the grocery store a couple of times.)*
This is exactly how my 25month ds is. He is has the most incredible balance and agility. He took his first step at 12 months, was walking by 13mos. So not super early or anything, but he has always been very mature in his physical abilities. He is obssessed with physical activities - baseball, basketball, golf, walking on narrow ledges, jumping, climbing. He doesn't stop.

Right now he says about 3 words. But he too has said the random sentence like you mentioned. He said "I don't know" when I was asking where his shoes are, and then when we found them he repeated "There they are!" And then nothing. That was 2 months ago! A year ago he said kitty while petting a cat, and then never again! But he totally has his own language, and communicates incredibly well.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

I'm not going to vote or really post much about my dd (17 months) because I know she is normal and I am very much trying to not benchmark her against anyone else but herself. We are raising her bilingual and she seems to talk plenty in both languages - at least we understand her. She does seem to pick a language for a word and stick with it. Bird is always bird in her minority language, never english, but she knows the word bird (in english) if I use it.

But, anyway, the thread has been interesting to read. I liked the posts about late talkers and genius. My husband didn't utter his first word until after 3 years of age... he went to M.I.T. on full scholarship and has his Ph.D. He is a university professor in mathematics-based computer science. He still doesn't talk much.


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## BathrobeGoddess (Nov 19, 2001)

My dd didn't talk forever! Then one day when she was almost 2, she began having a conversation with my BF Ambeur! It was the coolest thing! Now she has very advanced speech, her teacher thinks she is a riot sometimes. My fav thing she did at an early age was say "I don't care for..." when a person asked her if she liked or wanted something! Like at a birthday party the mom asked if she would like a piece of cake and dd said "No thank you, I don't care for cake."







She was 3.

Edited to add: My dd also crawled and walked early. Crawled at 5 mnths. and walked at 10 mnths. Seems to be a lot of the late talkers here did physical stuff early. That would be a really cool study to do...hello thesis.


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## Jeffiner (Jun 7, 2003)

I don't know when my little friend Alexander (now aged 5) started to talk - I'm guessing quite early, but I'll have to ask his parents when I see them on Sunday. They are philosophy professors specializing in the mind, language and logic, and so you can imagine there is a lot of discussion about these issues at home. And Alex has soaked it right up.

Example: Alex and his dad, S. , popped into a local bookstore while they were out for a walk. S. decided to leave the stroller outside. Alex wasn't too sure about this idea and said, "The stroller might get stolen." "Nobody will steal it," said S.

They came outside a little while later and the stroller was still there. "There, you see?" said S, "I was right. It didn't get stolen."

Alex replied, "But Daddy, I'm right too. I didn't say it WOULD get stolen, I said it MIGHT."

He was 3 years old at the time.


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## BonaDea (Jun 20, 2003)

DS (oldest child) started talking at about 2.5 years.
DD (2nd child) Started talking close to her 3rd B-Day.

Both were communicating via other methods and had great comprehension so it wasn't a *big* deal. But I will admit that 3 was my age of concern for dd. So when she steped up her talking in the 4 weeks prior to her birth day I was thrilled. Now she is 3 years 2 months and is right with the rest of the kids in her age range. I was going to do another (personal) evaluation with her when she was 3.5 yrs but at this point I no longer need to.

Quote:

_Originally posted by coracle_
*What if "walking" meant "without falling down?"*
NOTE: I am taking this out of context.

I do count "walking" as not falling down. Meaning staying on your feet is the "norm" and falling is not. The same I apply to talking. To me talking means saying words that can be intrepreted by most of the people who listen to the child.

That's just to give the reader an idea of where I'm comming from on the talking subject.

Quote:

_Originally posted by Mothernature_
*Of the late talkers, were they early walkers?*
No. #1 started walking at 15-18 months. Talked at 2.5 yrs
No. #2 started walking at 13-14 months. Talked at 3 yrs.


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## solstar (May 26, 2002)

dd #1 talked early, sentences at 11 months.
She was/is behind on motor skills at almost 6 (3yr level on some things wah!). Knew her alphabet and lots of other stuff as a toddler but forgot a lot of things the year I was preg with dd#2. I had hypermesis, threatened mc, so hung out over the toilet most of the time...poor kid.








she walked at 15 months.

She is OBSESSED with science stuff. The latest thing is volcanoes after she went on a road trip with my mom for several weeks to a bunch of states. They visited some prehistoric sites, rhinoceros graveyard, old volcanic areas, picked up obsidian out in the middle of nowhere, visited deserts..that kind of thing.

dd#2 walked at 7 months, actually walked not cruised she had been cruising since 5m.
She also talked early though,in sentences, I don't know if everyone understood what she was saying..I know at least a few people did. She also understood a lot.
She will be 3 in October and talks A LOT!

They both try to ARGUE with me and each other quite a bit.


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## asherah (Nov 25, 2001)

DS is 14 months old.
He has about a dozen words...

Hi (that was first)
Cheese (all food is cheese.. he also says "mmm" if you ask if he wants cheese)
Ki-cat
Feet
side (for outside)
Dada
Ma Ma Ma (usually when he is crying and wants me)
Light
Fish
Birdy
Book

He does what we call "hoarding" words.. He'll say one, very clearly and appropriately.. but then he won't say it again for days or weeks. He undertands lots more.. goes to the bathroom door if I ask whether he wants a "bathy-bath".. smiles and goes for my shirt if I ask if he wants "milkies"

He started walking at 13 months.


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## manitoba_mommy (Jun 20, 2003)

My two eldest talked very late. My oldest was saying her alphabet, counting to ten and nameing colours by 18 months but could not say "Can I have juice, please?" until she was almost 4. She is now going into grade 7 and at the top of her class so I think she caught up ok.

My second on the other hand said her first word at just over a year and did not add another one until close to 2 1/2. She was 4 before she was talking in complete sentences and has just recently (at 6) become understandable by the majority of people. She has been in speech therepy for a while now and I wish I had got her assesed even earlier.

My youngest is babling far more then the other two ever did as babies so I am hopefull we will not have the language issues again.

MM


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## Shanghaimum (Jan 4, 2002)

It is all relative.

My son is 21 months old and has really started talking in the past two months - he now routinely strings 2-3 words together - if he can't say the word, he will use the sign (I think signs really help), or find a picture in a book....

He walked very well at 11 months, started climbing at 12 months, walking up and down stairs by 14 months and has been jumping for months.... When he was a year old, I was very concerned because he hadn't said a word - not even babbled. When he was 14 months I contacted a speech therapist who advised therapy. She saw him once a week for three months - from about 16-19 months old - then he just started talking.

Looking back I think that I was just worrying for nothing. The speech therapy was totally non-invasive and my ds loved it. Every week the therapist would bring a new toy or activity (like bubbles!) and would sit down on the floor with him and 'play' with him for an hour. The biggest thing that I got from it was learning to wait - to not always anticipate all of his needs. My ds and I are very attached and he never needed to say anything ...

I think what made me think he had a problem was that his best buddy (his favourite playmate) started talking in full sentences around 11 months old. Now at 21 months, he regularly says the whole alphabet, and uses words like veterinarian in context (and says them perfectly clearly...)

What I have learned from this experience is that we need to just appreciate our little ones and try, even though it is very hard to do, not to compare them to others.

Emma


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

we are nerds! ds said his first word (his name, Eli!) at about 5 weeks. his second word, "nurse!" came shortly thereafter.. i believe his first sentence (Eli nurse!) was on 4 january of this year.. he's got many more words and sentences (two and three words) now, so it's all good. gtg, he's calling mamma!


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## mum2sarah (Apr 23, 2003)

Daddy-O,

I have heard about the Einstein syndrome, but I think it's important not to assume that if a child talks late he'll be a genius, or if a child talks early she won't be. I think that maybe some of these geniuses are more introspective and thus did not talk early, but I think early talkers have just as much of a chance of being great scientists, mathematicians, or musicians. In fact, my dh and I were both music majors and both in gifted education programs during our school days. Our 15 month old dd has shown an interest in music since she was in the womb, and would respond (by kicking me) to the music I'd play daily at my job teaching string students. I don't believe in pushing music on children and I have not done so in any way with dd; only made music available to her along with other toys. Yet she was blowing throw a recorder, plucking guitar strings, pounding on drums and keyboard all by 9 months of age. I'm not saying she'll be the next Mozart, but I think she has plenty of potential in music, and other academic areas...

AND she was an early talker. She was saying dada at 6 months of age, and meaning it. I remember the first time she said mama. She was a few days shy of 7 months old, and she was tired and really wanting to nurse. DH was holding her and she was starting to whine as we were bidding farewell to a cousin we'd visited. Then she looked me right in the eye and reached her arms to me and said mama, clearly wanting me. She's now 15 months and has a 50 word vocabulary, and even says short sentences, such as "Where's dada?"

However, I have met equally intelligent toddlers who hardly say anything, but who clearly understand every word you're saying. I think that each baby develops on their own unique timetable, and there are so many factor that go into when they start talking. But I don't think it's necessarily an indication of intelligence level one way or another.


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## zeldah (Mar 29, 2003)

My 1st ds talked at 7 months, signed and 3 word sentences at 9 months. DS #2 is following his footsteps, give or take a week or so. Just have to share: tonite (he's just 9 months this week) after finishing supper he slammed down his cup and proudly announced: Iiiiiiiit's Tub Time! (like he's the announcer for the tonite show or something! way too cute)









Having 2 talkers makes me dream of the sounds of silence ... it's the quiet ones that have the music inside.


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## indiegirl (Apr 15, 2002)

I'm not really one to ask b/c my dd has a speech delay because of a moderate hearing loss (she was just diagnosed and got her hearing aids on Tuesday.)

If I can remember correctly, she said her first word ("Hi") at about 15 months. She didn't say Mama until she was over 2 years old. She has been babbling and speaking "Violet-eese" though, since she was one or so. Lots of internal understanding--just not a lot of clarity.

She is just now putting two-word sentences together. She's in speech therapy 2x a week. I wish we would have paid more attention to the guidelines set out and not think that this would resolve on its own. I wish a lot of things, though. I have lots of issues about speech right now. things ARE gettign better. I just can't wait to have a real conversation with violet.


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## Foobar (Dec 15, 2002)

Goo started around 10 months with "ducky" although it sounds a little like "doggie". "doggie is her word for any animal (except her duck) and we are teaching her new ones.
She has about 7-10 words now, her birthday is in a few weeks.

But then again, I am one of those people who just can't talk ot a baby. I spend half of my time with Goo talking in normal, complete sentances in my normal voice, asking her whether she thinks I should use more or less of an ingredient on cooking, what I am eating for lunch, what I am doing when I drive, etc


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

My whole family was early talkers (except for my younger niece & nephew), so I wasn't terribly surprised that Eli started talking to me so young, and to other people as well. (Though people are still absolutely floored when he speaks and they understand him. He's small, so people get hysterical about it! *hehe* :LOL)

An interesting side note, though. My younger brother had 14 ear infections before he was 18 months old and got tubes put in. My mother noticed that he wasn't talking the way my sister and I were, so she had him evaluated thinking there may have been some permanent hearing damage. His hearing was a little off, but his intelligence was well above average. It turned out that he just couldn't get a word in edgewise between my sister and I. We just never shut up. *hehe*


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## mirthfulmum (Mar 3, 2003)

So many early talkers! Kind of leaves me a bit insecure. My 13 month old ds has a few words like mum, dad, kitty, up, bye-bye, but is no where near the scentence stage.
Just out of curiosity, what did you parents of early talkers do to encourage such early speech? Did you play any special games or do special excercises with them? Or did your little ones start talking that quickly on their own?


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I just talked to Eli non stop like he was a real person from the beginning. But like I said, we're very nerdy people. I wouldn't worry too much if I was you, though. I have a 20 month old nephew who only whines (like his mother







: ) and points, and my younger niece is now three and only started speaking in clear sentences this January. 13 months with a few words is perfectly reasonable.







My kid's just a freak, like his mommy.


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## Oklahoma Mama (Feb 12, 2003)

My 16 month old says about 90 consistent words and has just started talking in 2 word phrases. He was behind in his language skills most of his first year of life, but now he is several months ahead. As a former Speech-Language Pathologist I enjoy testing him every month to see how he is doing and record all his new words. I did notice that my ds's language development slowed down a little while he was starting to walk. He started walking consistently at 15 months. Now that he is a pro at walking his language development has taken off again.


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## anythingelse (Nov 26, 2001)

no coorelation between walking & starting to talk in my house. Each child started talking at a dif age, one was 8 months clearly stringing words, another was 4 yrs old and had spent a year in speech therapy to spit out a couple words that were pretty much still unintelligble. The others started about 16-24 mths. Irony is the latest talker was not the one that needed the tubes for repeat ear infections, that was the early talker lol that had the mild hearing loss.
Mary mom of four
ds 14 1/2, ds 9, ds6, dd 3 1/2


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## girlzmommy00 (May 15, 2003)

My oldest and youngest girls started talking at 5 mo and my middle dd wasn't until she was about 7 mo but she was also my preemie.
Lily was just 10 months yesterday. She says da-da or da-dee, mum, book, door, "cap" while she claps her hands, hi and cool (Lauren's 3 1/2 and big on letting you know what's cool and not cool and tells Lily all day that stealing toys and food is "not cool").
She'll also sign for food when she's hungry. It was cute, my aunt noticed the first time and said that it looks like she's signing for food. I'd been trying to teach her but wasn't sure if she was paying attention.
On the walking and talking note. Alyssa started to talk at 5 mo and walk at 9, Lauren talked at 7 mo and walked at 11 but with her adjusted age that really made her 5 mo and 9 mo, so really the same as her sisters. Lily's 10 mo now and talked at 5 mo and looks like she'll be walking any day now. She's trying hard to take her first step alone but hasn't had any success so far.


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