My 18 month old isn't talking yet......How old was your child?

My son is nine months and he was very early in development with his motor skills and he's just babbling still basically. He was holding his head up in the hospital and the nurses were suprised, he was rolling over at two weeks - which the doctor couldn't believe, he was sitting up @ five months and had two teeth. Soon he was practicing for crawling getting into position with his butt in the air like a stink bunk and then stretching his legs out so it looked like he was ready to do a push up - just really strong. At eight months he was already crawling - but not too much cross crawling and now at just nine months he's standing on everything, and on his own for very short periods and speedily getting from one area of trouble to another. Yet again, although he says mama and dada - he only really uses dada in reference to a person - my husband, mama he uses for a lot of things not just getting my attention. The rest is just gibberish. On the other hand, my niece was talking by this age and by one she knew how to count fairly high, knew her colours and many shapes (some I never remember). I was reading at two years old and couldn't tie my shoes until third grade and even now have trouble with that and other motor skills - I'm quite clumsy! That said, maybe you can ask for his hearing test to come sooner. A friend of mine whose daughter is now a pre-teen worried about her daughter not speaking and it turned out to be a problem with her ears and now she's just fine! Good luck and keep us posted.

I guess children vary, some they pick up soon and some are a bit late. Your kid is normal but for your peace of mind, just take ur kid 2 a doctor and he'll just give u a few tips. Don't worry.

I can only talk from experience so not sure how much you want to take or leave! lol My son will be 18 months on the 22nd and I can remember at 15 months old, I had some stupid lady ask me "What?? Your 15 month old doesn't talk??".... Not only did she NOT know my child, but she also didn't know what effect that had on me!! So yeah, like the next day I was on the phone with my son's doctor because I was freaking out thinking there is something wrong with him.. I'll tell you what his doctor told me. He said that boys are normally slower then girls. Don't know why, they just are. Their development is much slower until about like 16 years of age I think? WEird! So anways, also he did point out that second child will more then likely be slower to talk because they have everyone to talk for them. Another thing to think about, are you teaching your child a 2nd language? Signing, spanish, anything else? That will also make it seem as though your child is learning slower. Which is totally not true because they could excel in one language and then that makes you think that they are not picking up english. I am teaching my son to sign. He knows alot in sign lanauge and up untill about a month ago, wasn't saying much english. He now repeats everything and tries at least to tell you what he wants. Is your child understanding you? If you say "juice" can she comprehend (juice is just an example of course, could be anything you say on a regular basis)? Or bottle or just something that you use regularly with her. Because if she isn't understanding you, then their might be a hearing problem. Don't get freaked out! but that could be part of it. Especially if her little teeth are coming in (ear infections). My sister in law helped me get a boost on my son's speech by making me drag out a vowl in the word that I am trying to teach my child. Like for please: make it pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese. It worked! He knew out to sign the word please but after doing that, he now says it.

My son is 18 months old and has only, over the past couple of weeks, started to say words. I was worried that he wasn't speaking but it will happen just that some children develop quicker than others. Your daughter may not be speaking as much because it may be that others speak for her and she does not feel the need to talk! Does your older daughter talk for her? When my little sister was born she was 2 before she started talking as my little brother would tell us what it was she was wanting.

my daughter was around 1 when she started talking but it took until she ws about 16 months old to really understand what she was saying. My son was a little lazier lol, he didnt start talking until he was 18 months old and wasnt understood properly until he started nursery when he was 3. Have you tried talking to your health visitor or doctor? it may be that she just needs a couple of speech therapy lessons to get her going as it were but most doctors i know arent too bothered unless the child is 2 years old or over and still not talking. Either way its soemthing to keep in mind. hope that helps

I think you should be patient enough. My daughter is 33months old, and she talked when she was 20 months old.Now she talks well.My suggestion is that you talk much first,then she will follow you.Though sometimes her words don't sound reasonable, we should keep doing so.

Was your 18 month an early walker? Just asking because I've always heard that kids who walk early tend to talk late, and vice versa. I know that with my son it was definitely true. He was a late walker, and didn't really start walking around on his own all the time until he was 16 months old. By then he could talk in complete sentences. lol Last time we went to the pediatrician, for his 18 month check up, the nurse told us that he should know at least 5 words then, and be putting two words together by the time he was 2, but that was it. She was new, so she was really surprised when he started talking to her just a few minutes later.

Two of my children were very early talkers and walkers but the one in the middle was a lot slower, he seemed to lack confidence in most things like toilet training, walking etc, but the eldest and youngest were starting to talk at 9mths and walked at 11mths and were toilet trained and in single beds before they were 2yrs old. My grandchildren were very early at most things too, one was walking at 9mths and never crawled at all and boy could he climb. It is interesting to watch my great grandaughter now and to see how she progresses, she rolled over at a week old and frightened the life out of her mum, she is a bit slow at talking, but walked early, I am proud to say that I toilet trained her while holidaying with her, she is now 2 1/2 and a little blessing. I wouldn't worry too much about her as long as you are talking to her and incouraging her, she will talk soon enough. A friend of the familys boy was nearly 3 before you could make sense of his babble, he is now a young man at college and is a very lovely intelligent young man. Perhaps mention your concerns to the doctor next time you are there with her. God Bless and have a great day.

toss out any books you may have on babies, the babies have never read them. Babies do what there gonna do when they are ready to do it. Parents worry entirely too much if a child isn't doing such and such at certain ages. I had 2 kids that learned to walk at 9 and 10 months old and talked at a yearand a half, but the 3rd and oldest was talking in 2 and 3 word sentances a year but didnt evev try to walk until she was over a year and a half. My brother didn't really talk much untill he was 3. My advice, relax and enjoy you lil one. :)

Hi, I feel that you should consult a doctor and check with him. That will help you. Don't worry. Some children takes time to start talking. But, to be on a safer side, please do consult a doctor. Take care.

my daughter could count to 20 at 18 months and talk to her as if she was about 5 but guess she is an exception didnt realise she was any different till the other week.

After I read your paragraph the first thing that came to mind was the following: why should I bother talking when I've got a chatty 3 year old sister and a mom who knows that I know exactly what she's saying! It's really wonderful that she says your name - it took my daughter 18 months to finally call me Mommy. There have been moments when I've wished she never figured it out!

Heeyyyy babygurl, I had the same problem (with my 18 month old that is). And when he started talking by the 20th month we just cant get him to stop. Don't worry you wil be in the same boat soon enough.