I Know Its Been Asked a Million Times but When Did Ur Baby Start Talking????

I felt the exact same way as you when my son was that age. I brought it up at his 1.5 yr appt and the doctor told me not worry, but it didn't help, I still worried. At 18 months, he could only say "ball", "dada" and "truck". But now at 23 months, his vocabulary is over 50 words. As the other moms have said, don't try to compare him to other kids and as long as you know he is able to hear normally, then try not worry. He'll begin talking before you know it and make up for lost time.

Each child is different but boys are usually quite a bit behind girls in this area. I wouldn't worry if he can say a few words. When he wants something don't just give it to him but try to make him ask for it, he may not yet but then say the word and he will be more apt to try to say one word at a time. I had 4 of each and the girls were way ahead in talking although they weren't all the same either. One daughter talked in sentences around 10 months old. Don't worry. I miss that age and having little ones around so enjoy him.

My son is 22 months old and doesn't speak. A 2 year old should have a vocab of about 15-20 words... my son has the vocabulary of a 10 month old :( As long as your son is jabbering and making baby babble, and trying to mimic sounds (like my son is JUST NOW starting to babble like a baby under a year old), then your kiddo's okay. Usually, for boys, 18 months is when they really start blabbing, then by 2, they can put words together. My son has a severe speech delay, but we're working on it :) PM me if you want more info, he just had his developmental evaluation, so it's all fresh info... we start speech therapy next week :)

My first was speaking in entire sentences by 18 mos. He has never stopped talking!!

My second was like your son, and I asked several times at the doctor about his speech development. What he told me was that he had been observing our interaction, and my son clearly understood just about everything I was saying to him/asking him/directing him to do, so it should be ok. My son is now 27 mos and he is talking non-stop!! His vocabularly exploded right around his 2nd birthday.

I'd ask to have his ears checked by an ENT Dr. I guess I don't really buy into the whole boys take longer to do things than girls since I have 3 boys and all 3 did pretty much everything when they were suppose to or earlier.
Anyway I say have him checked because his ears could be blocked and his pediatrician could be overlooking it. That is what happened with my youngest and that is part of the reason he has a speech delay. It was like he was hearing everything under water. He had tubes and his hearing was so much clearer. It only helped his speech a little but that was the biggest problem.
Your son might just be one of those late talkers but it wouldn't hurt him to have it checked out.

My kids both started talking around a year, and had full sentances by 2. But that shouldn't matter to you!! Don't compare! (I know - it's hard not to, right?)

Your son sounds like he's on track. You can help him develop his words by talking to him all the time. Engage him in conversation even if he can't respond. Point out things and tell him the names. And keep the TV off! Every study ever done shows that kids who are exposed to a lot of TV talk later -- even if it's adult programs on for background noise.

Hi K.,

Don't worry about ever asking a question that has already been asked. I was all over these boards with sleep-related questions when my first child was born...and I'm sure all my questions had been asked tons of times!
My daughter had an extensive vocabulary in two languages by 13 months old, but she is off-the-charts completely when it comes to verbal skills. However, my sister has 6 children and all 6 were exactly where your son is at when they were his age. It's so easy to compare but try not to...as long as you're noticing that his babbling is progressing and becoming more sophisticated, he's okay for now.

My son did not say his first word 'fish' until he was 13 months (we were a little bit concerned) But at his 18 month check up his pediatrician asked how many words were in his vocabulary - I had absolutely no idea - more that I could count. He hasn't stopped talking since then. Fifteen months does not sound too unusual to me.

This is from the Mayo Clinic's website:

By the end of 18 months, your child may:

Point to an object or picture when it's named
Recognize names of familiar people, objects and body parts
Follow simple directions accompanied by gestures
Say as many as eight to 10 words

Their site seems to say that by 2, a child generally has a vocabulary of 50 words, not 5 though.

Our daughter was talking at 11 months, but my niece is 19 months right now and not talking. My good friend didn't start talking until after age 2, but she began speaking in complete sentences. So I think it varies widely from child to child.

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Hmm my son is 18 months and at 15 months he did know few words. I remember he would say hi, bye, no, go, cat and few more words.Now at 18 months he knows a lot more words.These days he tries to repeat whatever he hears. I think your son will get there.

I had my child evaluated by Early Intervention and she gave us these benchmarks:
5-6 words by 15 months
50 words by age 2

If you are concerned, I would suggest that you talk to them and get an evaluation - it's free.

We had my son evalulated at 17 months he had "momma, daddy, bubba (for brother), milk" and maybe 2 other words. They said that was below the benchmark for his age, and so he started speech therapy. Fast forward 4 months, and now he's past 50 words - once he figured it out, his vocab exploded! Would it have expanded this much without the therapist? I don't know, but it sure didn't hurt.

My son (who is now 7) was talking early - he could say 11 words by 12 months and was talking in complete sentences at age 2. Last year in 1st grade he was reading at a 6th grade level. The verbal part of his brain just is advanced. My daughter (who just turned 2) was barely saying anything at 18 months. She could say mama, dada, woof, and some sound effects. At age 2 she now is starting to say more and try out more words. I have not counted how many words she can say bc it is quite a lot now, but she is nowhere near sentences yet. She very proudly can do a 2 word sentence like "bye dada" and you can tell it is a struggle. I think you should not worry at ALL..your son sounds totally normal and like he is doing great. Between 18 months and 2 they change/learn a LOT. If you are still worried when your son turns 2 just talk to your dr again.

Well first of all you should NEVER compare kids. All kids are differant. Second... if your dr is not concerned then you shouldn't be either. My nephew is 16 months and he says a few words. Nothing major. Try talking to him more so that he hears the sounds. If you are really concerned then ask your dr to have his hearing tested. Sounds to me that he is doing just fine. Best of luck!

Kidz are people too :), we ALL decide in our own way & time what we are & aren't going to do, sounds as if your son is listening, paying attention, happy & healthy ( just ask his mom!)...I am the mom of 4 girls, 12 grans, 1 great gran...they ALL (with the exception of the 6mt. old great gran;p) talked @ different times with different words...the only time I EVER really worried was with my now 12 yr old granson who lives with us, EVERYTHING was, "ein", food, me, his boppa, his brother, his sister, bottles, toys, etc., didn't matter what we said/asked him the question/response was the same, "ein" THEN @ about 18months he started talking & you could NOT make him be quiet! He is & has alwayz been on the honor roll @ school, he talks & understands things that I/we have never even thought of!

Hang in there!

My son said his first three words (up, off, and on) at 10 months. (Mama and Dada were at 8 mos) He had 100 words by the time he was 15 mos.

My daughter, on the other hand, wouldn't talk until I got her into speech therapy at 2. Until then, she said Mama, Dada, and bup. (which meant 'up')

They are all different. So, though it's hard not to, I agree with the poster who said don't compare him to other children.

However, I did have a great pediatrician for my daughter. When I expressed my concern at the 18 month check up, our doc said, "If you're concerned, I'm concerned. You know her better than anyone else, and if your instinct says something's wrong, it probably is." Then she wrote up a referral slip for testing for my daughter - first her hearing, then with a speech pathologist. And yes, my daughter did/does have apraxia. Although she talks non-stop now at age 9, she is still in speech for her "r" sound.

So, if you are concerned, I'd say have her checked out.

They were speaking well before age 1, sentences and phrases before 2 and paragraphs by ages 2 to 3.

I have two girls though so far, they are notoriously sooner speakers than boys.

I agree not to compare kids though, im pregnant with a boy and i will try my hardest not to compare him to my first two.

My son had 5 or 6 words by age 2 (mama, dada, baba, up). No worries, because he CLEARLY understood everything being said around him, and communicated just FINE, just not in words. Then right around age 2 he had a language explosion had hundreds of words and was speaking in full sentences with spot on grammar.

I'm reeeeeally glad I never looked at the "how many words" by age thing or I'd have freaked out. My mum DID freak out, but my godmother is a speech pathologist and wasn't worried a bit after only 5 minutes with him at dinner one night.

SO TOO... My son was on the 'bilingual pathway' which has TOTALLY different milestones (typically 1 year off until age 3 or 4), when everything just 'syncs'.

Seriously, though, language explosion at age 2, and reading by 2.5 and reading fluently by 3.

Trust your gut. If your gut says something is off, there probably is. If your brain says something is off, then it's probably just mom-guilt-worry-comparisons-aaaaaaaah!!!.

I had two talk about 13-15 months, single words and two word sentences. I had one talk very early, sentences by a year. THen there was baby #3. She screeched at me, she grunted, she pointed.
#2, the early talker, did everything for her little sister so #3 didn't have to say anything.
She finally started talking when Sissy went to school. #3 was about 32 months.
I didn't respond to her grunting and screeching and I didn't give her anything until she tried to say a word to me. She is now fine and sometimes out talks her sister. :o)
I did have her evaluated by every doctor and specialist I could find. THey all said she'll get it.

I wouldn't worry until closer to 18 months. Also, it's not such a concern if he's not talking as it is if he's not trying to communicate. Does he point to things? Does he point to something and then look at you to see if you are looking at what you are pointing at? Your doctor should ask you about these things at the 18 month check up. Until try not to worry.

our twin grandsons were 15 months Sunday 10-23, one is walking and the other is not, crawling mostly and walks with push toys, but he says pop, duck, truck , dada and the other walks and just says pop , dada...Peditrician says not to worry yet and we trust him...Their sister walked at 16 months and I think they really start talking at age 2 yrs. more...good luck...God Bless.