(Marlowe with Adoration. Kristina’s daughter from Altogether Beautiful)
Marlowe isn’t exactly what I would call a “talker”. She’ll be one and a half years old in just a few short weeks, but she still won’t mutter more than a handful of words (hardly a handful, honestly). Don’t get me wrong, she gets her point across, just without words. I’m completely certain that if she really wanted to talk, she could and would. But she doesn’t. Honestly, behind this screen, I’m not really a talker either (her dad too), more times than not, I’ve heard that at first glance, I come across mean or intimidating, but the reality is: I’m shy and quiet. I’m working on it, no really, I am. Not only do I pay more attention to my *bitch face*, but also, my general shyness has improved tenfolds since having a kid. My mom always jokingly (jokingly, right mom?) worried that I would NEVER talk to Marlowe and she would be some sort of mute. That’s not the case. We chat a lot. I mean, I’ll admitedily say: I won’t ever sing to the girl because I wouldn’t want to scare or traumatize her, but we do talk quite often and we read (not exaggerating) at least 30 books a day. I’ve had one person question why I’m not more worried about her developmental standing when it comes to speaking. I was… um… a bit offended? Babies and kids don’t all learn the same things at the same time. I mean, how creepy, unoriginal, and boring would that be if every kid learned to say “mama” at the same age and day. We all learn things differently, at our own pace, and that doesn’t make one advancement better or worse than another. Yeah, I mean she doesn’t open her mouth to say more, but she communicates really well, she is incredibly smart, and she is excelling in so many other areas. I mean, the girl decided to start walking 3 days after her ten month birthday, she can now pick out just about any animal you ask her about (whether it be in a book, a puzzle, or bin of finger puppets), she can find (or put back) any item in the house you ask her to find (when she wants), and (very scarily) she knows how to pick up my iPhone, slide it to unlock it, go to youtube, and start playing baby einstein videos (you’ve gotta have good coordination for that!), among a million other things. We looked into the baby sign language thing, but after testing out a few videos, I don’t think it’s for us (I would like her to study ASL in the future, but right now doesn’t seem to be the time). We do just fine without the baby sign language and I am certain that in due time, she will be blabbering full sentences. It’ll be like this whole “MOM. I DON’T WANT TO TALK” thing never happened.
Words she says now: “bye”, “dd-dd- bed” (as in telling Jerry to “go to bed!”), “bird”, “woof” (do animal sounds count as a words?), “moo”, and for a short while she said “m-milk”. Lately she has been making more noises that seem like she might be trying to say something, but it’s really hard to tell. Like “Jerry”… sounds more like “Rer-ry”, but she is often patting him when she says it, so I think it counts.
I don’t mind my kid being late to the talking game. She’s got it down everywhere else. And in her own time and speed, she will be caught up in talking too…. or maybe not. She is definitely an observer, and watching her now, I highly doubt she will be shy. But who knows, maybe she will always be the quiet, “weird” kid in the corner drawing and creating away, just taking everything in. That’s okay too. She’s a smart girl and I’m pretty certain she will always excel in being awesome.
What about you guys? Do you worry about your children fitting into a certain range? When did your kiddos (or babies) start talking? How many words can they say now? Are they talk-talk-talkitive? Are you? 🙂
Happy Tuesday!
77 Comments
In all honesty, I bet you'd be shocked to find out how much she is actually "saying." My little guy is only 14 months, but I had this period where I didn't think he was actually saying anything or making the connections until we had a visit with the pediatrician, and she was like, "Oh no. He's actually saying a lot." Come to think of, I'm still really careful of what I say he knows vs. what I think he knows vs. what others say he knows, if that makes sense at all (ha.) I'm sure Marlowe has her own little language in there, and if she's anything like my little brother, she'll be two and just start speaking in full sentences straight out of the blue.
First-time commenter here.
I loved this post and I can relate so well. I don't have a child yet (I've had trouble), but I often think about how late my child will talk because I'm shy and quiet and I can't imagine myself just babbling at my child who doesn't talk back to me. Reading is easy, but just talking for no reason? I can't. I don't talk unless I have something to say. Both my husband and I are like this.
I also have a bitch face. I feel so bad because I have had people say that their first impression is that I'm mean or abrasive but I'm really not. I'm just shy and if you take a minute to actually talk to me you'll realize that. I'm harmless. I've been trying to consciously smile more but it's hard. I'm not an outgoing person.
I'm sure Marlowe will be fine and you're right, all kids talk at different rates. My niece is 2, and while she knows a good amount of words she is really shy and barely talks. She shortens most words to one syllable or whispers. At home with only a couple of people she'll talk more, but that's it. Marlowe could just be content being quiet!
I have a son, 2yr 4mo. At 18 months he probably had about 10 words, and a few mumbles. He has a cousin, my sisters son whose 3 months older, who started fully talking at 18 months, so of course when my son turned that 3 months later, family compared and thought there MUST be something wrong with mine lol. Well, my son at 2 was saying 2 word sentences, and now, i LITERALLY CAN NOT SHUT HIM UP! He speaks 10 word sentences now without a breath (pretty funny to watch), and can say a lot of words even better than his cousin now. HA! And there's nothing wrong with my son, he even knows all his abcs now! so enjoy this time, and ignore the ignorant people. she'll learn at her own pace, just like my son. They all start talking, appreciate the quiet for now
Niko was a late talker too but i never really worried. i don't like comparing my kids too much, i do talk to other moms about those kind of things but like you, i know each kid is different and learns at their own rate. i also hear that when your child is more active they don't have the patience or want to start talking. luna just turned two last month and she doesn't say full sentences either, or talks very much. she even whispers when she tells me things.
once Marlowe starts talking, she won't stop! you're probably going to be wishing for silence like i do! haha.
marlowe is doing awesome. anyone who told you to be concerned is insane.
My kidlet is 20 months now and she is just starting to be more verbal & repeat words we teach her. Before now, all she said regularly was daddy and kitty. Watch for a sleep regression (sorry!) because that'll be M gearing up for the developmental progression.
having studied child development during my stint in early childhood education and psychology, i think you should really only worry if your kid doesn't talk at all before five. but i mean, most kids, talkative or not, will have built a pretty good vocabulary by that time. it shouldn't be something to worry about, and anyone telling you otherwise is just kidding themselves.
also, i have bitch face too. except mine is of the smirking, apparently full-of-myself, "cat-smile" variety. my smile is very akin to this smiley –> :3 and i get a lot of people calling me a snob or a bitch because it looks like i think highly of myself (and therefore, look down on others??? dunno). i never get the 'smile!' stuff, i always get the 'bitch, who do you think you're smirking at???' from others. it makes me sad because just cuz i smile like a cat, doesn't mean i think i'm royalty…. 🙁
I also have a 16-month-old who doesn't talk much…he jabbers and makes kitty noises and says 'mama' and also screams a lot like little Nalani two comments above. I knew from the time he was kicking me 24/7 in the womb that he would be a wild child! He seriously has the motor skills of a three year old (okay, maybe just a LITTLE exaggerated), and I think the talking just keeps putting itself off because his dextrous little fingers keep him entertained all day long. Whatever the case, everyday gets more and more fun–he could be mute and I would still love him the same, either way.
Maybe you could google "indigo children", thats what they are called too….
maybe you could google "indigo children", as far as I know, thats another term for these phenomenom…
xoxo Trine
I hate when people try to suggest there is something "wrong" with your child because they haven't met some supposed milestone, even though they are fine in every other day. It drives me nuts. When my baby was 4ish months she occasionally had cross eyes and my husbands family had me so worried about it being some kind of sign of physical and MENTAL problems that I took her into the doctor and basically asked if my child was "slow". Looking back I realize how silly I had been for listening to anyone but myself. I knew she was fine! She's 17 months yesterday and she now has a vocabulary of over 50 words and can count to 10. She has phrases too, and is currently telling her toy monkey to "SIT DOWN!". 🙂 All children are different and they will learn at their own pace.
My daughter (16 months old) doesn't say a lot of real words. Mostly just mama. I'm not joking however when I say that she wakes up "talking" her jibberish from the bed until she goes down. She also screams a lot *sigh*. Crawling was another story. She was a very late crawler and I was a worry wart at first until I finally took a deep breath and decided she would reach her milestones whenever she was ready. Like one of my mommy friends told me, "They all walk, talk, and drive you crazy by the time they're teenagers anyways!" LOL too true!
Nalani (16 months) does not speak real words yet other than mama, she does babble a lot though. I'm talking upon waking she's off the charts holding conversations. She also screams A LOT. *Sigh*. I'm not too worried about development either. She started crawling really late and I was sort of being a worry wart about it, but then when she did start crawling I figured out that she'll hit all her milestones when she's meant to. Like one of my mommy friends said… they all walk, talk, and drive you crazy by the time they're teenagers anyways. LOL. Too true. 🙂
Sounds like she started walking early, so I won't worry about it. Kids that walk early, talk later. She will start talking more and more the closer she gets to 2 years. Just wait. She will be talking your ear off before you know it.
Given I'm only a speech pathology student, but we all talk about "windows" that means add about 3-5 months onto whatever "milestone age" the "experts" say kids should be doing stuff at.
And as far as random people/mothers giving you their two cents on how your child is behind? Totally inappropriate IMO.
My son had only one word at 1 year. His pediatrician recommended getting him assessed for Early Intervention. They assessed and decided he could use therapy but the government disagreed (the government has final say in the matter). We worried a lot about it. His pediatrician recommended another assessment at 24 months. He was assessed but this time he had 30 words and they decided he was fine. Basically, I think that people are too worried about delays now – things that wouldn't have concerned anyone a couple of generations ago. My husband is not a big talker, like you, and he was the primary caregiver for the first year of my son's life. M sounds very intelligent and coordinated. I wouldn't worry unless she gets past 3 years and still only has a few words.
My son was 2 in January and still isn't talking – just lots of jargoning. He definitely gets his point across though and is a bright, cheery little boy. We are going to a playgroup for late talkers and are seeing a pediatrician but they aren't massively concerned to be honest. The speech therapist said to me the books that state this and that are mere guidelines and the reality of the cases of what they see are lots of kiddies talking once over 3 – just late bloomers. I follow his lead everyday and just chat about what he's interested in. The speech therapist told me that action words – zoom, go – exclamations – wow! hey! & animal noises are the first step in encouraging toddlers to talk.
I get worried when I Google 'late talking 2 year old' etc. – *slaps own hand to stop!* 🙂
My best friend, totally one of the nicest people ever, has "bitchface" I never understood why people thought she was snobby when we were younger, but I get it now!
Kids will do their thing when it is time, so while it is a good idea to make a note of it for future reference, you are doing the right thing by recognizing she will talk when she is ready. 🙂
I am not talkative, especially around people in large groups, but we babble constantly to my daughter (13 months). My husband never shuts up. Ever. So she hears a lot of conversation. For a while, we thought she may have a speech delay (at less than one, really? what? neurotic much?) but when we mentioned it to the peditrician she basically told us to quit being crazy. After that, the talking started. She repeats all sorts of words, but won't say them unless she wants to. Other times, she is still quiet as a mouse and lets her desires be known through points and grunts like a cave-baby.
Basically, the doctor told us that it is all "totally normal" and kids develop differently. She said if E could say at least 2-3 words, we were fine. She says tons now, but only as she sees fit. So.
We all do it differntly. Period. From the beginning to the end it is no exact science. Judging from the photos and such here, she's doing damn good. 🙂
As a fist time mom I think its hard sometime to not be sizing your kid up. My little bit is pretty quick on the words for her age but always a few weeks or a month behind on the motor skills, but my mom warned me that all of her kids were quick to talk and slow to walk etc. I have other friends who's babies are the opposite–quick to crawl, walk, etc and slow to talk. I think it's whatever is right for your kiddo, since every kid is different.
Another thought I had is that maybe M not talking as much may be a tribute to how intuitive you are as a mom. I mean you seem really attentive and engaged with M and if you are less talkative then you probably pick up on her non-verbal communication and meet her needs, so she's not feeling the urgency to talk to communicate because you all have your own thing going on and she is happily getting her needs met. Plus like other moms have said kids at M's age can go from 3-4 words to full sentences in a matter of a week or a month. They don't call it a language explosion for nothing!
Our little girl started off with very few words and mainly communicated nonverbally. That lasted til she was a little over two. Then out of no where she has like a full vocabulary, she is now 4. We do sign time with her, she does really well with it and can sign her whole abcs and the basics. She is a chatterbox and it is scary the words she uses and that she uses them properly. I love that she can talk and that she has such a large vocal but at the same time to me it happened so fast. I am so proud of her but she is growing up way too fast.
I tell her all the time turbo(her nickname from daddy) slow down your growing up too fast..her exact response from the last time i told her this was " But I just have to grow up, I have to get big and strong, I cannot wait to be like 25."
I've always been on the quiet side, but Adoration is a little chatterbox (must get it from her dad.) Marlowe is the sweetest and you can tell she is smart as a whip. I wouldn't worry about her one bit. At some point she's gonna be spittin' out complete sentences and you'll be like "where did that come from??" <3
Next time, I won't even try to talk. We can just let Adoration hold our conversation for us. The quiet in us will be content. ps. maybe zoo friday?
Those milestone books/charts should be thrown away. It's ridiculous to worry mothers/judge kids like that, they are all so unique and different that they get there in their own way. She communicates in her own way obviously and that is just perfect…
I couldn't agree more.
i'm a total chatter box, and so is my 9 month old daughter. she babbles all the time, has ever since she was born (cooed in her sleep and while awake.) i'll have her in her playpen and she'll sound as if she's having conversations with her toys.
however, she barely crawls. she'll only army crawl backwards, really slowly. i worry about her motor skills sometimes…only because i know babies who are the same age as her who are experienced crawlers and some that even cruise.
but, like you said, children learn and develop at their own rate. she'll talk the talk but not walk the walk. 😉
Ugh, I hate people who tell you when things SHOULD happen with your child! My niece is almost 15 months and she started walking at 10 months! She doesn't talk either, just "mama" and "dada". All kids develop differently and there shouldn't be any worries 🙂
P.S. I have a lot of mediums in my family, it is usually on the female's side. Do you have any psychic history in your family? It would most likely then be passed down to M.
I don't really know anything about that stuff quite honestly. I check my horoscope about three times a year, thats usually as far as I dive into any of it. But I will say that a woman once told my mom that she and I were sisters in a past life… and me and my mom have always had a really good connection, not just relationship. I wake up with a stomach ache, I call her: she has one too. She wakes up feeling like she's catching a cold, she calls me: and I've got one too. 1,500 miles apart and the nights she doesn't sleep, I don't sleep and so on and so on.
A good friend of mine is a single mama and her daughter is pretty amazing. I'm convinced she too is a crystal child. Anyway, they came over one evening and I had my rose quartz sitting out and the little gal went straight to it. She's not much of a talker either, but you can tell she's got a lot tumbling around her little head. She loved that rock like crazy. Maybe Marlowe would benefit from having a rose quartz in the house. Personally, it's one of my favorites – along with the moonstone. Anywho's. Great post!
My oldest dude didn't say a word until he was over 2. He's still a pretty aloof type of dude, but he's totally fine. Does well in school, play sports, has best buds, fights with his brothers, gives me the skunk eye. Totally awesome in his own way. Every kid is different, right?! And I love your photos. Every time I come over here I think that.
I get so sick of the pressure for your child to be excelling at everything before they've even left the womb! It's ridiculous & isn't that what school is for? Marlowe sounds ridiciously onto it, I don't think kids are even supposed to say more than a few words at her age! Isobel is 16months & has lately been spewing out a few words like animal sounds, mama, dadu, elmo, cat, dog, train noises, flower etc but it's the fact that she understands almost every word I say that matters & it sounds like Marlowe is the same. She'll just come out one day & spew it all out one day I reckon.
My Eli turned two the end of January and still only says a few words. Like Marlowe, he's very communicative otherwise. He can point out and say letters E and O. We read books all day long and he's obsessed with music. He learned to unlock my iPhone a month before he turned one, and now he knows more shortcuts on the thing than I do. He edits pictures, plays Angry Birds, and watches videos on it. I'm getting my PhD in Health Communication, specializing in maternal & infant health, and I agree with you–kids advance at their own pace. I see no need to worry. To me, raising a loving child is more important than making sure he reaches milestones when the books say he should.
"To me, raising a loving child is more important than making sure he reaches milestones when the books say he should." THIS.
"To me, raising a loving child is more important than making sure he reaches milestones when the books say he should." THIS.
every single one of my children were late talkers. jonas reminds me a bit of marlowe. he is very intelligent and i knew at that time it was nothing to worry about. i worried a little bit about josh, but that is only because he was born with a moderate hearing loss. but he is four now and right on track. jess is just starting to say more than a handful of words but we "talk" and communicate in other ways. i don't know, i've always felt that if something is wrong (like in the form of autism or other behavioral/social disabilities) that as a parent you would know. honestly, jon and i both had that "feeling" with josh when he was a newborn and turns out those parent instincts were right.
i say keep being the wonderful mama you are! you have nothing to worry about. you have one smart amazing little girl 😉
My son is still only 8 months, but he seems much more inclined to crawl and cruise and climb right now than speak. He only very recently started what could be considered babbling, but not very often, and only in short bursts. I worry on and off that I don't talk to him enough. He's with just me for a large part of the day, and I'm a pretty quiet person in general (who also suffers from bitchface).
I just mentioned above, but more times than not we have music going in the house to fill the quiet gaps. Makes me feel a little better about not constantly talking. And more recently I've started playing videos for her on the computer or phone (no tv house), but I have mixed emotions about that.
well, you met Lily. she says just about everything and when at home, doesn't shut up. ever.
when she was a baby, she was the serious type (still is at times) and people would always feel intimidated by her. (like really?)
she definitely only started talking when she knew she could say the word right. same with potty training, i'm convinced that she will only be ready when she knows she will be fully 100% sure she can do it by herself.
so, like you said, kids all develop at their own speed. i met Marlowe and think you have nothing to worry about. she's a smart cookie.
Lily who?
😉
bitch face. LOL
I've been thinking a lot about this lately, because I'm not much of a talker, at all. My baby is only 11 weeks but all the newsletters (because I get about a million of them) stress how I should be talking to him ALL THE TIME. I do talk to him, and quite often, but I think he'll grow into a quiet child. And I think that's okay.
I didn't read any newsletters… but my mom was kind of like a "MUST TALK ALL THE TIME" newsletter. More times than not we have music going in the home (by Marlowe's demands of course) and I feel like that fills a lot of the quiet time gaps.
I play a lot of music and try to be more aware and read things out loud. And of course, story time.
It took a long time for my niece to talk. So long that her daycare teachers insisted that my sister bring her to all sorts of specialists (everything was FINE) and had the early childhook intervention teachers come to her house to work with her one or two days a week (all they did was ask her about her dolls and watch her play, super helpful, I guess?) We never had any problem communicating with her, nor her with us. Even though she didn't use many words, she always knew what we were saying to her. Definitely a stubborn little girl.
Now she is five, and she never shuts up.
ah, sounds identical to M.
I feel like she's going to smart mouth me by the age of 5.
I think everyone worries about their child matching up with other kids because there is always another kid their age that's a few steps ahead. But I think unless there are some real red flags in your kid's development pushing your kid to be at a stage they're just not ready for is undue stress for mom and baby. And we all know how stress is helpful to the family.
And in response specifically to the "aren't you worried about her not talking" thing.. My son is in an art class for 1 and 2 years old and I commented to a nanny about her kid having such a large vocabulary. She proceeded to give me instructions on how to get my kid to talk more. "You know I would say mmmiiiiillllkkk, really draw out the word." Oh, thanks, I never thought to over-annunciate something. And also, again, can we please talk about how every kid is different regardless of how loud you talk at them?
I talk, a lot, but I've always been really anxious and shy. It just takes me getting comfortable and then I have a lot to say. However, my daughter? She didn't really talk early and she still makes little sense to people who don't know her (we call it a mush mouth 🙂 but she NEVER shuts up, it doesn't matter who you are she'll talk to you. She could talk all day and not get tired of it. She replays every event that happens throughout the day even if I was there. And she'll throw someone under the bus so fast you won't even know what hit you! If I ask her about playing with her cousins it's inevitable she'll tattle on her male cousin for crying the whole time haha. Kids just move at their own pace and some have more energy to talk than others. I'd love a bit of quiet now again, especially when she wakes up in the middle of the night with an important conversation to carry on.
hahah too funny!
My son, Ben, is 18.5 months old and doesn't have many "real" words. He will go vroom, and choo choo, and "don't" and "DA" for bye…nothing very consistent though. I have been extremely worried but he seems to understand things and he has a Doctor appointment soon, so we'll see what they say. Originally the doctor wanted me to call Early Intervention but I haven't since he has developed a word or 2, although I do know he is behind. You can't compare your children to others…you will drive yourself crazy (that is what I keep telling myself) 🙂
i'm still laughing art your mom's comment. i can just see you two sitting and just staring at each other. LOL!!!
also, the term "crystal child" kinda gives me the creeps. just sayin 🙂
now you have me giggling. I think I'm so quiet because my mom talked enough for the both of us 🙂 THANKS MOM. (I guarantee she will read this).
Also, ditto. I just found it weird, but i don't really buy into a lot of that stuff.
Marlowe is just fine.
My son and daughter didn't talk much until they were three.
They said a few words here and there, but they were stubborn and like you said with Marlowe that if they wanted to talk they would.
They are both talking now and sometimes I feel like too much! lol.
Heck my two oldest didnt crawl until a year old and didn't walk until 15 months. So they were not as advanced as other kids, but no one ever worried about them. They are just stubborn and don't like to try new things unless they are very confident in doing them 🙂
No worries, your baby will start talking when she is ready. My son was the same way about showing instead of speaking & they started him in speech therapy at about 2 years because he wasn't "saying enough" & he ended up purposely struggling so that the visits would continue (too smart for his own good) & at three he was enrolled in an early childhood pre-school to help, & by the first day of school in fall — he was talking like a pro. I'm a firm believer he just wanted to go "play" He could do it, he just .. didn't. =) As for my sweet Ripsi, she is 15 months & talks like a champ already —- complete opposite. No worries, she won't be weird. She'll be perfect. <3
I've always been very shy and quiet too. I'm sure there were people I went to school with who never heard me speak. I also often heard that people thought I was stuck-up and it really hurt my feelings. I'm curious to see if my son will be a talker since his dad is the extreme opposite of me. I agree with you that all kids do things in their own time and there's no need for people to be rude about it.
I like looking at both parents (especially when they are complete opposites) and guessing what their kid will look like. I would CRY if I had to go up to any stranger as a kid, and skipped out or sat in the back for any school performances, but Alex, well, I watched a school performance of his from when he was really little and he was one step forward and singing and dancing louder than anyone. It's kinda exciting to wonder what M will be like when her time comes to talk to unknown people or sing in front of a crowd.
One day, a long time from now, come back and let me know if your son is a talker!
Drea,
I am SO glad you posted. My daughter, Clara, is 11 months old. She "creeps" but other than that, she hasn't tried anything physically new (crawling, hands n knees, standing, pulling up, walking around furniture, getting into a sitting position by herself) in 3 months. She only says "da-da" and any other word seems like a fluke. We've been working on sign language, but it isn't going very well.
I struggle with comparing her (not to other children, but comparing her development over the past several months) and doubting myself as a parent.
Thank you so much for writing what you did.
Laura
http://frombean2baby.blogspot.com
Kids do things on their own time. Eric didn't do ANYTHING 'til much later (not sure of exact age) but his mom always told me how he was so slow to move and joked that he was lazy. Now look at him, he's doing great for himself and has no problems 🙂 hehe.
I definitely wouldn't worry. Maybe Clara will turn out to be some musical genius or something.
<3
this is a great post and one i really needed to read. My dr at the time (i have since switched dr's because of this) told me that charlie (my son who is 17 months) is not talking up to standard yet and i should be worried about things like autism even thought he has hit all of his other mile stone and even the ones for 18 months. he has so many ways of communicating other than talking and because myself and his dad were late talkers i am not worried at all. I love reading your blog. thanks for writing!
It's funny you should mention that… when reading about "crystal children" it said autistic children are often times "crystal children" or "indigo children". I think it's a way of looking at a difficult situation and finding comfort at looking at the positives traits. Someone mentioned down below that "parents know" and I think it's true. Each parent can see all the positives and negatives of their child… they raise them. (I'm not putting down doctors here but) Doctors only spend a few short moments with the child… and while there are a lot of things that can be easily diagnosed at one glance, many developmental problems are a bit more challenging to diagnose… especially in babies and kids so young! No matter what parents just need to know that there are milestones that kids will hit, miss, and pass, everything can be worried about in its own time, no need to over worry!
I wouldn't qualify 1.5 years old as a late talker. My first child only said very few words and would rarely try phrases because it was just me and her and her dad, but our second kid is a jabbermouth because she has more people talking to her. And honestly, those traits on your list fit a lot of kids. Like the vegetarian thing you can't really count because you chose this diet for her, it wasn't like she had the entire menu of options when she started eating and chose to be vegan. Now she probably prefers it because that's all she knows. Labels are so irritating, even the ones that are cute/hippie/positive ones.
I don't thinkers late either! Def not early either though.
I agree with you on the vegetarian thing. That why I didn't list it and something extra relatable.She enjoys vegan food, but I can't say she prefers it cause she hasn't had the other.
Adelaide is 14.5 months and although she babbles all the time, she doesn't say many "words"… just dada, mama, cah (cat), dah (dog), da-da (baby), yeah, da (that), and mmm (does that count?)… see, most of her words aren't really words, but I know what they mean, so I guess they count? I'm not worried at all. Like Marlowe, Adelaide walked early, just before 10 months. And now she runs, climbs, pulls herself up (like, toes off the ground!), and plays rough. And she's smart. So I'm not worried about the language development.
I'm waiting on mama! M has no idea what dads means, but you can ask her "who's mama?" and she points to me. Good enough for now 🙂
My son only recently (he's 2 1/2) started calling me Mama. Mama was his first word for milk and if not that then his dad… I came last. 🙁
Wait, Marlowe doesn't talk about her past lives? What kind of creature are you raising? Hahaha
Crystal children sound just LOVELY and I wish I could be one!
Hahaha. YOU ARE A CRYSTAL CHILD.
You & Kristina hung out! Aw man, so jealous. She hails from us. Much love to you both.
We have and do. She's a sweet mama.
Marlowe is totally fine. Just like you said, each child grows at their own pace. My daughter only said a handful of words for the most part. She was about a year and a half (maybe a little over that) when her vocabulary started to grow. And even now, she has her own language that she prefers. But, she too gets her point across.
So long as you understand her, and she's doing really well in other areas I don't see the need to worry. 🙂
Sometimes I wish I was a bit more "quiet". I have verbal diarrhea. ::sigh:: the grass is always greener.
Haha right on.
Right on attitude here, celebrate what they can do and relax about the things they're taking their time to figure out. I'm a single mum to a nearly-one-year old boy, and maybe the best thing I've learned this year is to relax and not compare him to any other baby. We hang out with about a dozen other babes from my antenatal group and in the beginning it got a bit stressful in my head when I noticed the other babies were doing things mine wasn't. But they are all so different (and wonderful!) and all get there in their own time. The last thing my child needs is extra pressure from me. So I wait, and delight in all the things he has mastered, and admire him figuring out more and other things every day.
Uhm. I also have bitchface. Random strangers regularly tell me to smile… which just increases the bitchface (except then it's real because I hate them… just a little). My mom didn't talk till she was 3 (she didn't need to, she had so many siblings that she never had to ask for anything she needed). She's one smart lady, so Marlowe's probs totally fine.
Bitch faces unite! And yeah, highly irritating when people tell you to smile. Thy don't know what's going on. It's could be roses and rainbows or something serious could be going on.
I'm not really talkative unless it's with the right person but my son talks A LOT. He said his first coherent word at 7 months, which was 'dada.' He easily says a huge variety of words and his vocabulary grows stronger every day.
Kids develop at different stages and ages. My son is advanced with talking and other intellectual things yet he didn't take a first step until 18 months and hadn't really mastered crawling on his knees until he was 14 months.
My daughter is VERY vocal to the point where it drives me crazy sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love it but I don't think I would mind having a kid who didn't "talk" much. A friend of mine didn't speak regularly until she was 6 and she's a perfectly normal, functional adult.
I hate getting caught up in the developmental stuff. Like you said, every child is different.
Haha. I've actually thought about how sometime I prefer M on the less vocal side 🙂 either way, as long as theyre happy!