Daughter almost never says mom or dad

Natalie - posted on 07/22/2010

I am glad to know that we weren't the only ones, haha. I honestly wasn't worried about it, I just found it odd that we are the two most important people in her world, and she never said our "names". She is saying more words now (within the past couple of days), and is now saying "dad" a lot and "mom" more often. She has also accomplished some things physically too within the past couple of days, like getting on and off of her riding toy by herself and pushing herself forward on it.

Thanks everyone for the comments, kids are just so curious!

Jess - posted on 07/22/2010

I have a 19 month old daughter who talks constantly, she can say a full sentence, sometimes words in the wrong place but we can understand everything she says. I get mummy, mummy all day and my husband gets daddy or Hayden ha ha. Plunket told us she is slightly ahead of her age but is doing well.
Every child is different tho, and they all develop at different ages. I wouldnt worry too much about it!

Melissa - posted on 07/22/2010

Oh wow! Kids just crack me up, they do what they want when they want, and there's nothing we can do about it! lol

Geneviève - posted on 07/22/2010

Don't feel so bad. My son will be 20 months and understands 3 languages but doesn't speak neither. He calls me daddy and my husband mama!

Melissa - posted on 07/20/2010

I think that's completely normal. I have 3 kids and they have all been SO different!! My daughter who is 3.5 has been talking since about 6 months old. My son who is 19 months as well can say things but just chooses not to. lol He will say a new word a few times and then never again. Now everything seems to be Mamma, which he screams very loudly for any and all things!! Like another mom posted, just keep talking to her like you would anyone else and she'll start babbling away when she feels like it.

Lacey - posted on 07/20/2010

Sophia only says mom to me when im not paying attention to her and will only say dada when she's singing so im not sure if she knows the meaning of it. Your daughter is already ahead of mine. She turned 19 months on the 7th and she only says four words: mom, dada, don't and she likes to say owww...if thats considered a word, lol! She understands more than what she can say so I won't worrie about it for another year.

Joanne - posted on 07/20/2010

My daughter, 19 mths on the 19th, has quite the vocab, including kitty, puppy, daddy, no-no-no, and even thank you, but does not say mum/mom/mommy. She runs to me when upset, points me out when asked, but won't call me anything. We have heard her say it a grand total of once...lol..Daddy on the other hand is every other word!

Janine - posted on 07/20/2010

Neither does my son. I take solace in the fact that saying our names doesn't get him anything i.e. if he says juice, he gets juice. We are always there, so no big benefit. But the kid will bend over backwards for juice.
I have never confirmed this with my dr, buy it makes me feel better.

Star - posted on 07/19/2010

My son is 19 months old and says dada all the time! He seems to only say mama repeatedly when he is hungry or upset (LOL). He says other things like what's this, what's that, who's this, who's that, ready set go, let's go, wow, yes, whoa, hey, and yay. But not always in the right context. Like the others have said, all kids are different... she will get it!

Natasha - posted on 07/19/2010

My son is 19 months and he started calling me tash instead of mumas this is what he hears everyone say.....so me and his dad started calling each other mum and dad. He now calls me mum all the time and Tash to annoy me but at least he knows the difference now.

Try it out and see if anything changes.....if not dont worry my son never says dad.....he always gets called mum lol

Lisa - posted on 07/18/2010

my daughter is 19 months and she is just starting to say more words, she doesn't say mommy, once or twice I have actually heard her say mommy. But my daughter has suffered from numerous ear infections over the past 19 month, we plan to get tubes in her ears.

Ramona - posted on 07/17/2010

Sorry but I do not have this problem. My 19 month old has been saying MAMA or MA for the past month ALL day long. I think this is due to the fact that I live with my mother and stepfather and he hears me say mama. His vocabulary consists of 32 words in which some of them he only says the first syllable. Don't fret if your daughter is not saying mama or daddy. My son was a preemie weighing 2 lbs, spent 7 weeks in the hospital and just started walking a month ago. She will say the words when she is ready. My lil preemie is and has been behind in milestones but he is achieving them slowly but surely. She will get them. Promise.

Nichola - posted on 07/17/2010

my son is 19 months and only says OK as a definite word, but he knows what you're saying to him. My husband didn't speak properly until he was nearly 3 so I'm not worried, it will come in time!

Sandie - posted on 07/16/2010

My little girle nearly 18 months says daddy all the time but only ever says mom when she is upset most of the time she will call me daddy. she is not talking yet and the only other word she is saying is grandma. I am not worried in the slightest about her speech she is happy and is progressing well in other areas. my son (now 4 ) started talking early and had a wide vocab at 14 months and by 18/19 months could put full short sentances together. Just goes to show all children are different and will develop at their own pace.

Misty - posted on 07/16/2010

My daughter, 19 months, said "Dad" as her first word. She would say mom here and there, but it wasn't very often at all. Now her favorite word to say is "Mom" over and over and over, along with "Daddy". Give her time, she will talk when its her right time. My daughter says over 50 words now, she's a talker! But her cousin who is five months older than her doesn't say more than maybe 15 words. Not all kids are created the same, keep that in mind.

Alexia - posted on 07/16/2010

Heidi understands alot of what is said an can follow simple instructions like put it back or get mommy a book and she understands the concept of the time out corner too. she actually realises we want her to copy words which is why when we have said 'say mommy' for example she has said no and screached loudly. she just dont want to do it. we dont use the word 'say' before anything now as we know that made it worse we just talk to her an point things out, read stories (if she lets us) and sing nursery rhymes that hopefully one day she will copy. it is at least reasurring that we at least know she does understand more of what we say even if she doesnt copy.

Alicia - posted on 07/15/2010

My son began saying dad at 6 months and did so for probably 4-6 months, adding other words here and there. Since his first birthday he started saying mom and refers to both of us when he wants us or needs something. He says probably about 20 words and this week started using sentences such as What are you doing? Where did they go? and I don't know.
My personal feeling are to just talk to them about anything and everything. Use complete sentences and use vocal expressions and inflection. Also, we never used baby talk and I refused to allow anyone to use it around him...I think that helped. But in the end, like everything else, they will talk when they are ready. My little sister did not talk at all until she was 2. She had no learning disabilities, speech problems, and is extremely smart, so don't stress out. Just encourage her and don't show frustration.

Stacy - posted on 07/15/2010

I SAT DOWN AND WROTE OUT ALL THE WORD MY SON CAN SAY AND I HAVE COUNTED 32. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE NORMAL WORD COUNT IS FOR 19 MONTH OLDS BUT THEY SHOULD BE TRYING TO ATLEAST TALK MORE THAN SOME OF THESE CHILDREN ARE BUT WHO KNOWS MAYBE i AM WRONG :D

Alexia - posted on 07/15/2010

i can give my daughter something and say 'give it daddy' and she will but she refuses point blank to say anything that even resembles mom and dad. when we ask her she screaches loudly at us. in fact she does that with anything we encourage her to say. the funny thing is she talks in her own babble ALL day long. we hav heard 'feya' which is close to her sisters name which is Freya and i have heard something that sounds like pussy cat. other than that its a very frustrating waiting game which i have been assured is normal.

Stacy - posted on 07/15/2010

My 18 month old son talks non-stop LOL!!! His vocabulary consists of: bird, puppy, what's that, why, me, layne, mae-mae, mommy, momma, dad, da-da, papa, nana, juice, socks, shoes, poo-poo, pee, mine, manny (he likes handy manny LOL), done, down, go-go, more and oodles of undecipherable babble :D

Katie - posted on 07/14/2010

personally i think that you are giving her the attention she needs, therefore she doesn't call you because you're there for her. my 18 month old is the same way, and my 8 year old was that way as well. now i can't get my 8 year old to stop saying MOMMYYYYY!!! LOL it will come in time. no worries!

Blake - posted on 07/11/2010

Our son has words but we don't understand them. He has a language all his own. He says MAMA only when he is upset...we ask him to say Daddy and he says...NOooo! Our pediatrician and naturapath both said that it is impossible to say what is "normal" for these little ones...they can compare the development of the masses, but it sounds like she is ahead of the curve with her vocabulary. She obviously knows you both as her fav people and caregivers...
My 4 year old was constantly calling for Daddy and called me Daddy until she was 18 months.

Sharyn - posted on 07/10/2010

My daughter is 19 months and she talks all day .... but i havent found any decipherable words yet coming from her mouth ..... i know she is a little lazy and stubborn ..... we'll see how she progresses.

Ariane - posted on 07/08/2010

Yes our son hardly ever says Mum or Dad as a point of reference to us. If we ask him to point to say 'Mum' he knows exactly who we are.

Our son only says a few words but is starting to slowly increase it. He is too busy doing other things.

They will all get there.

Good to hear we are not the onlys ones though :)

Heather - posted on 07/07/2010

I cant say that I do. I recently have been moved from "mama" to "mommy" naturally and my husband is "dad". It will happen, maybe she feels like you are always there for her and doesnt feel the need to say your name.

Judy - posted on 07/07/2010

Sorry can't say we have that problem. Sometimes I wish my daughter (19mths on the 12th) would stop saying mum!
It is totally normal though for them to say a word once or maybe twice and then not say it again for ages. Maybe she is just getting such wonderful attention from you both that she does not need to call out for you!