how much should she be talking?!

Heather - posted on 05/16/2010

My child can say full sentences--up to 8 words at times but it is really not uncommon for them to only be saying a few words. I know kids who are talking a lot and not talking much. I think it's normal to be either way.

I talk to my son constantly though and I have been since he was born. That may or may not have made a difference.

Yvonne - posted on 05/01/2010

I think each child is different so there's no real measure for such young kids so don't worry it'll will come soon enough...

Elisa - posted on 03/28/2010

My son is the same way. He was doing real well till about 18months, when we moved from Utah to Michigan, that seemed to set him back a bit and he actuality lost words. But he only has a handful of words, though he has been picking more up lately. They have a early-on program in Michigan that my Dr. recommended, and it seem's to be helping. He seems to think about words before he will say them. He just started saying "no" last week, he always shook his head before. And I know he isn't dumb, the kid can pick the lock's in our house, he just isn't ready.
Give her time and go with your gut. She might surprise you.

Lea - posted on 03/28/2010

at 2 years old they should say at least 50 words. when people give her things just make sure they are talking about what they are doing and what they are giving her i.e hear is your juice. i am putting your coat on. i am changing your diaper. and encourge her to try and ask for what she wants even if you know what she means.

Julie - posted on 03/27/2010

My daughter is the same way and I think it's because she has 5 older siblings that anticipate her every need. She says "uh" over and over again and points.When I figure out what she wants I try to make her say the word because obviously she understands words, but won't say them. Rarely will she say the word though. It's almost as if she will only say it if she feels like it. The last 2 checkups the doctor has been concerned and wanted me to take her to be evaluated by an occupational therapist. My 2nd daughter didn't talk until she was 2 1/2 because her older sister said everything for her so I haven't been too concerned yet. I also read an article saying that as long as children are understanding what you're saying to them, there is no need to worry unless they aren't talking by 36 months old. My sister's son wasn't by that age and the occupational therapist just had her do what I've already been doing which is trying to make her say the words for things she points to. I don't give her what she wants until she at least tries to say the word. Then I really praise her for her efforts. I've told everyone else in the family to do the same. We've seen slow progress as far as saying more words, but she still says "uh" all the time which is driving us nuts. I'm not sure where we go from here.

Trina - posted on 03/25/2010

hi my daughter turned 2 on valentines day and she talks like a 4 year old, she says things that i do not even know how she can or comprehend its really scary sometimes lol.... but she is really advanced because her cousins are a few months older than her and only say about 6-10 words.... also a reason i think my daughter talks so much is she has an older brother who is 4 on feb 13 but when he was 2 he couldnt talk as advanced as her and as a matter of fact didnt start really talking till about 18-20 mnths but he is soo smart and picked up soo many words all at once so kids just have their own pace... and also some parents just assume what their kid is trying to say and do it as with me i would tell them what they were trying to say and have them say it back to me.... for instance if he brought me his sippy cup and was sayin bah i would say what do you want juice or milk and he would point out milk and i would tell him to say mommy i want milk instead of just assuming and doing... which i think my daughter saw as a baby and picked up on but i wouldnt be worried she will learn at her own pace and then you wont be able to shut her up lol... :)

Ashley - posted on 03/23/2010

I thought my son was having problems speaking too. Although before he really talked at all, he knew what just about everything you could say was. Then once he turned 2, i figured out what was going on- he knew all kinds of words, he just didnt want to say them unless he wanted too. I started making him say the words whether than wine or point and he talks alot more now : )

Ashley - posted on 03/22/2010

my daughter was in ECI awhile back (Early Childhood Intervention, I believe) its a program that works with WIC (at least in my state, Texas) and they told me that my daughter should know 200 words by 2, now zoey talks ALOT but I don't think she knows 200 words. Zoey also has a cousin, who is 6m older and she didn't really start talking until 27m old, now she is talking very clearly. I Think every child is different but ECI is a great program and they come to your house. The ladies that worked with my daughter (she had a chewing problem about a year ago, she would choke when she ate food) were amazing, I am sure it is different everywhere. But I would check it out, It was free for us but if you do have a pretty good income they do charge, I believe it was called a sliding scale, but it goes by your income, pretty much if your daughter is on medicaid and wic it would be free. I would check it out if you are worried, they let you know up front if there isn't anything wrong or if they think that they can help your child progress. Good Luck!

Polly - posted on 02/05/2010

My son's in daycare and I see a broad gammut of vocabulary amongst him and his 9 classmates. My son is one of the slower ones - a handful or two of regularly used words, and that's about it. At least 2 of the other boys are like that as well, and the other kids talk more. Both our doctor and the daycare workers agree that there's a huge variance at this age. My son certainly understands a lot of what we say now, but just can't be bothered to say much more than "milk, plane, car, truck," and quite a few animal sounds. And I also suspect that it's partly being a firstborn - why should he have to use words when mom and dad are utterly devoted to ferreting out his every need and every desire anyway? :)

Deb - posted on 02/05/2010

hi, my son has been slow on learning new words also and i have had concerns-- there are many programs out there that can help-- i never really went to my dr with concerns- he did check his mouth to make sure there wasn't any issues but programs like Early On and Early Head Start which i'm part of both now can help-- we started teaching some basic sign language too to stop some of the screaming fits (his way of communicating) he also does alot of pointing -- i'm the best at interpreting and giving him what he wants -- i was told not to give him everything until he tries to say what it is he wants-- cookie, drink-- if he said part of the work-- reward him with the item he tried to say-- the programs above have websites to find the local support

good luck

Bobbi - posted on 02/02/2010

Hi Tara! I have 3 children and they all did different things at different times. One was easy to potty train, one to break the bottle, 2 walked by 10 mos and one was a yr and a half. So I think you are right if she is around alot of adults who just know what she means when she points. I also saw where someone said they are a lot quicker when they have older children to copy. I found this true as well. If she is following directions, then she is comprehending so she'll prob. suprise you one day and spit out a mouthful! lol. Hope this helps some.

Lisa - posted on 02/02/2010

i was starting to worry about my daughter....she wil be 2 on feb 26th and she doesn't say alot either but she completely understands what your saying.....her older brother is 3 1/2 and he does most of the talking...i try to remember that all kids are different and develop at their own pace....but it can be scary....my husband and i have decided that is she isn't talking by 2 1/2 then we talk to what we call early intervention....good luck to all you moms with the same concerns....

Tamara - posted on 01/26/2010

well my syster's girl at 2 was talking like nothing as if u turned your radio on and we were begging her to keep silent! my baby is almost 2 understand everything but saying only few words it's that i am using 3 languages at the same time french, english and arabic at the day care kids at his age have the same vocabulary package and he is the smarter one so don't worry one day she will give you headache and you will beg her to keep silent in french we say un jour tous les bébés se rattrappent meaning one day all babies will talk, walk,read...

Madelyn - posted on 01/25/2010

My little boy is turning 2 on 8th feb and he says a lot of words already and do mimic and repeat words that I say especially when I am teaching him. when we ask him something to do, he usually know how to do it and I have long noticed that he's using his instinct when doing something.. but yeah kids do learn and have diff milestones at diff times so i guess we should not worry that much at this point in time unless you think your kid is left and really needs help. good luck mommies!!

Ashley - posted on 01/18/2010

Yess i am having the same my son is 23 months too and he has said the same words for months he knows what things are but refuses to try saying the words insted he screams till he gets what he wants i think its normal i hope good luck

Marie - posted on 01/18/2010

hi, my son is the same, he rarely said any words at all. he'll be 2 on the 22nd feb. in the past few weeks, he has started to mimic what we say, however is still unable to string two or more words/sentances together. as long as your daughter understands what you and others are telling her and takes directions I don't think you have anything to worry about. My son is learning a second language, so we initially thought that was why he was slow in speaking, but I've spoken to so many other mums with toddlers around his age and they are the same.

Jina - posted on 01/18/2010

My daughter would whine to get things. Like when she wanted her sippy, she would whine. So what I did was I told everyone who was around her that when she does that, to make her use her words. If she didn't know the word to what she wanted, we sat there and repeated the word to her and eventually she picked it up. Now she doesn't whine anymore and uses her words. I hope that helps.

Jessica - posted on 01/18/2010

My daughter will be two soon and she talks when we talk to her. It isn't conversations that we can quite understand because she talk so fast but I am not concern. We have flashcards w/ all sort of pictures on them and we ask her what it is and she answers w/ the correct word. Go around the house and point things out and tell your child what they are and eventually you'll point and there will be the answer. Make it fun not stressful. Everyone thinks there child is behind because so and so's is ahead but some catch on certain things quicker.

Kristina - posted on 01/17/2010

my little man isnt much of a talker either, he says only a handful of words, but im not worrying to much, I know he is a bright boy he understands everything you say to him and he is trying to say the words and is slowly getting there, my daughter could talk extremely well at 18 months she even knew her whole alphabet, every child is different and they will get there in their own time, don't worry to much just give him loads of encouragement and tell him the name of every object you pick up when he is looking, and eventually you will be looking for his mute button lol

Elaine - posted on 01/17/2010

Hey everyone, My little one is talking a lot, but my friends baby isnt talking much at all.

we started ava in a creche and her talking came on very well,we were shocked, i think they need to be around other little people to help them start using there words.We also dont baby talk her ( i was advised this by a friend when she was small) and i think it also helped with her learning.:)

But please dont worry, all babys are different,i started to panic when my little one wasnt walking,but she just fits into her own little way.

Hope this helps you :)

Avas mom x

Kimberly - posted on 01/17/2010

My daughter is the same though recently she is saying more and more and can count to 8 now, but her speech isnt clear, we are working on that right now. I am a developmental specialist and work with individuals with disabilities and just want to say that there is so much more to autism than not speaking and at this age many kids speak at different times. Not to say that you shouldn't consult your doctor, just trying to say that all kids develop at different times, and try not to worry yourself sick about it!

Amanda - posted on 01/08/2010

I have been wondering the same things about my son. He said pretty much the basics (mom, dad, dog, kitty, byebye, but thats pretty much it.) But on the other hand, he knows what i mean when i ask him to do something he just doesnt talk. Im glad there are a lot of other moms on here who say their child is the same way. I know a lot of kids learn stuff at different ages....but I was starting to get worried

Mariel - posted on 01/08/2010

Hi Tara! my name is Mariel....i think it's still normal for babies to talk not that much coz babies are somewhat different from each other. I have three kids and none of them got the same progress the same time my kids have done. For example, my daughter started talking at the age of 3.5.. i even brought her to a speech program that she may be having problems with her speech but thank God she's normal coz she's now so talkative as the kids in their school...unlike my 2nd kid..he started talking by the age of 2, as in phrases and sentences...with my youngest whose the same age as your kiddo...same words like bubbles, a clue, oh no!, "kuya" ( how you call an older brother here in the Philippines), ate ( an older sister), papa, round, moon, star ( which sometimes he pronounce it without an s or r..hahaha) but the only word he can't say is mama...( i feel sad sometimes but it's ok). Hope that by sharing this to you, will help you uplift your spirit that your kid is doing fine and nothing to worry about... hmmnn..maybe you can start giving her things that interests her like books with large pictures on it, and evreytime you go out in a mall or even in a grocery..try to say the name of the things you see to her or better if she can a have a playmate who can talk already and maybe she'll try to exchange words with that kid....thanks and God Bless!!!

Erica - posted on 01/07/2010

I just read Donna's reply and i actually had to argue with our family dr's secretary to get my son checked for hs speech milestones. I've started researching autism and i am checking off a lot of items and in my gut there is something "not right". So i'm going to drag this out and get every test done I can...because with autism I understand that the child wil benefit most if they are diagnosed by the age of 3 and start therapy.

Erica - posted on 01/07/2010

I am too. My son was born on the 28th of Feb and he just started adding words in october and then stopped. I'm kind of worried too, cuz everyone else's kids are forming sentences and have a vocab of like 30 plus words. I made a dr's appt just to see where he's at.

Candace - posted on 01/07/2010

We have a similar situation. If your gut is telling something might be wrong, talk to your doctor. My son only has a handlful of words he was tested two days ago and he is having hear problem. It is very true children develop at thier own pace, but if your gut is tell you something listen to it.



I should add we read all of the time in our house, and my son loves to read.

Tarah - posted on 01/06/2010

Every child is different. I know my son said a lot of words at this age, but a lot of them were hard to understand by others. My daughter, on the other hand, has the gift of gab! She started putting two words together at 14 months, 3 word sentences at 16 months... and full out conversations at 18 months! She talks like she's three instead of almost two. And again, my son was not this way at all. He's super intelligent (now 4) but just didn't talk the same way at the same time. Give it time and she'll talk when she's ready. :)

Allie - posted on 01/06/2010

i agree with Kate... Dont worry, shes still very young. and all kids learn at their own speed. just keep reading, singing and talking to her as much as you can maybe get some like sing along videos, and watch them with her she lear more and more befor you know it

KATHERINE - posted on 01/06/2010

my son is also getting ready to start speech therapy. he says few words and when he does speak he sounds as if his tongue is "heavy". but surprisingly he always seems to get us to understand what he wants or needs.

Kate - posted on 01/06/2010

dont worry about it, all kids learn at different ages. I have 2 daughters, 1 is nearly 10 and my youngest is nearly 2,wen my eldest was 2 she wasnt sayin much but now shes 1 of the brightest kids i know. My youngest doesnt watch baby can read videos n she can talk brilliantly, she knows her colours, shapes, animals and can count 2 12. It is alot easier if ur child has an older child 2 copy. plz dont worry, ur daughter will talk more in her own time, wen shes gud n ready!x

Michelle - posted on 01/06/2010

hi, i would just like to back up what Donna said, we have a nearly 2 year old and we started her watching the "your baby can read" videos when she was 3 months, we also read lots to her and sing to her, she has a huge vocab and repeats nearly everything we say. i think the program is also excellent as her first word was from a song on one of the videos.."hurray!" so i know it definitely has some influence. try singing lots, i believe this really helps, even when doing simple chores such as taking a bath or getting dressed, we make up loads of silly songs but now our daughter actually joins in and it makes what we are doing more fun! Good luck.

Amy - posted on 01/06/2010

Honestly if you are worried then go with your instincts and have your child checked out. At 2 your child will be evaluated by his/her doctor for an Autism screening. This can detect more than Autism as long as your doctor dont do as my now 3 year old doctor did and just said "well i dont think anything is wrong with her" and pretty much ignored it. Come to find out this only delayed my child even further. Once It was brought to my attention that I checked off too many things on the evalation survey I started paying more and more attention to what my child was and wasnt doing and began researching Autism. Finally I brought it back up to my doctor and made another appt and re-filled out this same survey that I had 9 months earlier and still I was checking off too many. So finally I got a referral to go to Marcus Autism Center here in Atlanta, GA. It took several month to get an appt but when I finally got her in (August 2008) and got the results 2 weeks later I found out that my daughter didnt have Autism even tho she showed so many signs, the signs just meant that something else was going on. My child was diagnosed with an Articulation Disorder & Borderline Cognitive Delay. She aslo had and still has something called echolalia which is where she will repeat the same word over and over. Finding this out explained so much. She started speech therapy around April 2008 which has been helping so much. My daughter is almost 3 1/2 and just now putting 3-5 words together correctly to make a proper sentence. They also recommended she not only continue speech therapy but start occupational therapy & play therapy as well. And since she was a week from turning 3 when we did the evalation they suggested that she start a special needs school as well. She has improved so much since finding all of this information out.

My suggestion is to talk with your doctor. Bring it up and dont ever ignore an instinct and dont ever let your doctor just "sweep something under the rug" because of how he/she feels like my doctor did because that will only delay things even longer. I wish you the best.

Donna - posted on 01/05/2010

I started my little boy on the "Babies Can Read" program when he was 9 months old and we read many books to him everyday. He has an excellent vocabulary! I can't count the words that he knows~! He says something new everyday! Today he said "heart" and "dance". As a teacher, I think this program is wonderful and I recommend it to my parents :)

Irene - posted on 01/04/2010

Hey Tara, my son is the same way he says same words (kitty, dogie, truck) he repeats it and it takes him forever to learn a new word when he finally does his pronunciation is not clear, I am worried too.
There is a program out there "no child left behind" we are going to go and see if Sam qualifies for it. Professional people come to your house for free and help your child. Apparently it takes only 3-5 classes for kids to get the idea what to do and they start to pick up new words very quickly. We will see:)))

Adrienne - posted on 01/04/2010

My girl is this way as well. She does have full conversations with her toys and while "reading" books, but nothing that we can discern. Also, if we ask her to do something, she does go do it (throw "x" away, go get a blankie, etc.).