When I was pregnant with Mack I had a play group with women who all had 2 children. Some had older daughters and then a son, one woman had 2 sons. All of the women with daughters born first told me that Mack would not talk as early as Wynnie had. They had experienced the “daughter phenomenon” and it was apparently just a fact of life. Boys who have older sisters who know everything and DO everything for them aren’t as likely to need to communicate early….there is no need, their sister mommies them and gets them what they need. The woman with 2 sons was too busy trying to peel her boys off the ceiling to have noticed at what point either of them had spoken. She was so exhausted she could hardly see straight. So from day one, I’ve just known Mack would be a late talker. Mack is 20 months old and, not surprisingly, doesn’t use a lot of words. According to the pediatrician’s age-related “Is Your Child Stupid” worksheet he should be using dozens of words and even understanding and using prepositions. In reality, he’s got about 6 words. He’s had mama and cat for quite a while, and has added dah-yee (daddy), baaaaa (sheep and all other farm type animals), and a few others here and there. He chatters up a storm (he came pre-programmed speaking Japanese) and has a full range of intonation and inflection. He’s a regular one-man-show when Wynnie is in school and he can get a word in edgewise.
I’ve surfed every “How to Make Your Kid Speak” website I can find, trying to find tactics to get him to speak. He refuses to give sign language a notion. (You’re thinking: Hey the pediatrician can run tests to see if he’s Autistic, they do that starting at 6-12 months now… and I say: NO FREAKING WAY am I treating this like a medical problem until I think there’s a reason to.)
One day as I was reading him book after book and trying to get him to say the word for each of the animals, it occurred to me… WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? I have one kid who has mastered the English language very well for a 4 year-old and never. stops. talking. NEVER. If she’s not talking, chances are pretty good that she’s asleep. Even then, sometimes she’s talking. Do I really want 2 kids talking non-stop? It’s gonna happen. Let it happen later.
So for now, I’m content with a guy who calls everything CAT or BAAAAA. Because really, I’m all talked out. And besides, telepathically, I know what he wants and needs. And that’s all that matters.
11 Witty Retorts:
Ah, so wise, Grasshoppah...
Amen, sistah. I HATE HATE HATE when I feel myself getting sucked into that "he should be doing ___ already" vacuum generally created by other parents. HATE HATE HATE that.
Stand strong!
He doesn't have an older sister, but you have just described Cooper at 20 months to a 'T'. He had about a dozen words, most of them being sounds that animals make, and was perfectly content to babble nonsense, nonstop. What he lacked in verbal prowess, he made up for physically . . . the kid could run, jump, and tumble like a 4-year-old. Shortly after his 2nd birthday, he had a language EXPLOSION, and now, at nearly 3, the kid never stops talking! At 15 months old, Maren is leaps beyond where he was verbally, but is physically way behind what he did at that age. I don't know if it is because she is a girl, because she is a second child, because I am doing something different, or just because . . . either way, I am sure it will all balance out someday.
(And good for you for not jumping on the autism train . . . and I am just going to leave it at that.)
my son (now 9) also has no older siblings... and he spoke really late. i don't remember much besides similar things to your son and a lot of car/train type sounds. it didn't worry me... you're right, it's all that matters. he'll soon be talking so much you'll wish he would stop :) my 11 month old daughter, on the other hand, is telling us to "stop" and can name each of us as well as put "go" in front of our names and then say "yay" and clap. it's amazing the difference.
Kids develop at a different speed as you've found out, just get them off the tit before college and yer good. I use the "use yer words" and act confused when the nippers are after something even if I know what it is because they then try to get dumb Old Knudsen on the same page.
My mom always joked that kids are great till you teach them to talk.. Maybe it is for the best, for your sanity. :-P
Dr. Spock, Old Knudsen...Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
I think you're right to take the silence while you can.
Hey, if you know what he wants and needs, who cares?
Also, I'm sure my ears will thank you somewhere down the line because this makes so much sense.
I know exactly how you feel, and I don't even have an older one, chattering in my ear.
Some days I think ... TALK (be normal!) and some days I think ... as soon as he starts talking, I'll NEVER get him to shut up. So the silence, while a little creepy, is somehow nice.
It's easy for us parents to get all freaked out in today's information age. It's hard to be patient, to sit back, and to wait.
ava has now mastered "no". please tell me why i put her in speech??? am i nuts???
hehehe My 13 (and 3/4) year old son Talks in his sleep.. He still does car sound effects when he is talking about cars.. and motorbikes..
DO NOT ENCOURAGE YOUR SON TO TALK!!!!!!!!!
Because once he starts that is the END...
BLAH BLAH ferrari.BLAH BLAH BLAH food bLAH BLAH BLAHDEDEEBLAH..
Post a Comment