My son turned 2 last month but still wont talk! He babbles constantly and can say no perfectly but I've never heard him say mummy or daddy. Can anyone tell me if this is normal? He understands things I say to him and will point to things he wants but otherwise we don't hear a peep out of him! I have 2 other children who spoke great at this age. My middle child was even singing nursery rhymes! Any reassurance would be great thanks.
I think getting his ears checked is definately what I'm going to do. My eldest son had to have a grommit in his ear to help his hearing (which it did brilliantly!) and my second son is due to have grommits in both his ears next week. Maybe it's hereditary. Thanks for the advice
It might also be good to get him checked out for something called Tongue-Tied my sister had it she couldnt talk properly because the flap of skin under the tongue was to long she had to get it cut so she could talk.
My cousin's son didn't talk until he went to kindergarten, he could get across whatever it was he wanted without verbalizing it. Also is older sister understood his every little gesture and would speak for him...maybe your son to doesn't need to say what it is he wants because he is understood without having to speak.
I didn't read the other responses but have you had his ears checked????
we had alittle boy at church that "babbled" everything but you could NOT understand any of the sounds coming out of his mouth. He was about 2 as well.
They brougth him to an ENT and they placed ear tubes. Within 6 months he was talking like a normal child for his age.
In his case he could "hear" all that well due to needing tubes and the sounds he WAS making were the sounds he WAS heairng. Everhting he heard was all muffled up. Once they placed the tubes and allowed the ear to drain and function properly, he was fine.
A general rule to follow for language development is one word by one year and two words (strung together like "Dad go?" for "Where did Dad go?" or "More milk") by two years. It sounds like your son's language is delayed. The first step would be to make sure and have his hearing checked. If that's normal, a consultation with a speech therapist may be recommended.
I think a hearing problem is one of the things I'm worried about. My eldest son had hearing problems from the age of 3 upto the age of 5 which is when they decided to put a grommit in his ear and remove his tonsils and adenoids. My middle son is days away from turning 4 and he is about to have grommits in both ears as well as a tonsillectomy. I think your right and its worth getting him checked out just in case. Thanks for that advice.
My son was the same way. He didn't start talking until we enrolled him in preschool/daycare when he was 2 yrs 2 months old. Now he won't stop!!
In his class for 3 year olds - 3 1/2, there is one boy who does not speak well at all. Actually, it's not that he doesn't speak well, he doesn't speak at all. He mostly speaks one words and grunts. But he has a great time with all the other kdis.
My suggestion is to start socializing and have play dates. Go to parks and other places where he can interact with other kids.
You say you have 2 other children. Are they much older (by more than about 5 years) than your 2 year old? If they are, the age gap could be slowing your 2 year olds language skills down.
Up until about 4 months ago, our 4 year old was very slow in this area. Our 5 year, 2 year and 1 year olds all have had great language skills from an early age. We put their early development down to the communication between their father and I and having older siblings of similar age to help them along. I think our 4 year old was slower because she didn't have the benefit of my partner and I talking all day or having other people around her to talk to (other than her sister who was a quiet player).
Your personal communication skills can affect those of your children. If it is just you home with them day in day out and you don't have a lot of adult visitors, then your son doesn't have that model to work with.
It will come. He is only 2 after all, and will be putting his energy into other areas of development right now, so don't stress about it. If by the time he is 3 1/2 and still not talking better, then get him assessed, but every child is different and they develope different skills in their own time, we can only give a gentle nudge to help them along.
My 2 other boys are 9 and 4. My 4 year old, Reece, never stops talking so maybe its because he cant get a word in edgeways! lol Sam does copy Reece but only the sounds of this words. He does mix with other children his own age and other adults but he doesnt really interact with them. He enjoys getting on with things on his own! I'm hoping that when my 4 year old starts school and its just me and sam he might start chatting! I think maybe in some ways Reece speaks for him! It's nice to know I'm not alone though! Thanks again!
my cousins has 2 boys, 5 and 2 and the 2 year old is just like yours, gestures and points and say guuuhh when he wants something, and it's because his older brother talks for him, he doesn't feel that he needs to talk to get what he wants. he can say words becasue we've heard them, but he just chooses not to. so that could be a reason
All babies are different. I know a boy who at 3 still did not talk. He did the same as yours, just babbled and motioned out what he wanted. And he is perfectly fine. For him he got across what he wanted with the "sign" language, so there was no need for him to verbal say it. This may be the case with your son. Slowly stop listening to what he motions and tell him that he needs to tell you in a voice for you to understand. Start with certain things like being hungry, wanting to play. And once he sees how fun it is, then he should talk more. I did that with my daughter, I told her that she had to talk to tell me what she wanted as I wanted her to learn that way. My niece is 3 and she still whinges or hits you when she wants something, she won't talk unless you tell her that you don't know what she wants...Even then it's hard to get it out of her cause she knows that by whinging or hitting (or a few other motions) she will get what she wants....Good luck!
Thanks for your advice, You've given me some great ideas! I'm going to try them out and hope for the best. Either way I feel reassured that everything so far is normal and to just be a bit more patient! Thanks!
Dare I ask what other motions your niece uses? I can picture a little girl giving people the bird, so I hope that isn't what you meant. Cheeky little girl! lol.
lol, no she'll point at what she wants while whining, mind you she is now over 3yrs! Or she'll lift her hands up in the air to get picked up....She is something else. And she hits you hard to get your attention. Instead of saying tia "aunt" she hits you hard and whines the "uuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnn" sound...she is very cheeky at times!
Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.