Trying to decide when to worry

[LundieP]

My 16 month old son, Jack doesn't talk.  No "mama" no "dada'.  Nothing deliberate.  He does chatter to himself occasionally - mostly when he wakes up in the morning, or after a nap.  He does practice consonants, but mostly, he's just a quiet kid.

At the 15 month well baby visit they said that he should have a 5-10 word vocabulary by this point, and will be watching for it by his 18 month visit.

We talk to him normally - no baby talk.  We read to him regularly.  I am a WAHM (work at home mom) so he doesn't get my full attention all day - I work in the same room with him while he plays or watches videos.

He doesn't point to body parts either, though I know when I'm getting him dressed in the morning and I pull out the socks, he sticks his feet up.  I know he understands "foot" and "sock" and things like that.  Just doesn't say them.

I also know that his hearing is fine.  He responds to whispers and loud noises startle him.

Anyway, what I need to figure out is what else I can do or should be doing, or if this is just one of those things that we need to be patient and let him do on his own timetable.  High pressure is not the way I work in life, and don't want to start now, with Jack, if I don't need to.

Lund

[jlknudsen5478]

Jan. 20, 2007 at 7:49 PM I wouldn't stress about it too much, my 10 yr old hardly said anything until she was well past 2, then she just started spouting full sentences.  Once she started using the kitchen drawers as steps to get to the counter, and after adequate warning, I paddled her bottom.  She stood there, hands on her hips, and said "You didn't have to spank me!"  I almost fell over in shock- at that point she had a vocabulary of maybe 8-10 words.  I guess sometimes they just don't feel like talking.

[JaceandNiksmom]

Jan. 20, 2007 at 7:54 PM

my son is doing the same thing but he just turned 2 in dec and the only words he can say are "ilk", "hi" and "up"............my doctor is a moron and he never told me anything about when he "should" be talking..........but i do know that he understands every word i say and can point to anything i name.......kid just wont talk lol

[mommyof_3]

Jan. 20, 2007 at 8:08 PM I would not stress He will do it when he is ready. I have a nephew that is 2 1/2 that doesn't speak much He is now just sayin mommy daddy and it isn't plain like it should be.. If you have had his hearing checked and everything is okay then he is just not ready. My nephew is one of those kids who would rather play alone then with other kids and I think that has a lot to do with it because he does not interact with other children his age.

[RArnold18]

Jan. 20, 2007 at 9:23 PM My son will be 2 on Feb 11th and he still doesn't talk all that much ma, lola, woof, meow, and moo is all he says. My oldest didn't talk untill he was almost 3 you couldn't understand him untill he was 4 and I had him at the Dr., hearing and speech specialists. they all said the same thing there's nothing wrong, he'll talk when he's ready.

[pagirly]

Jan. 23, 2007 at 8:04 PM i fully agree!  we already know jack is a smart boy anyway!