15-Month-Old Toddler Development: Talking
Your toddler's verbal and non-verbal communication skills are really cooking now. She might be saying a few words and have a ton of hand gestures that let you know just what's going on in that little mind of hers. Before you know it, you'll be having meaningful conversations! Sure, they'll all include the words "milk," "bus," and "woof woof," but still. ... What you're thinking: "This talking thing sure beats trying to interpret 17 different cries!"
Ideally...
- At this age, your toddler understands 10 times as many words as she can speak, so don't stress if she's only saying a word or two—she's listening and learning. She'll get her Chatty Cathy on when she's good and ready. And btw, Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was 2, and he didn't turn out so bad. That said, there are simple things you can do to encourage language development.
- Chat your kid's ear off and label things for her so she can add to her vocab. A good way to do this is to give a running commentary on your daily activities. "Now Mommy is cleaning up the food you tossed on the floor for the 14th time today." It may seem boring to you, but she'll find it more riveting than an episode of Lost. Plus, the more vocab she learns, the more she can help you compensate for the vocabulary you're losing due to "mommy brain."
- You might also want to make sure not to say words you don't want her to learn. Like the name you called that guy who cut you off in traffic yesterday ...
- Get down to your child's level and make eye contact when talking to him. This will help him focus on what you're saying.
- If you're looking to expand your child's non-verbal communication skills, you might try taking a baby sign language class with your kid. Once he masters a few signs, you may finally understand what he meant by saying "Arrgwash!" all this time!
Really...
- "My daughter's first word was "cat." Both my husband and I were thrilled she was talking—and I was secretly thrilled her first word hadn't been "Daddy."
My excitement didn't last long: Her second word was "Daddy." I didn't fret, though, because I knew that her next word would be "Mommy." Right? Wrong. Months have passed since she first uttered "cat," during which she has accumulated an extensive vocabulary: "night-night," "ball," "dog," "ut-oh," "hi," "bubbles" and "thank you." But she flat out refuses to say "Mommy."" Read more of "Mommy, Mommy" by DevaD
Everything you ever wanted to know ... and were just about to ask:
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Encourage your kid's language development with this simple repeat-after-me game. Buy It: Sign With Your Baby
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Encourage your kid's language development with this simple repeat-after-me game. Buy It: Sign With Your Baby
Speak your kid's language even beforeAnswer It: Have you taught your baby sign language?
Take our poll!
BACK: Toddler Development: Month 15: Picky Eaters / NEXT: Toddler Development: Month 16: Temperament
All kids grow and develop at different rates. So please don't compare your toddler with so-and-so's from across the street—you'll just drive yourself nuts. If you have any concerns, bring them up with the pediatrician at your kid's next checkup.
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