For the Parents: How old were your kids when they started talking? (Page 2)

Since you asked, and yes I'm a proud Papa.  Don't know what order they'll attach in...

*Messy Eater

*Likes playing in the dog cage

*How far does a finger go up the nose?

*The first FOOD up the nose....a pea

*He'll soon be free of needing assistance to walk

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Because back in July when he was 6 month old I took this picture of his chewing the dog cong.....and had been waiting for him to crawl into the dog cage on his own so I could take that picture.  

He goes into the cage and closes the door on himself....and laughs....of course the door is not latched and he can just push it open.  

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AND because he already is learing to play with the dog....  

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The Kong pic is classic. "F--- this dumb pacifier thing, I want Murphy's big pacifier!!!!

What was Murph thinking?! If it were Stan's kong, you have a dog snout in the picture. Just... waiting.... for his chance to steal it back. LOL!

Yeah, I told that same story but I don't think she was buying it. She kept glaring at me.

I love the pic in the dog crate !(and the kong one too!)

My son always loved to play in our dogs crate...and close the door behind him.

One day the UPS guy came and there is Jonathan..in our breezeway, playing with his cars in the dog crate with the door closed.

When I tried explaining,  the UPS guy is looking at me like "yeah..whatever lady"

At least he didn't call DSS.

Heeere ya go.  I worked today and missed all thefun. 

My two kids are as different as the fingers on my hand.   One was potty trained at 3.5, the other at just before 2.  One had a pacifier, one didn't.  One is fiercely independent, one's a mama's boy.  The oldest one is a chatterbox, drama king.  The second one is a leader.  When he talks to me, it's barely a whisper.  

They both used sign when they were babies.  That helped a lot.  It weaned off eventually, unfortunately, but they still use it every once in a while to have a "secret" conversation with me.   cool!

There were a LOT of folks who told me to take my younger son to therapy because his speech wasn't "right".  His teacher didn't think so.  Hubby didn't think so. My friends and parents and MIL all did.  But, he's 10 now and he's all good.  I guess he had to get over my "accent" being wrong.   He was just trying to talk like Mom!  Can't blame him, though.

I assume you've had his hearing checked. 

I have a friend, her sixth child (of seven) didn't talk till he was four.  He's almost totally potty trained.  He's got no autism, no deafness, no stuff they can come up with.  No mental retardation, down's, whatever.   If we used to tell him something, he'd understand and go out and do what ever you told him to.  He was just real quiet.   The parents just reinforced speech and gently coaxed him to talk when he asked for something instead of letting him get away with pointing or whatever.  He's talking pretty well up a storm now!

That's all I got to say.  No long droned medical advice....  

oh, the pea up the nose reminds me... the younger one stuck six unpopped popcorn kernels in his ear when he was 2.  Had to give him general anesthesia so they could remove them, they were in so deep!

I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by either a private pediatric speech therapist or through the "Early Intervention Program" in your state. It's free and services are provided free.  For every month a child is delayed in speech, it can take 6 months to a year for a child to make up 100%.

 My second daughter had a big stint with physical therapy because she wasn't making developmental milestones. The docs told me that she was at the bottom of norm, so not to worry about it, that she met 1 out of 10 milestones. That wasn't good enough for me. I found a developmental therapist on my owned, faxed my doctor with the information on what I was doing and why and had her evaluated.  The PT thought it was VITAL that I have her in therapy to help her catch up. As infants and toddlers, EVERY MILESTONE in physical, speech, or mental, is hinged on the mastery of a previous one. 

 After 6 months of therapy, she caught up and is doing great. It's never been a decision that I regretted.

Have to add my two cents too since this topic hits home for me...

My husband and I have much different approaches when it comes to solving problems.  I like to jump in and get to work and he likes to wait and assess things.  My son was in first grade last year and I had this feeling that things were just not going right.  He seemed to be struggling with reading and writing.  He was getting occasional stomach aches and did not seem happy about going to school.  My husband, my mother and my son's teacher all said to just wait but my gut kept telling me to do something to help my son.  I had an assessment done through the school district and we discovered that he has a learning disability.  We got him extra help last year and had a tutor over the summer.  This year he is in second grade.  He is still behind on reading but is catching up and he is getting the help he needs.  He does not have stomach aches and he is much happier about going to school. 

In my opinion, it never hurts to just look into potential issues.  It is a win-win situation.  If there is no issue, then at least it puts your (or your wife's) mind at ease.  If there is an issue, you can get moving on it right away.  I just don't understand the benefit to waiting, I guess.