When toddlers tell lies…
Speech milestones can cause parents a lot of anxiety as some two-year-olds are babbling away and others still prefer to grunt and point
CINDI GROBLER from Honeydew in Johannesburg says her little boy is nearly two, but only says “Mommy” and “there”. She wasn’t worried about it until a friend visited and her little girl was speaking in short sentences already, even though the little friend is only a month older.
“I wonder if this is the result of me keeping Thomas at home, while the little girl we know has been attending playschool for a year already?” Cindi wanted to know.
“Thomas is very good at gesturing and showing us what he wants. He has a clear sign for everything he wants to say. The problem is also that we understand his gestures perfectly. How do I get him to talk instead?”
What Cindi considers to be a problem isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but many mothers share the same concern. This is what you should know about speech milestones at age two:
Most toddlers begin to combine two or three words into short sentences at this age, for example: “Mommy eat porridge.” Their vocabulary will grow to about 50 words and they start using different types of words. Typically this includes some question words like “what?” and “where?”, as well as “here” and “there”, verbs like “sit” and “sleep”, nouns for familiar objects and people and even some descriptive words such as “fast” and “big”.
However, some toddlers, like little Thomas, prefer to express themselves by using a few nouns and pronouns only, and not bothering with verbs and descriptive words yet. To compensate for the smaller vocabulary these children choose to use gestures.
The use of gestures is a good thing, because it indicates that your child does understand language and can take action to communicate. The problem arises when they only want to use gestures. Then some gentle encouragement is necessary to get him to use words along with the gestures. The simple way to do this is to say the word as you make the gesture.
If you feel that your child is really lagging behind when it comes to speech, consider the following: ✓ Have his hearing tested. Make an appointment with an audiologist or a ear, nose and throat specialist. ✓ Use daily routines to develop language, because children learn through experience and play. Describe what you are doing in short sentences. For example when you are tidying up you can say “toy in the box” or when it is bathtime you can say “splash the water”. Perform the action as you say it. By doing this you are giving your child a language role model to follow. Don’t use long sentences as he won’t be able to copy you.
✓ Encourage your little one to babble.
Make a game out of making sounds for cars and animals. Anything to get him to produce sounds. ✓ Limit screen time. Children learn language through real interaction with real people, not through watching television.
✓ Social interaction is important.
Consider joining a play group or a mom and toddler group one morning a week. ✓ Try not to anticipate your child’s needs. Don’t give him things or help him until he has asked. If he points to a toy or book for instance, bend down and look at him and say the word as you hold the object near your face before you give it to him. He will see your mouth movements that way and with enough repetition will eventually begin to copy you.
If you are having sleepless nights about your late talker, why not see a speech therapist who can do a proper professional evaluation of his language development? YB
There are times when your inner voice will tell you something more serious is at play than normal toddler behaviour. “Monitor the frequency and seriousness of the offence. Observe the child’s reaction to being caught and disciplined. Consider the behaviours in light of any other stressors in the child’s life,” suggests educational psychologist Kerry Skinner.
“If you are concerned and the behaviour continues for an extended period of time after you’ve consciously provided other alternatives to your child’s behaviour, consider seeking advice from a child psychologist,” she says. “There may be more serious issues at play. Consult your paediatrician, friends, therapist, parenting professionals and family. Don’t parent in a vacuum. It’s in isolation that we miss cues, intervene too late, or begin to believe our own lies.”