Speech Milestones My Child is not talking yet?

Why Some Children Are Slow to Talk?

As mothers it seems like there is always something to worry about…. Ok, so maybe I should rephrase this; there is always something that we need to be on the lookout for. One of the most important is your child’s speech and language skills. A child’s first communication skill is their cry. As mothers we learned very quickly the difference between the “I need you cry,” the “I’m unhappy cry,” the “change my diaper cry,” and the “I’m hungry cry.” As they grow the communication of cry evolves into speech and language skills. It’s amazing to watch this first hand as children interact with the world around them.

As mothers it’s important for us to keep our children in social environments to promote speech and language skills. The slightest delay in language development could result in a negative outcome for your child. The slightest delay can have results of frustration, low self-esteem and lower social skills. The level of frustration can cause your child to regress and not want to speak in fear of doing something wrong.

As parents we need to encourage our children to play and socialize with people and children. The constant interaction of various age groups is good stimulation for your child. When your child is engaged in play with children of the same interest; they learn to communicate with them. This is an example of active social interactions.

During play children are exposed to words; the only way for your child to develop language properly is to use words regularly. It’s recommended to talk with your child at all times. Tell them what you’re doing. Start your morning routine off right with a “good morning.” The more repetition with speech patterns; the faster your child will see the pattern and pick up the language.

One common mistake is we forget the processing level of children. It takes them time to collect their thoughts and answer a question….don’t rush them. Children tend to be overwhelmed with too many words, too fast. Give them time to give you a response.

Many times children are not expected to respond to answers. This is very common for children in homes with older siblings or large families; they can be “sheltered from speech.” With this in mind it’s NOT recommended for parents to speak for their child. This will have a negative effect on their language development. The child will then realize that mom or their brother/sister will do the talking for them.