When do babies start talking?

I have a couple things I’d like to address and get some advice/opinions on .
I have 2 kids close in age a toddler and a baby .
my toddler was super advanced as a baby with sitting up and crawling and walking . but now over 1 year old and still not talking . . . I’m not sure what to do there or to help initiate it . and my toddler is also showing signs of being ready to be potty trained . (only 16 months) but if he has a dirty diaper he brings me diapers and wipes to change him constantly following me to the bathroom ect and I’m not sure how to go about that either bc he can’t talk yet and I dont want to out to much on him . he is very smart but I I ok nt want to overwhelm him .
another my baby only a few months old . he loves the baby so much and I enjoy it . but sometimes he is so mean . . of course i redirect him and tell him no .
but right now the baby is taking up so much of my time which he is not use to as the baby gets fed and is sitting up and rolling over and on the process of learning to crawl I feel like I’m not giving him as much attention. . and I’m feeling a little guilty there . :sob::unamused:
and another thing my kids sleep in my room with me toddler sleep in the playpen and the baby sleeps with me sometimes but mostly in the bassinet but when she does sleep with me I feel so guilty bc he isn’t. (me and him was cosleepers from the beginning bc he was my first)
idk I’m just feeling really guilty I guess bc the baby I feel is getting more of my attention and he is of course jealous but loves and cares for his baby so much . I’m not sure what to do .
anything to help would be great .
TIA

1 Like

That’s a normal transition for when a baby is added to the family. Older siblings need time to adjust. My oldest basically ignored the fact that she had a brother the first month of her life. And daddy was her favorite. Also it’s normal for the first kid to talk later because they only hear mommy and daddy talking not other kids usually. For my oldest she was hearing 2 different languages regularly. Her ped said her brain was just trying to decide which one to use. At 3.5 she speaks English and Spanish. She doesn’t care about sign language. My 2 year old speaks English and knows American sign language. He could care less about the Spanish.

And don’t feel guilty. You’ll get the hang of being a mom of 2 in no time.

1 year old is still young why are you worried about him talking

Long comment here lol I am the Mom of two children who are only 14 months apart. It was challenging at times for sure. I think if it is only 15 mins a day while the baby is asleep and do something fun with your older child and make them feel super special. Whether it be read a book and cuddle, play with them and their favorite toys etc…
Also there is no such thing as telling a child that you love them too many times in my opinion. So make sure you tell your oldest as many times as you can how much you love them, how proud you are, how happy they make you. Also try letting the oldest “help” with the baby. Make them feel included. Ask them to bring you things etc…
Just small things they can do to help out to feel included. Okay now for my next part lol I now the Mom of an 17 month old. He isn’t talking that much as far as understandable talking he can say a few basics but otherwise he talks a lot of gibberish as I like to call it. If your child is making sounds like they are trying to communicate/talk then that is a positive sign and in that case I say give it time. When my oldest two were younger one of them didn’t speak much of anything til they were 18 months old then suddenly she started talking little by little and then more and more each day. My two that are 14 months apart are now 19 and 18 years old :blush: if your oldest doesn’t seem to even be communicating or attempting to communicate in gibberish then I say give it til they are about 16 months old and then if still not even gibberish talk to your pediatrician. At 16-18 months and not even gibberish could point to the possibility of something like autism so best to take it up with your pediatrician at that point. Good luck mama.

Fan Adds

My toddler does talk he says mama and dada and sissy and yes and little things like that .
And he understands words like it’s time to eat he goes to his high chair I can ask him to bring me a diaper and he does I ask him to throw his diaper away and he does and he understands bathtime bc he runs the bathroom and tries to climb in the tub . He understands kisses and hugs and saying bye as he does all of that in reaction to the word .
I’m worried about him not talking bc he was advanced as a baby and it’s like he just stopped advancing . And I’m kinda clueless of how to start potty training a toddler that can’t communicate with me in a way I understand.
I include him in everything I do with the baby and I try to do things with him alone while the baby is napping no matter what it is . A bath or us sharing a snack or playing .
It’s not that I’m concerned I just dont understand how to potty train if he can’t communicate with me

1 Like

Every child is different. You may have one that moves fast but that doesn’t always mean the other is moving slow. They go at their own pace. And you my dear are just being a good momma. Unfortunately feeling guilty is apart of it but you shouldn’t. Mom guilt is a real thing and you will feel it forever even when you are doing your best. My boys are 10 and 8 and I went through the same. The mom guilt never stops though, you just gotta know that you are doing your best and not give up. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

My youngest was trying to crawl at 6 weeks and would roll everywhere. Her first word was a very big multisyllable word… but she wasn’t much of a talker like her oldest. It wasn’t until her big sister when to school that her personality began to shine and she really became talkative. She had a radio in her room from birth. Music really helped both kids vocabulary. If he’s 3 or 4 and still pretty silent than yeah I would say there is an issue. Just keep talking, singing and reading to him. Music is powerful. You can also teach him to sign. It will help with communication and give him a way to tell you what he needs.

As far as potty training goes, get a potty training seat and put it on the toilet. Get him a step stool and tell him to pee/poop in the toilet. My youngest basically knew what the toilet was from following me around. She would either tell me or just go. Also every Time you go to the bathroom take him with you and tell him it’s time to pee pee or w/e. And lots of reminders help too.

See one. Do one. Teach one.

My girl was advanced when it came to a lot of things herself. She crawled at 6 months and walked at 9 months. She knew simple sign language to communicate with me and she understood what to Do very early (at 10 months old I was in the kitchen collapsped in pain from a severe kidney infection and I told her to bring me my phone and she ran and did just that), but she did not really start talking til recently. She talked before here and there, but didn’t fully talk until I took her binky away and told her to try and use her words. Plus she was going to daycare and still does sometimes so gets communication with other kids. She’s gping to be 3 on Sunday and she loves talking now so just be patient. Just because he isn’t talking doesn’t mean he is falling behind or slowing down like you are worried about.

I have 2 daughters that are 11 months apart…may sound weird but give your son a baby doll and have him copy they things you do with your daughter…show him how to be gentle to his baby and he will soon learn to be gentle to his sister…my older daughter had this concept down at 11 months when her sister was born cuz I had been working with her on it…and as far as not talking much my youngest daughter is 16 months and she doesn’t say many words but she babbles like crazy…and you may feel like a broken record but repeat repeat and repeat some more and if you are concerned just have his ears looked at