When To Approach Parent About Development......

[TSDaycare]

In my care I have 2 boys, both just turning 2 years old. Both have been with me since 6 weeks, they are both full time so they are here everyday.

Boy #1 talks clearly, speaks in sentences, communicates well with what he wants to do, is open to learning, can sit and focus on what I am teaching, follows directions well.

Boy #2 makes noises most of the time, can clearly say bye bye on occasion, but usually just uses hand gestures or whines when trying to communicate. Bye Bye is the extent of his vocab. Will not sit for more than 10 seconds at a time, will not focus or even attempt to pay attention to anything I am trying to show him or teach him.Doesn't follow directions, mostly acts like he is not hearing you at all, majority of the time will not look at you when being spoken to. He is content only playing off by himself, doesn't participate in group activities.

I speak to both of them constantly to get them to tell me what they want instead of pointing, please & thank you, etc.

At what point do I say something to the parents about his development, I don't want to jump the gun, I know all children develop differently, and they are newly 2 yrs. Being around older children all day I would think he would pick up quicker considering there is another child a few weeks older here with him daily.

Mom swears he talks at home, counts to 5, etc. but he is with me 10.5 hrs a day and I don't see this, even will trying to get him to talk,count.etc.

[SilverSabre25]

Honestly, boy #1 sounds like he's ahead of the curve and very bright. Boy #2 sounds, well...like a boy! If he's still not saying more than "bye-bye" by the time he's, oh...2.5, then I would say something. You could also start teaching everyone sign language (best way to teach it is to just use it with them ). Does boy #2 know any animal noises? Does he make certain consistent noises/nonsense words for specific things? Like, "mok" for cup or something. Don't push the words with #2, if he points at something he wants, model what you want him to say: "Can I have my cup, please? Thank you!"

[familyschoolcare]

Honestly, boy #1 sounds like he's ahead of the curve and very bright. Boy #2 sounds, well...like a boy! If he's still not saying more than "bye-bye" by the time he's, oh...2.5, then I would say something. You could also start teaching everyone sign language (best way to teach it is to just use it with them ). Does boy #2 know any animal noises? Does he make certain consistent noises/nonsense words for specific things? Like, "mok" for cup or something. Don't push the words with #2, if he points at something he wants, model what you want him to say: "Can I have my cup, please? Thank you!"

That is good sound advice!

[nannyde]

I don't know about it being boy related.

The aquistion of language ... talking in full understandable sentences... comes at such a WIDE range that the two year old is still within normal.

I've had kids who could only grunt sounds and then be talking in paragraphs a month later. I'm more concerned about what they understand and that they learn to follow directions.

They can go to three without talking and I don't get too froggy.

I would just focus on making sure that when you tell him to do something he does what you tell him to do. Other than that... let him go play toys on his own and give it some time.

I've had one kid that could FULLY talk at fifteen months. I've had some go well into the threes before I could understand them. Usually around two they start to get yappy. Many times their ability to talk fluently at this young age also comes with little receptive language. Meaning the kid can put out but not take in. I've seen that MANY times.

Behaviorally I find the kids who can take in... and not be able to put out... to be further along developmentally. Just my exerience. Kids that can talk really well at a young age often are so busy talking that they don't take in the normal environmental cues and "listen" to direction and expectation. Not ALL the time... but I see this quite a bit.

I had a kid once who I nannied for on the weekends. She could talk really well in the young ones. She was very impressive to her parents and grandparents. She was also PROFOUNDLY delayed intellectually. They believed she was so smart and even gifted ... it was a SHOCK to them when she couldn't learn the basic skill set in Kindy. She needed extensive tutoring to just stay in the lower ends of the curve.

[sharlan]

I would mention to the parents that his speech may be a bit behind and to discuss it with their pedi at his next appt.

I say this because we didn't discover that my 4 yo couldn't hear well until he was 2 1/2. It was discovered during a CT scan that he had fluid behind the ear drums that had solidified. The drs were checking for a concussion when he began vomiting after a fall.

[wdmmom]

I don't know about it being boy related.

The aquistion of language ... talking in full understandable sentences... comes at such a WIDE range that the two year old is still within normal.

I've had kids who could only grunt sounds and then be talking in paragraphs a month later. I'm more concerned about what they understand and that they learn to follow directions.

They can go to three without talking and I don't get too froggy.

I would just focus on making sure that when you tell him to do something he does what you tell him to do. Other than that... let him go play toys on his own and give it some time.

I've had one kid that could FULLY talk at fifteen months. I've had some go well into the threes before I could understand them. Usually around two they start to get yappy. Many times their ability to talk fluently at this young age also comes with little receptive language. Meaning the kid can put out but not take in. I've seen that MANY times.

Behaviorally I find the kids who can take in... and not be able to put out... to be further along developmentally. Just my exerience. Kids that can talk really well at a young age often are so busy talking that they don't take in the normal environmental cues and "listen" to direction and expectation. Not ALL the time... but I see this quite a bit.

I had a kid once who I nannied for on the weekends. She could talk really well in the young ones. She was very impressive to her parents and grandparents. She was also PROFOUNDLY delayed intellectually. They believed she was so smart and even gifted ... it was a SHOCK to them when she couldn't learn the basic skill set in Kindy. She needed extensive tutoring to just stay in the lower ends of the curve.

I'm with Nan on this one. When certain milestones should be competed at 2 years of age, that ultimately is 12 months to acquire the skill.

My daughter was 2.5 years old before she started talking. Then when she did, it was complete sentences.

If this child is a single child and doesn't have much interaction with other kids, I would look to the farther part of the spectrum.

As long as he is listening, following rules and acknowledging that you are speaking and can follow your lead, he's just fine.

If he's not doing these things, you might want to ask DCM if he's ever had his hearing checked. I wouldn't suggest it, I would just ask and go from there.

[jen]

No worries...I've had lots of kids that weren't big talkers by two...

[JaydensMommy]

I know my son didn't talk well until after he turned two. And he is not in any way delayed, he is able to speak much better than kids his age now. I think he's still too young to worry about it.

[cheerfuldom]

Nan, my middle daughter is just like you described.....so much output with language but struggles with focus and following basic instructions. She will be 2 this month. Do you have any recommendations for that personality specifically? My older was also a talker but very smart and focused with a challenge, the middle one, not so much.

[TSDaycare]

Ear issues is what makes me concerned about him. He has had alot of Fluid in the ears/ear infections in the past year, which has been brought up to parents by others but myself, but mom says if Dr. isn't concerned neither is she..... it just doesn't seem like he is comprehending much when you give directions,etc. or he is just being stubborn and ignoring us

[littlemissmuffet]

Ear issues is what makes me concerned about him. He has had alot of Fluid in the ears/ear infections in the past year, which has been brought up to parents by others but myself, but mom says if Dr. isn't concerned neither is she..... it just doesn't seem like he is comprehending much when you give directions,etc. or he is just being stubborn and ignoring us

He might need tubes. I've known of a few children 2-3 years old who got tubes in the ears and started hearing better and communicating better almost immediately.

[SilverSabre25]

Ear issues is what makes me concerned about him. He has had alot of Fluid in the ears/ear infections in the past year, which has been brought up to parents by others but myself, but mom says if Dr. isn't concerned neither is she..... it just doesn't seem like he is comprehending much when you give directions,etc. or he is just being stubborn and ignoring us

well that bit of information makes a difference to my opinion. He still might be perfectly normal, but he might be having issues hearing.

I have a 2 yo who I think has issues hearing. He also seems behind on speech (compared to my DD and my other 2 yo)--sometimes seems like maybe he has trouble hearing because he doesn't respond to directions, and what speech he does have has a peculiar, almost watery quality to it that I've read can be due to them hearing poorly.

I suppose I might mention it to mom in terms of--sometimes he seems to have trouble hearing. Have you had his hearing checked? Then see what she does.

[nannyde]

Nan, my middle daughter is just like you described.....so much output with language but struggles with focus and following basic instructions. She will be 2 this month. Do you have any recommendations for that personality specifically? My older was also a talker but very smart and focused with a challenge, the middle one, not so much.

I can help you with this.

P.M. me