Like any parent and now as an auntie to a few toddlers, we worry about how they're growing up in this new ever changing world. I love teaching my nieces and nephews as much as I can while I can as I did when my kids were just as young. I like to think that I still have some knowledge to share with parents of young-lings while I can still remember. I'm definitely no expert but I can share from experience.
Every parent worries about their child. From the moment they start to grow into a walking, talking toddler, parents are on high alert to watch their toddler thrive. We teach our children to move, to sit, to eat, to use a toilet and to walk. We also aim to teach them to talk, and we never imagine that it won’t happen when the books tell us it will. We know that children say “dada” or “mama” and they babble their way to turning two years old, but what do you do if your toddler doesn't go beyond those babbles?
What if they don't have the fifty or so words they’re supposed to have before they turn two?
Well, most parents start with pleading and begging in the highest pitch voice they can manage, but of course, you can’t cajole a toddler into doing anything they don't want to do. They then tell themselves there is nothing to worry about, that children do it all in their own time - and they’re right, for the most part. Then they start looking into the help that they can get to encourage speech in their toddler. Speech therapists, playgroups, reading and songs spring to mind.
Most parents don't know that a lack of speech can also be due to a lack of hearing (even if your child does here a chocolate wrapper from a mile away). Getting hearing loss treatment would be the next step there if hearing loss is confirmed, but what else can be done? The good news is that there are a lot of ways you can tempt your child to talk and we’ve got eight different ways you can help your toddler to talk.
Let’s take a look:
If there is one thing that toddlers know how to do, it’s ask for food. Even without speech, a toddler will communicate with you, and if you have food, they will make it known that they want some. Most toddlers will point and grunt at you to get your attention and to signal that they want some. When they do this, say the words and name the food you’re holding, as they then learn to mimic you. They likely won’t do it the first time, but over time they will become familiar with the words you’re saying and eventually repeat them back.
As with the food trick above, you can do this with toys. Get something your child loves to play with and sit down to enjoy it for yourself. When they want to join in with you, narrate everything and emphasize the name of the toys. If you’re playing with a ball, describe the “b” sound and they’ll get used to hearing it.
If your child has tested positive for hearing loss, you can still do the same activities, except that you need to learn how to sign to do it. Your child may not be completely deaf, but that doesn't mean that Makaton signs won’t work. When you speak, sign the word at the same time and watch your toddler try to mimic you.
Turn off the TV. Screen time has its place and there is merit in the TV. However, if you want to be able to help your toddler learn to talk, turning off the TV and capturing their attention for games and toys will be a better way to do things. Set up toys ready to play with, too, and they’ll be asking to play with you properly.
Take turns in play. Roll the ball back and forth or roll cars to each other. When it’s your turn to roll it back and your toddler is waiting for you to do it, wait a moment and let them try to ask you for the ball or car. Keep saying the words and they’ll catch on eventually that they need to ask you for the ball if they want it.
Encouraging them to ask you for things is a good idea. Put their snacks into tight containers and when they indicate they want a snack, hand them the whole container. Let them have a fight with the container for a minute and when they hand it back for you to open it, you make the sign for open and say the words “open please”. This leads them to be able to ask for it themselves.
Use toys that they cannot operate on their own. It sounds cruel, but the goal is to encourage them to ask you for help. Whether the toys have wind-up potential or buttons, you want them to need to ask you for help so that you can teach them to verbalize the help they want from you.
Bubbles is an excellent tool for encouraging speech. Toddlers will shove an unopened bubble container at you and grunt for you to open it. Sign the word for open when they request help, and eventually they’ll ask you for help.
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