I talked to my parents about this recently, and I wonder if I was the only little kid to do this, hence a poll. It’s always been a point of pride for my parents that I spoke in complete sentences before I turned two. I asked them recently how many words I had by age one (having read something work-related about language acquisition made me curious) and they said “dozens.” Now here’s the strange thing: according to family lore, my aunt taught me to walk on my first borthday, by repeatedly putting me on my feet during the party- I took my first steps that day. For the next couple or three months after learning this new skill, I didn’t talk. At all. My dad shrugs and says I was too busy practicing walking- and getting into things- that I didn’t waste time talking, which doesn’t make it sound any less odd to me.
So, did any of you(or a loved one) do something similar when you were small?
I recently read in some “new parent” type magazine that when babies learn to walk (usually between 9 and 14 months) they often spend so much time and effort practicing (and being excited about thier new skill) that many of their “habits” change. They may eat less, sleep more and change speaking patterns.
The Littlest Doper[sup]TM[/sup] is starting on the walking gig now. I’ll let you know if he slows down his eating (not bloody likely.)
It was a source of much consternation that I didn’t talk until I was about 2 1/2, but that I had taught myself to walk and how to use the potty by the time I was 2. When I did finally decide to allow my parents the simple pleasure of hearing my voice, it was in complete, pretty much intelligible, sentences. Of course, my delay was much more pleasant than my sister’s, who wasn’t potty trained until almost 5. So I would lean toward the explanation that when learning new skills, other skills take a back seat for a while.
Also, I was reading on my own by the time I was 3 1/2… there are some pretty cute pictures of me with stacks of books as a tot, and at least one audiotape floating around with me reading ‘Miss Susie’ for the first time at age 4. Didn’t talk much after that, either, but more because I preferred the book world to the real one.
I’m always amazed at how early it’s possible for babies to learn something major. I was a very average-type baby, but my husband was amazing in three respects when he was a wee tot. He was potty trained at 11 months and spoke in complete sentences at 14 months, with no preceding baby-talk. He went from silent to talking properly. As his mom says, “Pat started talking when he was one and hasn’t shut up yet!”
I don’t know if I did this as a toddler but I guess I could ask my mom…
On the amazing babies thing, both our daughters learned some simple sign language just after they learned to walk and before they were talking. Our nearly two year old daughter is now talking up a storm but will still sign “please” more often than she says it or will often use both methods.
The baby also has taken it upon herself to become potty trained, she’s about 90% successful at the sitters but is having a little more difficulty here at home. I think this is due to the flight of stairs she has to climb on the way to the potty…
My daugther was speaking in complete, intelligible sentences well before she was two, also. In fact, I just had a conference with her teacher yeasterday, and both her teacher and I have the same problem: We keep forgetting how young she is. Just recently turned four, she’s performing in some ways as a six year old, and in others as a seven year old. We’re always caught by surprise when she acts her age!
This month’s “rabbit from a hat” is her artwork. It’s been growing rapidly in sophistication, but this last weekend she drew a detailed and very happy wedding scene. (With herself as the star, of course! ) Body proportions were dead-on, clothing was detailed and appropriate, facial features were detailed and well placed, and the surrounding scene was populated with all the right details. She’s been to just one wedding in her life, and damned if she didn’t do a fine job of depicting the curch and decorations from that wedding! I was just floored.
) Body proportions were dead-on, clothing was detailed and appropriate, facial features were detailed and well placed, and the surrounding scene was populated with all the right details. She’s been to just one wedding in her life, and damned if she didn’t do a fine job of depicting the curch and decorations from that wedding! I was just floored.