my 1 yr. old and preschool?

Question

my son is 13 months old and right now my dad watches him during the day, he's really good with him but I've noticed he is a little behind on certain things that other children are doing like walking, and talking...my co-worker has a 10 month old and he says all kinds of words...mine only says dada and sometimes mama. the walking part is sort of complicated..he will walk if you hold his fingers, but that is it.

Answer 1

Your son is not behind. He's fine. He'll be walking before you know it and talking up a storm. However, I am very much in favor of early socialization and it will help him learn to talk sooner. But he may still be a little young for preschool. How about a mommy and me program first?

Answer 2

You should not measure a child by a mere statistic. I have three boys and I am a stay at home Dad. My oldest is 4 my second one is 3 and my third is almost 2.
My oldest is still having problems with talking clearly. I thought he was a bit behind because of this. I was wrong he was on a pacifier for a longer time than usual and developed an overbite because of it.On top of this he is also very active.He
could easily out run a six year old so my point is this.
There are many factors to look at over the behind theory.
My second born talks as good as the oldest one for the most part yet my oldest is much smarter than him. They just develop differently from one another.There are no two children that are exactly the same and no two children that develop the exact same speed in all aspects like physical and mental being the broad descriptions. My youngest made his mom nervous. She was reading those where your children should be at certain ages parenting magazines.
She came home to me one day and said this (I think Trey may be Autistic) What the f___ did you just say about my kid I said! Then I took Offense and we got into a scrimmage verbally
she says by the age of 2 they should have a dictionary of approximately 30 words. I said he is 20 months old not 2 years old.She said yeah I know but he does not say one word yet! He is now 22 months old and says about 35 words. Do you see my point?

Answer 3

If your basing your childs "delays" on the 10-month old who is walking and talking, don't make any major decisions yet. 13 months is not "late" for either activity. The walking while holding the fingers bit is totally normal for a baby of 13 months. The other baby is actually somewhat ahead (and don't take that to mean your baby needs to catch up!!! LOL The only race here should be when you're playing with your son to get him to go, not in comparing his development with other children)

If he reaches 16-18 months and hasn't progressed (which is unlikely, since most babies who are 13 months and walk and hold hands are pretty close to walking on their own anyway), ask his doctor.

If he doesn't have any already, consider getting the little toys that they push... you know, they have a Thomas the Tank Engine, various cars and busses and fire trucks and stuff... The thing he can sit on and move with his feet, playing with a steering wheel or something, but also with the high back so that he can push it in front of him... Anyway, those are really effective in encouraging unassisted walking. My neice actually prefers her "baby's stroller" (not "hers", but the one for "her baby"), and it does the same kind of thing.

If you feel your dad is good taking care of him, and your son is happy and progressing at a "normal" rate (don't just compare to one coworker with an early walker/talker... talk to his doctor, or friends who have experience with small children from teaching, Sunday school, or large families), I don't think you need to worry.

If you want, try talking to your dad about certain games, etc. he can play with the baby, if you are worried about his development. You can look online, or at a toy store, or talk to a teacher, whatever, and there are all kinds of "games" he can play that encourage developmental progress.

I wouldn't make that big a change, though, if your son seems happy and your dad is taking good care of him. It's possible that the jolt of the new surroundings at a daycare, as opposed to the relative quiet of Grandpa's, it could actually cause him some problems in the short run. At this point, unless someone who actually knows your son AND knows what is actually "normal" tells you otherwise, I don't think the long-term benefits would be what you're expecting anyway, since he's not technically behind anyway.

Child care is expensive and impersonal. I love my kids' daycare, they have fun and have REALLY progressed (one actually has developmental delays), but if your one motivating factor is his "delayed" development, make sure it's really an issue before you make the switch.

Contact Early Childhood Intervention, Children's Services, the special education department of your local public school system (considering his age, they'll refer you to the people you need to see... after age 3, they take over any therapy), or his doctor, if you want to have him tested for development.

Answer 4

My baby brother didn't learn to walk until he was 15 months. I think average in up to 18 and if the don't have it by then there might be problems. Also my friend has a son the same age is mine 2 1/2 and her son sounds like he's still talking jibberish when i can understand almost everything my son says. No worries sounds normal to me. There a really cool site called Cafemom.com. It's only for moms. You should check it out. Also, the preschool thing does help them with social skills but at his age i don't see a problem with grandpa watching him. I'm sure your dad loves the company. My mom watches my son i'm planning on preschool around 3 and when he's potty trained.

Answer 5

It is very common for little boys not to walk till around one yr - 15 or even 18 months old. Your child is very young and would not worry about it too much, however would consider enrolling him into a preschool even if it is just 2 days a week for next year. Preschool is the beginning of a child's learning however realize that it can be expensive. If this is not an option try looking for some type of play groups in your area.

Answer 6

Every child is different he is not behind. I run and in home day care and I had a little girl who did walk until she was almost 14 months old. I feel that if the parents are working with the child than they are never going to accomplish the goal and these parents would simple refuse to make her walk. I would just make sure that you are teaching him words like dog and cat and little words while outside taking a walk or riding in the car. Maybe ask your dad to do the same and this will help.

Answer 7

My daughter walked at 9 months and my son not until about 13 months. Each child is different. Some speak sooner than others. Stop comparing him to other kids. If you are very worried about it, ask his doctor. A preschool is good a couple of mornings a week, but he doesn't need that until he is 2 or 3. I think it is wonderful for him and your dad that he is able to stay with your dad while you are at work.

Answer 8

Kids development is similar to that of your good old fashioned PC. It can really only do one thing really well and the rest of your machine will slow down.

Kids are just like that. If a child has strong gross motor skils, his fine motor skills will develop at a slower rate. The likewise is also true.

It's important for you not to compare your child's development to anyone elses. Cherish the time with your son while he's 13 months old instead of fretting about where he's at. Before you know it, he'll be a little boy and you will be wishing you could hold that little baby again.

Answer 9

We also have a 13 month old and he has just started walking without assistance. I believe that they all develope differently. The little girl that he stays with during the day started walking at 9 months and is speaking with a larger vocabulary as well. But then, we have gone to parties full of 1 yr olds and they are all over the board on their development, ranging from number of teeth, motor skills, and verbage. When they feel that they are ready to go that next step, they will.

Answer 10

every child develops at their own pace. My oldest son didn't walk until he was 15 months, and the doctor said that was just fine. My youngest son, on the other hand, isn't even a year old and is already trying to walk. It depends on the child, and how fast they want to move. Your doctor won't be concerned, and your child isn't considered behind until at a certain age (16 months and no steps, I think). Don't rush him, it will happen when he is ready (and then you'll wish he would stay still for 5 minutes, lol). good luck, and try not to compare your son to any other kids, it's not fair to him.