My 18 month old Babels incoherently.?

Question

He was 3 1/2 weeks premature he is also not holding his own utensils (I feed him). I worry everytime i am around other people whos' kids are alot younger than him and doing alot more. he is a picky eater , he weights 23 lbs ( I think he should weight more) I stress so much over his development or lack of, that i think am losing my mind!Somebody tell me what is normal and where should he be?.

Answer 1

First babies are different.
Second - he should be feeding himself finger foods- put him in a high chair and give him Cheerios - He will get hungry enough to eat.
His babels are "practice speech".
He started out a month behind other babies give him time.

Edited:
As for his weight- check out this chart-
http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/growthcharts2/l/blboysbirth.htm

He is well within normal range.

Answer 2

Young children develop differently. Don't worry about the other children around you. As long as you continue to feed him, he will let you. Put the utensil in his hand and don't help him. He may make a mess at first but he'll figure it out. Even if he doesn't want to use the utensil thats okay too. Let him feed himself. Start with finger foods and make sure you offer him a wide variety of choices. Many times picky eaters are just picky because they don't get a chance to try new things. If he sees you trying different foods he will want to also. I've worked with children for over 20 years and I'm a parent myself too. There are also lots of books on development stages for children. Go to the library and see what you can find. Good luck!

Answer 3

WHOA!!! Take a deep breath. It is not healthy for you to stress over it so much. It also makes it impossible to enjoy your baby when you spend so much time analyzing him. Repeat this mantra: "Every child is different". As far as development goes, there is no such thing as *normal*. There are statistical averages, put out by the american association of pedatrics, but those are just basic guides... Like his size... my son was a whopper at 10 lbs 1 oz at birth, and now he weighs 26lbs at 18 months, just like other kids his age. Why do you think he should weigh more? Did the doctor ever seem worried? Who told you he should be bigger? Picky eating is normal, they can discern flavors and like choosing things. They like to have a little control in their lives now. If your son is babbling, take it as a perfect sign. He's imitating speech, and that's a sure sign he knows what it's for. Also, as far as utensils, my son is 18 months and thinks they're for banging on his tray. He eats with his hands... It's a bad habit to compare your child to any other. Every child does more of something than another. Mine talks, but he can barely walk still, while others are running. He's not a trick pony, so expecting him to "do stuff" is unfair. (My doc said this, at his one-year checkup- some walk well, some talk well, but very rarely do they walk AND talk well.) Maybe he's not all that motivated to talk because you communicate with him nonverbally. Also, since moms can interpret grunts and stuff, kids often use those because it's easy. If you really want to push the talking, you can play dumb- when he wants, say, a cracker or his cup, pretend not to understand. Then he has to try harder to say it. But make a BIG deal when he does use a word, clap, big smile, etc.You can also try sign language. Kids can use their hands really well and can make signs like 'eat', 'cup', 'more', before their mouths can make the words. It helps him bridge the gap between grunts and real talk. I know it works. FYI- he will babble to his animals, his reflection, or other babies. Babbling is good! Now, forget everyone else and go with your instincts. I know they're in there!!!

Answer 4

My son was almost 3 months early, and at 18 months he was saying very few words, but when he was about 2 he started really taking off. He will be 3 in Aug (His due date was the end of Oct) and he says words like telescope, lemonade, and he will repeat just about anything. Give him until his 2nd birthday. As far as eating, show him how to hold his fork. He is old enough to learn to feed himself. A lot of times parents of preemies tend to "Baby" them far more than they need to be and that is what causes a lot of them to have learning delays. With my son I worked with him on showing him how to do things instead of doing them for him, and he has no delays at all now. Also, my son was 2 lbs, 15 oz when he was born and he is just now at 29 pounds, and his doctor said that is a good weight.

Answer 5

Well, for one thing, my daughter is only 26 pounds and is 2 years old. Her doctor says that she is exactly "average" in size for her age. I also still feed her anything that is messy like soup or cereal simply to save myself from doing more laundry. I myself was 3 MONTHS premature, and although I was behind in growth for my first couple of years, I ended up being at least 2 grades ahead all throughout school. Dont worry, your child is not doomed to be behind for life. Read to your child A LOT. Talk to your child A LOT. Narrate your life, basically, so your child learns the words to describe actions and emotions, etc. "Mommy is going into the kitchen to make you some food. We are going to have some veggies" "Its not nice to throw things. When you hit someone that makes them sad" Just do a lot of talking and describing things. Do activities together and challenge him to stretch his limits.

Here is a list of developmental milestones.
http://www.nncc.org/Child.Dev/mile2.html
Obviously, they are just a guideline because children all develop differently. But if you have a concern, talk to your doctor. If your child seems to be developmentally delayed, its better to know it now so you can take steps to help your child catch up. I personally know 2 people with toddlers in speech therapy, and 18 months is the age that they started noticing the delay. They are now over 2 years old and getting caught up, but still will need help.

Answer 6

Every child is different, don't stress out about it. Show him how to feed himself, and let him try don't always be there to do it for him. If you really think he is behind talk to your doctor about it, I am sure he is okay. By the way, my daughter is going to be three and she only weighs 25 lbs. The doctors are not worried about her. It has a lot to do with genetics, as long as your little guy's height for weight is matching, I am sure he is just fine.
Good Luck! :)

Answer 7

The 'incoherent' babbling is the babies first attempts of communicating in a way other then crying, and will turn into words soon. If you listen closely, you will find that in the coming weeks his 'sounds' will turn into his words and will start making specific sounds for specific items, and it won't be long before you can distinguish his 'words'.
Please remember that although there is an average time for babies to do things, there is no 'normal' time to do things and your son will do things when he is ready to. Please don't compare him to other children his age- especially since he was born early.

If you really stressing about his development, book an appointment with his doctor for you to get reassurance from a medical professional that everything is okay :)

Your son is FINE!

Answer 8

Babies develop at their own pace. Don't worry about "normal". 3 1/2 weeks early isn't enough to have caused any permanent damage or anything like that. Just relax and let him grow at his own pace. Trying to rush it will only stress you out and him too.

Answer 9

He should be right where his pediatrician says he should be. Don't compare you son to other children, every child is different. If your pediatrician said he is on track than take a deep breath and relax.

Answer 10

First, and foremost, every child developes at his/her own pace. More important than what someone else's child does/says is what your pediatrician says.