so how much do you think they understand? | ExpatWoman.com
 

so how much do you think they understand?

488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 February 2012 - 15:31

My DS is about 9.5 months old and in the last week has started to say mummmummmum - to my delight :) I was saying it to him quite a bit and pointing at my mouth before he started to say it (its been all dadada, bababa, goo goo goo to date). A few days later I was with a friend who was talking to him and she asked him where mama was and he pointed at me. Now this was only the one time and could have been a fluke (its all about pointing at the moment) but I like to think he did understand her. I was sharing this with another friend this morning whose DD is the same age and she said to me that she thought they still didn't know what they were saying and that I was being a bit hopeful. This got me thinking about whether I was indeed being hopeful or whether my DS does understand. Admittedly he babbles on dadadada all day but he does often look at his Daddy and say Dada with purpose (or so I think) and when I ask him where our cat is, he does look all around the room. And he waves goodbye and hello which is obviously on purpose so is it too much of a stretch to say that some of his babble has meaning?
What do you ladies think? I've really got to start doing some signing with him (beyond the sign for cat LOL).

2782
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 February 2012 - 15:50
yep thats the study I was thinking of. DS said 2 words with meaning by 10 months and by the same age had great receptive language (would crawl over and bring back various toys on request and point to various family members in photos), we did a bit of baby sign too, (basics like eat, drink, nurse, more) well worth it as they can understand a lot well before they manage to coordinate their sounds into speech. DS started using the signs when he started saying more words, at around 12 months. bottom line, be careful what you say in front of them, they are soaking it all in like little sponges. ;)
151
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 February 2012 - 13:40
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9079439/Babies-understand-basic-words-from-six-months.html I was reading about Baby Sign the other day. I had heard of it before but presumed it was for deaf babies. It sounds incredible. Check it out!
488
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 February 2012 - 09:44
thanks ladies. Greenish, that's what I thought. i do think there is meaning behind some of his babble. Kiwis, would love to see that study if you are able to dig it up. :)
2340
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 February 2012 - 06:33
there was a recent study on this (will try and find) and it showed they understand a lot, much earlier than you'd think. I would absolutely think he understands "mama" and much much more Given that if you start sign language from birth, they can use it by the time they are 6-9 months old, they understand a LOT more than we realise. :)
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 24 February 2012 - 17:36
there was a recent study on this (will try and find) and it showed they understand a lot, much earlier than you'd think. I would absolutely think he understands "mama" and much much more
 
 

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