My 8-month-old son is not making consonant sounds yet. He "talks" by making lots of vowel sounds, gurgles, squeals and grunts, but he has yet to really babble. Should I be worried?
One thing to consider is that babbling can be affected by so many different factors.
The parent who talks to their babies constantly in adult talk versus baby talk, typically has a more verbal baby. They tend to mirror what they hear.
The tongue/mouth work together to form sounds, so the baby who exercises those muscles by chewing (food and toys) will be better equipped to make those sounds. If you think about it, the tongue placed on the roof of the mouth produces many sounds, such as 'd' in dada and the lips closed produces the 'm' sound. If the baby has learned to use it's tongue and lips, those sounds will follow.
And of course, hearing plays a large part. If there is a hearing issue, they can't very well mimic what they hear. So that's always a consideration to check out.
Then again there are babies who are simply content to listen versus talk until later.
Welp, still no babbles. He's 9 months old now, and he pretty much sounds like a caveman. My explanation for it is that he's focusing so much on physical stuff, like pulling up, cruising and climbing, and he just isn't interested in talking yet.
That has to be the hardest thing to hear... "Every baby develops at its own pace"... but it's true! Just keep on talking to him and soon enough he'll start talking back!!
Our 1st did not ever babble not even a mama, dada before 1. Then next thing I knew she never stopped talking. Our 2nd was and still is a constant babbler. Go figure. They are all different. I wouldn't be worried. Easier said than done.
Every baby develops at his or her own pace. Be patient and keep working with him. Sandra Boynton's Moo, Baa, La La La is great for developing those skills.
Comments
One thing to consider is that babbling can be affected by so many different factors.
The parent who talks to their babies constantly in adult talk versus baby talk, typically has a more verbal baby. They tend to mirror what they hear.
The tongue/mouth work together to form sounds, so the baby who exercises those muscles by chewing (food and toys) will be better equipped to make those sounds. If you think about it, the tongue placed on the roof of the mouth produces many sounds, such as 'd' in dada and the lips closed produces the 'm' sound. If the baby has learned to use it's tongue and lips, those sounds will follow.
And of course, hearing plays a large part. If there is a hearing issue, they can't very well mimic what they hear. So that's always a consideration to check out.
Then again there are babies who are simply content to listen versus talk until later.
Welp, still no babbles. He's 9 months old now, and he pretty much sounds like a caveman. My explanation for it is that he's focusing so much on physical stuff, like pulling up, cruising and climbing, and he just isn't interested in talking yet.
That has to be the hardest thing to hear... "Every baby develops at its own pace"... but it's true! Just keep on talking to him and soon enough he'll start talking back!!
Our 1st did not ever babble not even a mama, dada before 1. Then next thing I knew she never stopped talking. Our 2nd was and still is a constant babbler. Go figure. They are all different. I wouldn't be worried. Easier said than done.
Every baby develops at his or her own pace. Be patient and keep working with him. Sandra Boynton's Moo, Baa, La La La is great for developing those skills.