1St Time Mom

As to the food, are there any dietary considerations? At 15 months to be honest I fed my kids pretty much whatever we (my husband and I) ate.

As for the talking, you are absolutely right about there being nothing wrong with him and congratulations for understanding and realizing that. My son was 2 1/2 before he really started speaking in earnest, in contrast, my daughter was about 18 months when she reached the same level of speaking he had reached at 2 1/2. There is an oft-rumored difference between male-female speech development as we as the order of the child (i.e. first child sometimes takes longer to speak). Incidentally, my son is incredibly verbose now and I laugh that I was ever worried (I was back around the 2 year mark).

Peace and blessings,
Jen Q

Just give you child what you are eating for dinner. Don't make a special meal for him, just make enough for the 3 of you and give him his own plate.

Hi J.,

My son is 18 months and has just started pronouncing words. For the longest time, he just said Mama and Dada, but now he tries to repeat everything. Your son sounds like mine, he was a sponge for the first 17 months of his life, to the point that he obviously understood what we were saying but not giving anything back. Just wait, I'm
sure it's right around the corner. And you are right, evrey child is different and I hate that society can scare us into thinking our child is developing slowly. As far as the eating, my son loves the chicken and chicken nuggets. He also loves any breakfast foods: french toast, pancakes, waffles, eggs, cereal, toast. Any form of pasta and all dairy products: yogurt, cheese, ice cream. He's not so fond of the veggies but loves fruit. I buy the lite canned fruit. Hope this helps!

Let him eat what you eat just cut smaller for him. I've been feeding my 18 m/o off my plate for months now.

i like to have a variety of soups in the cupboard for the baby. it's easy, and super fast! usually the veges and pasta are so soft in canned soup all you have to do is heat, drain, and serve.

Hi J.,

I wouldn't worry about your child's speech. He sounds completely normal to me. Tell your husband that Einstein didn't talk until he was 3 years old. My son started talkiing very early (at 14 months he knew about 35 words), but most of his friends didn't start talking until much later. Now at age 2.5, they are all pretty much similar in their abilities. Different children start at different ages, but most catch up by age 3. For different foods, my son loves grilled cheese. We also buy the bourbon chicken at Costco and he loves that. It is similar to general tsos. He also loves the dino nuggets which can also be obtained at Costco. He also loves the chicken sausages which you can get in the organic section at Giant Eagle. His favorite is the chicken and apple - and they are healthy too - not like regular sausage. We also started giving him whatever we were eating and he does pretty well. He loves steak (cut up very small) and he loves lamb and chicken. He used to eat broccoli and loves tomatoes and corn on the cob. I would say try giving it to him at the same time you are eating it and he will want to "be just like you" and he may try it and like it.

J.
A Mother's Boutique
Breastfeeding clothing, nursing bras, breast pumps, slings and accessories
MamaSource Members will receive 10% off of their first order - just mention promo code "MamaSource"
http://www.mothersboutique.com

I agree with the other moms, feed him whatever you are eating. My 15-month old loves pasta especially. She also does well with scrambled eggs, mashed/baked/or sweet potatoes and most veggies. Make sure to give him a variety of foods.

Hi, J.
My 14 month old girl is eating many different things althought she doesn't care much for veggies. She eats meatloaf, meatballs, omelette's with cheese , cod, chicken , turkey, mac n cheese with broccoli , grilled cheese with tomato, pasta and sauce. Basically we feed her what we are eating most of the time. Hope this helps.

My son is 18 months and I worry about him eating. He loves hot dogs and wants them all the time. We just started vegies and now he requests them more. so here are a couple of the recipies.

Vegi soup...
1/2 lb Lentils (very high in proteen and iron)
1 large can crushed tomato
1 can white and yellow corn
1 large carrot in little wedges
1 can peas
1 can lima beans
Alphabet pasta optional

Cook all together in a pot for 2 hours and do not drain anything add all the juice. If you are going to add pasta wait till the last 1/2 hour of cooking. It is very healthy and great to eat.

Extra Special Mac and Cheese...

1 can Chunk lite tuna in water
1 box mac and cheese

Make mac and cheese like on the box, add Tuna and serve. Sometimes we add blue food coloring to make it Crazy Mac and Cheese, I think it looks grose but he loves it.

Be brave and let him try all kinds of different foods. He'll let you know what he likes. Remember if he is not tired of Chicken don't make him feel bad about wanting it. Right now it is more important that he eats then not and chicken is pretty good for him as long as it's not fast food or deep fried.

Oh I wouldn't worry about the talking thing. My husband was worried to, until I took him to a play group and he saw other kids that weren't talking well either. That may be the best way to show him your little man is normal.

hi J.

about the talking deal... you were correct when you said that every child is different, but also girl progress or mature faster than boys do so you are absolutely correct that your son should not be compared to your niece...

the feeding thins is a toss up... try gr turkey you can do lots of things with it...

If you keep a kosher house, this wouldn't be an option but my suggestion is ham. You can buy it cut up already in the little cubes. It is soft and easy for them to chew. Also, pasta is a good side. To change up the pasta, try the tri-colored or the spinach nests. Try some instant mashed potatoes or some rice. If you are looking for a dish with some meet, try adding some ground beef to beef flavored or fried rice. You can add scrambled egg to rice like rice a roni fried rice. Ravioli, canned or frozen, are good. Cut up some pieces of cheese. Any canned or frozen vegetable, pretty much. In fact, you probably want to try to encourage the vegetables now. Applesauce, bananas, canned peaches, canned pears and canned mixed fruit are good choices for fruits. There are some occasions where we have crackers with ham (or some type of deli meat), cheese, and fruit. I arrange them on a plate and let my son to eat it as finger food.

Honestly, though, we tend to have a lot of chicken nuggets with chicken flavored ramen noodles on the side. We try to include a fruit or vegetable with it but there are occasions where my 4 month olds fussiness leads to a lack of vegetable at lunch. We try to have a fruit or vegetable for a snack later in the afternoon if that happens.

The important things to watch for are size and density with regards to whether or not it is a food that is easily choked upon (hot dogs are tops on the list, btw). Also, you want to try to keep his diet balanced. He should have more fruits and vegetables than meet or carbs.

I tried to list some of the easier to prepare things on our list of things we do (my kids are 8, 3 and 4 months) but that are, also, not a complete turnoff for mom. Who wants to have to cook 2 different lunches with a toddler in the house. ;)

With the talking, don't worry. Your doctor, I'm sure, asks you about this at his checkup and will let you know should there become a time where he/she thinks there is a problem. A couple of things to remember here, though, in general boys talk later than girls. However, in general, they also develop motor skills such as walking and climbing faster than girls. Each child is an individual though and may not adhere to the developmental timelines set by the average child. This is fine. As long as he is developing normally in other areas and seems healthy, I wouldn't worry especially at this young a stage. A lot of children don't really start talking so that others can really understand them until they are almost two. At this stage in life, a few days or a few months can make a big difference in abilities.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

Every child is different! My daughter is about 15 1/2 months, she just says "mom". i am not worried though, since my son wasn't a big talker when he was her age either. Don't worry about it...they will start talking when they want to =)

As for the food situation, just give your child whatever you and your husband eat. Don't cater specifically to him...give him fish, beef, tofu, etc. Make it easier on yourself!

Your husband should meet my son! He is 23 months old and is a boy of few words. He clearly communicates through "signs" that he has invented but it is like pulling teeth to get him to talk. He follows every command you give, and when he is upset he will clearly say a whole sentence, something like "I want mama" but other than that, we joke that he is going to be a mime. My husband didn't talk until he was 2.5 and now does not stop so we were prepared for this. The doctor also at his 18 month appointment said "let me guess he does not talk much does he?" He is a very active boy, climbing on EVERYTHING and running and just doing many physical things way before other babies, he is just not talking. So, don't worry!!! He will talk eventually. 15 months is still young for most kids anyway.

As for food, my son loved fish sticks, meatballs, cut up peanut butter toast, buttered noodles (a favorite still), soup, beef stew was a big favorite, rice with veggies like peas and corn to name a few. Also, he always liked just eating whatever we were eating!

Hi J.- I see you got a lot of great responses, and this one will probably sound just like all the others. I have 3 kids, 3 yrs old, 2 yrs old, and 13 months. By the 3rd child, I have realized that they can start eating most foods pretty early. I refuse to make seperate meals for my kids, so they all eat whatever I make for my husband and myself. Meatballs, meatloaf, pork, ham, roast beef, fish- just make sure to cut it in small pieces- he should be able to handle pretty much any tender pieces of meat. Sandwiches are good too, cut in quarters to start teaching him to take bites- grilled cheese, peanut butter & jelly (as long as no history of allergy), tuna fish. Also, I highly recommend pushing vegetables at this age. Again, most vegetables should be fine- they don't have to be mush, just soft enough to gum them (especially carrots- cook them well because they are a high choking hazard). I usually try to make two vegetables to go along with my meat. I have found that between 12- 18 months is when my children would gobble the vegetables. After about 18 months, they start to realize mom wants them to eat the veggies, and they choose to refuse them. And then of course fruit, soft little pieces- banana, apple, peaches, pear, oranges- pretty much anything. Try yogurt (Yo-Baby or Yo-Kids by Stonybrook Farms is good), cottage cheese, applesauce. I would try to avoid hot dogs, number 1 because they are a choking hazard, and number 2 they are loaded with nitrates/nitrites which are very bad for you. If you want to try hotdogs, look for a nitrate free brand (Giant sells them under the brand Nature's Promise), and cut them in small pieces- NOT Circles.
I hope you have found some good ideas. Good Luck!

Hi J.,
Your son is definitely not late to speak!! Many 2 year olds can say many words (even sentences), but they are not always clear. At 15 months he might have a bunch of words he can say (I think songs count), but tell your husband that they really won't be too many clear words yet. Check again at 18 months and see how he's doing. The most important thing is that your son understands you. If you tell him to pick up something, or go to the kitchen, etc...does he do it? He should start understanding around now (if not before).

As for food--try some beef! My kids loved beef stew cooked very soft. Or soup...or beans! My 2nd daughter loved black beans! And beans are so healthy!

Good luck, I'm sure you're a great mom!
A.

Hi J.,
Here are some suggestions that I use with my daycare kids:

Tortellini meat or cheese- cooked well done and soft
Macaroni and cheese- cook the noodles well done

Hummus on Pita bread sandwich- just smear some hummus on an open piece of pita bread, make a sandwich and cut into small pieces.

Cream cheese and Jelly sandwich on Wheat Bread- spread a thin layer of cream cheese and Jelly between 2 pieces of bread and cut off crust and cut into small pieces.

Low Sodium Chicken noodle soups (the chunky soups work best)- just drain the broth and serve the veggies and noodles.

Frozen Meat or cheese ravioli- cooked soft, cut into quarters and serve with either butter or a small amount of spaghetti sauce.

Ground beef and cooked potatoes- ground 1/2lb beef thoroghly leaving it in small un burnt chunks. dice a potato into 1/2 inch pieces and boil till soft- mix meat and potato together and serve.

Theres also a book out there called " Feed Me, I'm Yours" you can find it on Amazon.com - I had it when my kids were little. It gives all sorts of tips, suggestions and kid friendly recipes. You'll love it!!

Hi J.,
Please tell your husband that girls outperform boys with their verbal skills up until Kindergarten. Girls' speech skills are much more advanced than boys. Boys eventually do catch up and will generally outperform the girls in math and science. (Probably b/c boys are encouraged to do well in math and science....and girls may be geared toward other skills).
Also, as far as feeding your 15 month old son....my best advice is to feed him what the rest of the family is eating. I hope this helps and best of luck to you.
-L.

Talking clearly at 15 months? LOL! I have 4 kids, and none talked clearly at that age. A word here or there is normal at this age--stringing together 2 word "sentences" by age 2, people who aren't very close to you should be able to understand him by the time he is 3.

But boys are often a bit slower on speech than girls. My 4th child actually wasn't talking AT ALL when he turned 2. He babbled a lot, and understand what we asked of him, but he just didn't form words. Now that he is almost 4 he is a non-stop chatter box. We did get speech therapy for him. I wish we had started sooner. You can call Early Intervention (check your phone book, or ask your pediatrician) to schedule an evaluation if you are concerned. Until your son is 3 years old they will actually come to your house to do the therapy if he needs it.

As for what to feed him...we just always feed our kids what we are eating. Chicken nuggets aren't actually all that healthy--although I do serve them to my kids occassionally too. But my kids even eat steak at 15 months--we just cut it into very small pieces. Lots of fruit, veggies & dip, whole grain crackers & cheese, peanut butter, boiled eggs, smoothies made of vanilla or plain yogurt blended with fruit ("fruit flavored" yogurts have very little fruit, and LOTS of sugar) are all favored snacks in my house.