Daughter's Speech

VERY age appropriate. Please don't worry, it's endearing and it won't last. Continuing to use the correct names is the way to go, but don't over correct. Just use the correct names when you speak. I don't think it's necessary to say, "no, not a moo, it's a cow" You could say, "Yes, that's right, the cow goes moooo"

Hi D.! I have to say, I think you have an adorable little girl there! I have a 9 yr old, a 6 yr old, and I babysit 2 3year olds and a 10 month old in my home daily. These are the silly connections that babies make to words and after she masters her language skills, probably before she is 3, you will be trying so hard to remember when she was calling snow men "ho-ho' and doggies "woofs". My daughter who is 9 did all that and she loves talking about what she used to say when she was a baby. We get a kick out of the 10 month old I watch because she just started words. We are looking forward to the funny things they say. Enjoy it all. They grow soo fast!

-A.

I think it's pretty normal. At two years old, my son would say "ba" instead of "more". It use to worry me because I would always correct him. He did that for a couple months (which tends to seem longer when you worry) until I realized he said it more when I reacted to it. She's young yet and it'll pass. Give her til she's eighteen, then worry!!

Good luck.

A. W.

She is fine, she is associated the right things with the right sounds or pictures. I would just tell her the correct name after she points to something. "look a moo" you can just say, "yes that is a cow, he does say moo, very good" and so on. She is using her imagination and that is a VERY good thing, more parents need to allow that in their children.

Hi!

I have a two year old who is also learning to talk and I think these associations are fairly normal. Allen calls boats "toot toots" and trains are "choo choos". When you tell him an animal name he responds with the sounds they make. He just learned to say "horse" and has always known "doggy" because we have one.

I think it's amazing when they come up these associations. To know that snow is associated with Santa Claus and that snowmen are made of snow; therefore they all say "ho ho".

I would gently use the proper name with her when she uses these associations, but acknowledge her word. Yes, your sippy cups have fishes on them, this is a sippy cup and these are fishes. That sort of thing.

Allen is in daycare and I think that helps. The time he spends there is very structured and there is a lot of learning that goes on. Also, being around the bigger kids rubs off on him. He wants to do what they do (like use the potty) and sound like them.

Lots of books, puzzles, age appropriate and educational tv shows (in moderation), as well as lots of arts and crafts. Keep up that kind of stuff and she'll come around.

Good luck!

J.

I have a daughter the same age and does the same thing. She was born 10 weeks early, so we go for Developmental check-ups every 6 months and they said there is nothing wrong with it. She is making the mental connection between an object and a related sound or picture. The doctors told me if there was NO connection they would be worried about her development.

My daughter has also started expanding her connections and is also starting to call things by their proper name. So don't worry it just takes time and all children learn and grow differently. Something I have had to remember with a Preemie.

D.,
Well I don't claim to have all the answers but after being a stay at home mom for 10 yrs. of 4 beautiful kids that include a set of twin boys I hope I can lend some peaceful advice. My oldest son and on of the twins were much like Caitlin and they both were speech delayed as well. As far as I can tell, it's nothing to worry about. Part of it is her age. It's just easier and fun to say Moo's instead of Cows. LOL. When Colten, my twin was little she used to say Baby Meows for kittens. It sounds like to me that you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing, when she says the wrong word for things, just correct her and say no this is what is it. If it gets to be a problem, you could try reinforcing it by saying Ok, if you want your sippie cup, call it by it's correct name Cup not fishes. I gotta admit, to me, that's really cute and creative. The other thing is that she could / is just being very creative. At least that's how I see it. I understand about being concerned but honestly I don't see it being a problem - not yet. Just keep working with her, be patient and remember to each their own. She'll come around. Good luck and hope it helps some.

All mine did that, I check with my mom friends and their kids did too. Yes it is "normal". For little ones to make these types of associations. It has in fact always been fun to share stories about the funny things our kids call things. And you are right to use the proper names of things, she will catch on, and by the time she starts school all the cute funny names will sadly be gone. So smile laugh and enjoy this little phase becuase you will some day miss these times...

Love, light and abundant blessings
Trish

Hi D.-
Yup, it's normal! (I was a child development minor in college-there was a whole discussion on this in one of my classes) When she says "moo" instead of saying "cow", just respond with something like "yes, cows say moo". You can respond to her calling her cup "fishies" with "Yes, there are fishies on your cup". It's great that she's making the associations that you have mentioned! If you are really concerned about it though, mention it to your pediatrician at her next check-up.
E.

Get yourself a journal and write it all down - you will want to remember all these little fun things she does and if half the ladies I have told this to over the years had done this it would be a best selling novel. She's fine. She's having fun. She's actually doing Montessori teaching herself. When you do the alphabelt its not a,b,c,d it's ahh, baaa, ka, da. Association with sounds means she knows what they are. Saying words says she knows how to speak. She just chooses not to. My cousin refused to speak until she was 4 year old. Now we can't shut her up. Keep that journal on the kitchen counter with a pen clipped to it.
T.

My son's speech therapist says this is so very normal and actually quite healthy. Young children associate cow with the word moo. Or pig with a pig sound. Because saying moo might be easier than saying cow or even more fun. You can talk to your child's pediatrician regarding this if you have more concerns. She sounds like a bright little girl, I wouldn't worry.

C.

Hi D.~ I am also 28, married, and my daughter is 20 months old! Know that it is perfectly normal for toddlers to have their own names for things, and just enjoy it while it lasts. It's so cute! I used to teach preschool, and really enjoyed being the one-year-olds' teacher. I don't suggest constantly correcting your daughter, as this would just frustrate her. Simply use proper names for things when you initiate conversations. When she hears your speech often enough, she'll absorb it like a sponge.

I think this is normal. My first daughter called just about *everything* that she wanted "cooket." For some reason she couldn't say "cookie"--"cooket" was how she pronounced it. And, as I said...it evolved until everything she wanted was "cooket."

She's a pretty normal 9 year old with a good vocabulary now...so I'd encourage you not to worry about it.

Hi there! My oldest daughter, who is now 13, would do the same thing. When she would see Big Bird on Sesame Street she would call him gaagoo. When we would go for walks outside and she would see a bird, either on the ground or flying in the air, she would point an say gaagoo. I would always tell her the correct word, but for the longest time this stuck. She did the same thing with her favorite blanket. She would say maka. And I would always say blankie. It will pass; enjoy it while you got it!!!

I would make sure to say the proper word each time so she hears it the way it should sound. That is how children learn. I would not be worried at all. www.livegreeneasy.com

Hi D., No need to worry....this sounds very age appropriate to me. Some children can use made up names for items for years, but it usually lessens as they get older and become more comfortable with speech it seems ( in my experience). But you are doing the right thing - modeling for her the proper names of items - she will eventually follow suit. If it seems to "get out of control", consulting a speech therapist wouldn't hurt. One last thing , songs may be a way to get your daughter to say some of the words that your working on with her. Hope this helps! Best of luck.
W., been there, done that!

Hey D.,

I totally agree with the other women who have posted. If it were me, I would embrace these cute little associations. They are part of language development. Your daughter is doing exactly what she needs to be doing to grow her vocabulary. My one year old daughter calls just about everything "daddy." (Which I think is hilarious when she is pointing to say a pig or something of the sort :0)
My three year old was a very early talker and he did the exact same thing as your daughter is doing. Just keep using the correct names for things when you speak and she'll get it eventually!

It sounds like Caitlin is a normal almost two year old. Most children that age can only pronounce one syllable words and many of the words they say are only recognizable by their parents.
As long as you pronounce the correct way to say it without making a big deal out of it, she will realize in time the right word to use. Enjoy this endearing time, because she is trying to show that she knows what the item is - just using the word she associates with it.

Hi D.:
It sounds pretty normal to me. I've heard many children -- including my own -- use the sounds things make to try to help identify them. One of the first things my friend's eldest son learned to say was kitty. Everything that moved for a while was a kitty -- even ducks at the pond. It was hysterical!

Sounds like you're doing the right thing. If she points at a cow and says Moo, just say something like, "yes, a cow says moo. Very good!" She'll soon make the connection between the two.

Good luck!
a fellow Mom and preschool teacher

D.,

I think this is perfectly normal. When my son was two years I bought him a toy penguin. When he was five he finally gave the pengiun a name. The name he came up with was Mr. Penguis(pronounced pen-gwe-ess). He came up with this all by himself. I think it was because he has a very active imagination. When my now thirty-something year old nephew was 18 months old he started calling McDonalds Restaurants, bun-bun. No one knew why and he eventually grew out of it and I am sure this is just a phase your child is going through. I am also sure that she will grow out of it. I think it is very age appropriate and it might be a good idea not to make a big deal out of it.

This is age appropriate. Just continue to reinforce her labels with the correct labels. Examples: Yes Caitlin there are fishies on your cup. Baa, sheep say baa.
As long as you continue to label things as you speak and respond to her, she will start using the correct labels when she is ready.
As an aside - ever notice that people say moo cow, but never quack duck or oink pig? Always thought that was odd.

Hi D.,
Yes it is perfectly appropriate for your daughter to characterize nouns by some association. You are doing the best by giving her the proper names. If you would like to have your child evaluated for Early Intervention, it is a free service and a therapist will come to your home. If you live in Allegheny County, Call the Alliance for Infants and Toddlers at ###-###-#### and ask to have your child evaluated.
My background is as a Speech and Hearing professional.

D.,

Oh my gosh, this is so normal. It's fantastic that she's speaking and making associations. In time, with your continued reinforcement, she will learn the appropriate words. Praise her for her attempts and read to her often. in time she will have it down!\

J. H
http://www.workathomeunited.com/J.

Hi D. ~ Absolutely!! Remember that everything is new to them, even word associations. My youngest is 3 and we drink pink moo, hums the superman theme, etc. Enjoy how much she is learning and how cute some of the things are that they come up with (write some down to put in a book for her when she's older...great memories)!! Blessings ~ J.

I think it is normal. My 3 yr old still calls phones(Hi's), because you say hi when you use them. He knows they are phones, but that is his name for it. Also, he calls vacuum cleaners "wow's". From when he was old enough to speak, he has called them this. This is because he loves them. He has always been facinated with anything with cords & stuff that plug in. Now at 3, he likes to hold the cord for me when I vacuum. :)

I think this is very common at this age and it shows she is making word/sound/meaning associations. Just keep using the correct words (without scolding her)and she will catch on. Being a good model of speech is important.

It is normal for kids to relate items with other things. My daughter called dogs DATS. A combination of cats and dogs. After a while she used the proper names. I figured it was just her was of remembering. She also called french Fries DADA's. I think its because her father used to stop, on the days that he picked her up after work and at McDonalds for a small fry. Dad's special food for her became DADA's. I miss her cute names for things and wish I could have my sweet, very self assured little lady back. Enjoy these fun times of discovery, they change dramatically.

I don't think you need to worry at all about your daughter. She is simply making associations. I have four children and they've all done things like that and, yes, they did outgrow it. This is absolutely age appropriate. Two of my children thought Christmas was a season and, therefore, if it snowed, it was Chrismas time. Also, it is extremely common that children call animals by the names they make. It is my experience that more children than not do this. So, don't worry. Enjoy every second.

Yup, this is totally normal. My son even did similar associations w/ sign language! Completely made-up words are normal too. Here's a typical conversation w/ my 5yo:
- I'm scared of the voop.
- What's a voop?
- A do-loo-do-loo.

I am a critical care pediatric nurse. I also raised 3 children. I don't think you have anything to worry about with your daughters speech. It's normal to see this in a smaller child. Just be a little patient with her, as long as she says these things clearly I don't think you have anything to worry about. Just keep telling her the correct names for these things, and before you know it I think she will be talking nonstop. I hope this helps a little bit. Enjoy your children for as long as you can. Before you know it she'll be asking you questions like this. Patty

Hi D. - your daughter's speech sounds completely normal. My daughter did the same thing. I just kept calling the objects by their real names. She will eventually get it. My daughter who is almost 3 still makes weird associations. Good luck! and try to write it all down. It is funny when you look back on it. ~ D.

I am a speech therapist who works with children, and based on what you are describing, your daughter's speech sounds like it is developing appropriately. Many kids use the sounds for animals, and generalize one word for a variety of concepts. It sounds like she may think that "Ho Ho" has something to do with snow. When she says the wrong word for something, just repeat back to her the correct word, and eventually she should pick it up on her own. For example, when she says "moo", say "yes, a cow" or "cow says moo". She should eventually switch to saying cow. Kids have a tendency to think out loud, and she is just bouncing her thoughts and ideas off of you to figure out the meanings of words, and to learn concepts. Good luck!

D.,
I believe that your daughter's speech is fine but I hope this helps. When she says fishies or ho ho etc. Tell her, " That's right, these are fish on this cup. Or yes, Santa says, "HO HO HO". Or a sheep goes, "BAA". The more repetition over time will help her understand that these are sounds associated with the character or person. You can make it into a game for her as well. Pull her cups out and ask her what is on this cup? Also, bring other animal sounds into her speech as well making sure you ask what does a elephant sound like? And giving her the appropriate response. She is on her little target and may just have trouble calling it the appropriate name so she does sounds. I really hop this helps.

Hi, D.,

You have absolutely no reason to worry! All of my children did the same thing at about that age--and I really missed it when they started calling things by their right names! I think the most interesting example was how my youngest son came up with a word for my husband. I used to sing to him when he was going to sleep and his favorite song was the lullaby that talks about Daddy buying a mocking bird. When he would ask for that song, he would do a little sing-songy wa-wa-wa-wa. After a couple of weeks he started calling his daddy Wa-wa. We tried to get him to say dada, but that's what he called his tractor! He wouldn't give up his tractor!! My mom tells me that when I was about two, I learned about cows. After that, for several months at least, every four-footed animal was a cow. The point is, enjoy your daughter's language development. All too soon, those baby words will be replaced with grown-up speech and you'll miss the cute expressions.

B.

I don't think you have anything to be concerned about. My twin nieces used to do pretty much the same thing when they were about 2. My son hardly spoke any words at that age, but by 3 he was talking in paragraphs! I would ask your pediatrician about it if you are concerned, but it seems pretty age-appropriate to me. Every child is different.

It sounds like you might have an auditory learner on your hands.Auditory learners have a tendancy to learn by sound association- cow is Moo, Santa is Ho Ho... My daughter has auditory tendancys, and the trick is to teach them with sounds instead of visuals. I use books on tape, rhymes, and lots of music to help my daughter learn.You could probably learn more about this on the web, or in a book about learning styles. It is normal, though.It's just not as common as visual or kinesthetic(touch)learners.Good Luck!

I think it is normal. My son calls his cups "milk", even though there could be water in them...At bed tonight I told him that we were going to the firehouse for a birthday party and he said "and Santa too" becuase he remembered that Santa came down the street on the fire truck. It's probably good that your child associates things and makes the connection. My son really started talking around 22 months - now he is 26 months and he is a little chatter box. Before he could say the actual words, he did associations like your daughter. So, I wouldn't worry about it - you'll have great stories to tell her when she's older!

Take care,
D.

I wouldn't concern myself. I was much more adamant about my first child's language/speech than I was my other 2. I wish I could see the meat grinder in a child's mind that takes info in & switches it out to create those strange verbalizations! :-)

All 3 of my children associated a word (like your ho ho for snow, whatever) for multiple things that had nothing to do with the first association. Lawn mower, for ex., was an "oodie" (don't ask me :-) ), and ANY thing else that made a loud noise from there on in. A few times, at your child's age, I would take his face in my hands to look at me/my mouth & enunciate the word, "mo-tor-cy-cle" & ask him to repeat my words. Yep, he came back with "oo-die". There's that meat grinder! :-)

My suggestion is to keep calling whatever it is by the name it REALLY is & they'll eventually get it. The trouble is, when it disappears....? You MISS IT! :-)

My 20 month old son does the same thing - our cat is a "meow" as is every cat in books we read, our dog is a "bark", Curious George, his favorite show, is a "oooh oooh eeee eee aaah aaah" (monkey sounds). And everything even vaguely associated with Christmas is a "ho ho", too!

Honestly, I'm not worried about it in the least and don't think you should be, either. Remember, when it comes to our kids, rather than worry over every single thing they do or don't do, try to keep some perspective by asking yourself, "Are they still going to be doing this when they go to kindergarten, high school or college?"