Words

It’s definitely something that should be checked out. They should have 18 words by 18 months so you’ll wanna get him into speech therapy, early intervention is really key . And you want to make sure it’s not because he has any trouble hearing, etc. some kids they are just late talkers and they catch up but 30% of kids who don’t get early intervention, which for speech therapy is before age 3, will never catch up. And 30% is a very large number so while you’ll hear stories about people who never spoke until they were three, you don’t wanna risk your kid falling through the cracks

So first words are expected by the END of 12 months. Definitely keep an eye on it, and maybe consider a referral (not sure about your area but in Simcoe County you're able to self refer) to your regions preschool speech & language program. It is government funded but there is typically a waitlist. You can also reach out to a private speech clinic if that is accessible to you. Like Maggie said, early intervention is key. Don't listen to the moms that say their baby didn't talk until they were 3, etc. as that is a very large gap. Why cause your little one that much frustration and let them struggle when you're able to get them some help? This is a great IG account (Eat Play Say) run by a speech-language pathologist and pediatric feeding therapist. She has several professionals on her team and shares some great content. Here is a link to her very helpful milestones checklist. I can't recommend her enough, she is a wealth of knowledge. https://www.instagram.com/p/C81uOhFRG3m/?igsh=MWxkYjF5ZXhmaG94bQ==

My one is 13 months and just say hi and one other word, I am getting worried now too

My son just turned 13 months and doesn't say any words either

I just asked a experienced mom and she said first child usually take longer to start talking as they don’t have many people to talk to in the house so it’s normal but if you still feel like you can consult your doctor

@Smiley not necessarily true. A younger sibling can have the older sibling talking from them. As someone who has schooling and used to work at a private speech clinic, if your LO doesn't have their first word by the END of 12 months then I would seek a referral to your local preschool speech & language program. Also, animal sounds count towards first ones. So if your little one says woof when they see a dog, or moo for a cow, that counts as a first word.

@Sadie thank you for your insights I feel better now as my little tries to make animal sounds even though it’s not very clear still she does

@Smiley happy to help! They don't have to be exact, just a consistent approximation. For example, my 13 month old does boo for moo when we read who said moo?, play with his cow, song old MacDonald, or just talking about cows in general. Does he say it every single time? No. But he does it on a fairly consistent basis with and without me modeling it.