Lack of baby babble - very worried about development - should I be worried?

Can I post again a joke I heard? It is relevant.

A German couple had a son who was perfect in every way, but never spoke a word. They were very worried. One day at the table when he was ten years old, he turned to his mother and said "These mashed potatoes are lumpy!" They were overjoyed and hugged him, asking "Why have you never spoken before?" He replied, "Up until now, everything was satisfactory!"

If your granddaughter is well and happy and grunting, trilling and laughing, then everything for her is satisfactory. When she is ready, she will start to make sounds that lead to speech, but whatever the books say (or the net) there is no magic age for each milestone. They can only quote the approximate point for each. Every child is different.

I agree with most of what has already been said Rowantree My DGS (just gone 4) was quite a slow talker compared with his older sisters who both had plenty to say from a very young age. He is chatting away with the best of them now, he just developed differently thats all. It is very hard not to worry I know, when you are bombarded with information about what they should and shouldnt be doing at every tiny stage of their lives.

I like that joke Elegran My DH is very quiet and only talks when he has something relevant to say. He often tells me that I talk enough crap for both of us.

I agree with what has already been said but would ask also how you define 'babble' maybe it just means making noises of some kind and she is doing that.

I would leave it to the experts to tell you if there is something wrong, that's what they are for.

One of mine seemed to be deaf, another wouldn't walk and ended up in an athletic job. They were both fine.

I think I would roar back at her and make it funny.

my kids have a gene problem ,none of them babbled, and were late talkers, but didn't stop one of the adhd/dyslectic ones getting his uni degree, kids are all different and as long as they are listening to talk they store it away, the first thing I heard my second daughter say, was the to be or not to be speech from Hamlet, she was talking to her dolls, before that she would only sat the odd word.

My daughter hardly uttered a sound as a baby and she is a quiet person as an adult, and she only speaks when she has something meaningful to say. Perhaps you just have a very sussed baby there!

This has brought back lovely memories of my wonderful, quiet round eyed baby girl who would silently roll around (she never crawled either, she got where she wanted to be by rolling. The next thing she was walking).

Rowan I'm no expert but have taught kids with autistic spectrum disorder and I would think if your GD is laughing and giggling and responding to you and her parents then you have nothing to worry about.

I was a bit worried about GS1 as he never seemed to do any of the babbling that I read about and seemed very late talking. He literally has never shut up since! He keeps up a running commentary from morning to night. GS2 is 14 months and has been babbling for months, lots of Da da da and Ba ba ba. It will be interesting to see whether he is early or late talking - or just becomes the strong and silent type.

Well, all of this is very encouraging and reassuring. I know there's a vast range of what constitutes 'normal' and having had two children I ought to have known this and not allowed myself to get into a panic. But being an anxious person, sometimes worries become overwhelming. Thank you Gransnetters for helping me to get things into proportion. I still feel a bit anxious, but at least now I am not in that horrible panic state I was in last night.
It's been a tricky time lately - my poor brother is trying to deal with my nephew who's been diagnosed with a psychotic episode following excessive and longterm use of cannabis Be warned, all of you who partake. This stuff messes up brains bigtime

I've seen the results Rowantree of cannabis use on one young girl, who turned completely paranoid. It certainly messed up her brain, permanently. I hope your nephew gets better.

Aka, I know this is off topic, but I am worried about my nephew. My brother won't allow his son to take antipsychotics and is intending to wait it out until he returns to normal. In the meantime, his son is denying he has a problem, and is very angry and aggressive to both his parents. At 24 he can't be forced to attend drug rehab or visit a psychiatrist so they have to bribe him. The psychiatrist has forbidden him to drive so my brother has taken his keys away, but that can't go on indefinitely and I don't know how it's going to resolve. I am worried about them all and not sure how to help and support them, but I feel helpless. I know how difficult it is living with any mental health condition: my own DD2 has Borderline PD and though she's heaps better now and after therapy is coping with life brilliantly (wonderful partner and lovely healthy baby) we lived through sheer hell for years trying to cope with her self-harming and worse. I know how it can shake the foundations of the strongest family. DD2 took cannabis at times and she KNOWS it made her worse - and now she is totally anti-drugs and alcohol (thank goodness). My nephew has no such awareness as yet - thinks the problem is his parents, not him. Oh dear.... it puts the lateness of babbling in the shade a little....

And Elegran I loved the story about the German couple! I must tell Mr Rowantree about it ;)

grannyisland - reassuring about the autism too. She smiles at us when she sees us, loves her mum, dad or us playing with her or making her chuckle, and Mr Rowantree is sure she initiated playing see-saw on his lap last week, when we'd both been doing it with her (she pulled backwards slightly when she was on his lap and he was holding her hands). One minor concern is that they have given her a nickname and she grins widely when they say it - I'm hoping she learns her real name before long!
I was blowing bubbles for her last week which fascinated her and she was trying to reach out for them and looking baffled when they popped. I've bought some with a large wand that you wave to produce the bubbles and I can't wait to see her again to show her - unfortunately that probably won't be for a couple of weeks now

kitty "His truth is general and universal." (Dr Johnson, I think, on Shakespeare.)

Rowan No use telling you not to worry, because I know you do! But honestly, everyone is right - my three DC developed at totally different rates, as did my DGC. Keep doing what you're doing with the baby, and enjoy it!

Rowantree, don't worry - as many other gnetters have already said children do different things at different times, and I never yet saw a baby reading a child development manual. My second son hardly uttered a syllable until aged 18 months he came out with a long, very thoughtful sentence and has never looked back. He's 52 now and still talking!

Twin grandchildren age 11 months, a boy and girl. He has said a few words..Hiya, mama, dada, baba, etc since about 8 months. She babbled in her own way, talking gobbledygook. Until this week when she has started repeating words we, and her brother say. The "hiyas" go on between them for ages!
Watching them develop in different stages is fascinating.
She is walking around furniture, he is still doing a commando crawl!!
Her finger - thumb precision on picking things up is brilliant, but she isn't so good with a spoon,he grabs things with a full fist, but can use a spoon , no problem!!

DGS is 2 and still not really talking, we were getting worried but his doctor says it is quite normal as he is bi-lingual with a little bit of a third language too. Then last week when my SO was coming in from my terrace and leaving DGS on his own he was told in no uncertain terms to, D come back here, then repeated it in SOs language, the 3rd one, just in case he hadn't heard him. Worry over I think.

I wouldn't be too concerned about he nickname Rowantree my DGD2 was called Popsie more than she was called her own name and always smiled and giggled when she heard it. I think it was the "P" and the "EE" sounds that she liked. These days (she has just gone 6) we still use her nickname at home but always her proper name outside.

HM is known as 'Lilibet' because she couldn't say Elizabeth.

Rowantree, children with ASD do not normally reach for things. You said your granddaughter reached for the bubbles.

Yes, she definitely reaches for things and gets cross if she doesn't get them! My daughter is teaching her 'baby sign language' - new one on me, but apparently there's evidence it helps with language development as they learn to associate the sign with the spoken word. I haven't raised my concerns, as DD is anxious enough and I want to boost her confidence as a mum, not question it (DGD is healthy, happy and doing really well apart from the babbling issue). I will have to continue to keep my concerns to myself, unless asked - I've learned that is the only way to go, as I have in the past irritated both DDs with my fussing or worrying and I'm trying VERY hard to keep it in check.
It's been great having reassurance from Gransnet yet again and wonderful to be able to rant or confide without feeling judged or risking being very annoying! I am still worried, but if it threatens to get out of hand, I try to remind myself of what others have said on here and that helps to calm my worry

update? I'm very worried about my son who is 9 months old (8 months adjusted). So far he has said baba and gaga but not chains of babbling. Thank you!

rmommy please stop worrying! Saying baba and gaga are words [or near words] so forget the babbling, some children do and others don't.Almost no babbling at all from any of my DGC, but nothing to worry about.Mothers, and some Grandmothers worry constantly, and most of the time, needlessly.

DD was a little worried that DGS2 seemed later in making recognisable sounds than his older brother so had his hearing tested. She was told his hearing was fine but he was a "lazy listener". Now how many men do I know that that could apply to?