Hearing your baby talk clearly for the first time is one of the most exciting moments that any parent can have. That's why you see a lot of parents constantly talking to their little ones, in hopes that they'll start talking soon. But, when do babies start talking clearly?
Should you also be worried if your child isn't speaking as clearly as other kids? Let's find out.
When do babies start talking clearly?
For the most part, children usually start "talking" at around 6 months. However, it's mostly babbling and them trying to imitate the sounds that they hear whenever they hear you talk. It's what your child does to practice and learn how to speak.
At around 12 months, children usually start saying their first words. It's not always clear, since kids are still getting used to speaking. And instead of mommy and daddy, you'll probably hear something closer to "gaga" and "dada". But at this point, your child is definitely trying to communicate with you and not simply imitating what they hear.
As your child grows older, they start to learn even more words, and will start to speak in full sentences, particularly around the ages of 2-3.
However, their speech at this point won't always be clear. You'll probably still to have to do a bit of guessing to find out what exactly your child is saying. But for the most part, you'll be able to understand what your child is trying to tell you.
To answer the question of "when do babies start talking clearly", they are usually able to do so by the time they're about 3 or 4 years old. They'll start speaking in clear and full sentences, and you won't have any difficulty figuring out what they're trying to communicate.
However, there are cases wherein older kids, such as 7 or 8 year olds, still aren't able to talk clearly at their age. At that point, getting a speech therapist to help out your child is a good idea.
Should I be worried if my child doesn't talk clearly?
One of the worries that almost every parent has is if their child would be able to speak clearly. And it's a valid fear, since parents don't want their child to be left behind. They also don't want their child to have trouble communicating with other people.
If you feel that your child's speech is not on track, or if they're still having trouble saying some words, then a speech therapist might be able to help.
What do speech therapists do?
Speech therapists can help children with problems concerning their language and speech, and can help kids communicate better. Aside from talking, speech therapists also help kids with their reading ability if they're also having trouble with that.
They usually work one-on-one with kids so that they can address their problems better. But it's not uncommon to have them working with kids in a group, or in a classroom.
Speech therapists are able to identify the cause of your child's speech problems, and they can create a program to help address those concerns. Parents shouldn't be worried if their child's speech is delayed since SPs can and will help your child.
If you're looking for a speech therapist to help your child, here's a link to a list of speech therapists/pathologists here in the Philippines.
Having speech delays doesn't mean that your child automatically has mental problems or a learning disability. There are a lot of factors involved in speech delays. Additionally, a lot of kids who had speech delays grow up to be regular adults.
Source: Web MD
READ: Your child’s development from birth to four years: Your ultimate guide
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