If your two year old isn’t talking yet it can feel daunting knowing where to begin. There’s so much information out there, what do you pay attention to? This video was inspired by a question from a parent and includes some simple ideas to help you get started.
Firstly, spend time together! I know this seems obvious, but when kids aren’t talking it can be easy to think they’re happier playing by themselves. So, I encourage you to keep turning up for the play, without it having to look a particular way. As I’ve said before, it’s all play!
Allow for the quiet. It can feel awkward when noone is talking and very tempting for us to fill in all the silence. But, allowing that quiet thinking time is a valuable part of communication practice.
Practise presence. If you’re worried about your child’s communication development it can be easy to get stuck overthinking and catastrophising. And this pulls us away from the actual thing that’s happening right now. Paying attention isn’t easy, but it’s so worth it.
Look for how your child communicates. When we look at the variety of ways your child is already communicating, then we’re in a better position to teach them the words to match.
Celebrate the small wins. It can be a long road helping children learn to talk. Noticing and appreciating every tiny step along the way helps to keep us going.
Interested in more?
Check out my full YouTube playlist on helping toddlers to start talking.