10/14/2020
We have Frozen dance parties before dinner often. Both of my girls run around singing, my preschooler in full on Elsa mode and my slow to words 16 month old following right along.
Yesterday, my toddler was sitting in her high chair and out of the blue went “ahhh gahh” — when I asked if she said “let it go,” she gave me this HUGE grin and nodded. Without a doubt, she was trying to sing it. I about fell over. And then just smiled. Because of course she did - words are coming. She is growing and my plan to help her along is working.
Here is the exciting part - I’m not using any magical speech therapy skills to help her learn. We haven’t even had much “one on one” playtime for the past few weeks. But I have made a few simple shifts:
1. I believe that words are coming. I give her space to develop at her own pace. I’m not worried (and I remind myself of this ANY time a negative thought sneaks in).
2. I look for what she CAN do and spend time thinking about how I can move her forward. And then I try things and reflect on what is working and what might work better.
3. I’m consistent. Lately, this means using simple sounds during our routines and helping her follow 2-step directions.
YOU can do all of these things too. But you have to start. You have to be willing to work on small things that might seem like doing nothing. You might need to ask for help. And you have to commit to not giving up, no matter how you are feeling. Simple doesn’t mean easy. But the end result of seeing growth in your toddler? So worth it.
If you’re ready to see that growth AND stop wondering if you’re doing enough to help your toddler learn to talk, let’s hop on a free strategy session. I’ll help you see a clear path forward. Link to book that call in bio.
