Toddler babbling--are they really saying something??

[liliaceae]

My DD is 19 months and has a lot of words, but so far she's only said a couple of simple phrases like "All done," and "Bye Da!" Lately though she's been babbling (incoherently) a lot, and today we had this exchange:

DD fell down and said "Hup," (which means "Help.")
I said, "Do you need help?"
DD said, "Yes, I nee hup."

I was really surprised she could say something so complex, and now I'm wondering if she's been talking in sentences all along and I just can't understand her. I actually have a friend who's DD was babbling a lot around the same age, and it sounded exactly like she was talking, but we couldn't understand a word she said. My friend didn't think she was actually saying anything, but I'm sure I heard her say a couple of reasonably clear, complex sentences.

So what I'm wondering is, does your toddler babble like this? Do you think they're actually saying words you can't understand, or do you think they're just imitating speech?

[lach]

My DD was very verbal, and we all swore that she had her own language. It was really funny to watch. She's walk up to you and say a really, really long story like "buh buh blah wuf nuf bhal water bu buh han blah bick nick guh huh rah gib gibble bu hah blab nab" and you'd be like "uh... water?" and she'd just give you this hilarious look that you'd expect from a surly teenager, and she'd repeat herself slower, and you'd be like "um, you want water?" and then she'd kind of roll her eyes and walk away, obviously thinking that you were just too dumb to bother with.

My son isn't nearly so verbal, but his all-purpose word is "meh" and it's useful in all sorts of circumstances, apparently. He changes his tone and volume and gesticulates differently depending on what he wants, but it's always "meh." Even though it seems kind of opposite, I think it's pretty much the same thing... what they mean is obvious to them. It's just us slow adults who need to catch up and figure out what on earth they're saying!

[nukuspot]

I love both these stories! Keep them coming! My LO's go to word is "dat". It also means "yes". It gets said very much, though lately not as much as "no". There is also the mysterious "bee-bo" which sometimes is sung sometimes yelled. I haven't figured that out yet!

[nukuspot]

And sometimes she does sound like she's talking to herself, but when I ask "what did you say?" She just says "Dat."

[Mal85]

My daughter is 20 months old and she has a lot of words too. She has started talking in some 2-3 word phrases and can generally tell us what she wants and repeats a lot of things back to us.

Just recently, though, she has started babbling entire stories or conversations with appropriate body language and gestures as well. It's hilarious to watch her do it. She'll cock her head to the side and talk with her hands, all while babbling away in a language I don't understand. Then she'll look at me, waiting for my response, like I should have understood everything she just said.

[lach]

Originally Posted by Mal85

My daughter is 20 months old and she has a lot of words too. She has started talking in some 2-3 word phrases and can generally tell us what she wants and repeats a lot of things back to us.

Just recently, though, she has started babbling entire stories or conversations with appropriate body language and gestures as well. It's hilarious to watch her do it. She'll cock her head to the side and talk with her hands, all while babbling away in a language I don't understand. Then she'll look at me, waiting for my response, like I should have understood everything she just said.

Yup, that's exactly hat my DD did! It was hilarious, but I also felt bad that I didn't understand. My advice is definitely try to get it on video... it's hysterical to watch later

[happysmileylady]

Originally Posted by Mal85

Just recently, though, she has started babbling entire stories or conversations with appropriate body language and gestures as well. It's hilarious to watch her do it. She'll cock her head to the side and talk with her hands, all while babbling away in a language I don't understand. Then she'll look at me, waiting for my response, like I should have understood everything she just said.

This has been my 2 year old. A whole conversation, complete with laughter and particular parts and everything. Then she expects me to respond appropriately.

[AndtheStars]

After reading these stories, I'm ridiculously excited for DS to reach this stage. He's 15 mos and the only things he says repeatedly are "ba" and "dis". I think that everything they are saying means something to them.

[Auraji]

DD babbles a lot, there are certain "words" she says a lot, but I have no idea what they mean and it makes me sad. I speak Spanish to her, trying to speak more and more since I'm the only one that speaks it and sometimes I wonder if she's speaking some crazy Spanglish, but mostly is just her own personal blabber.

Her new thing is to go "um" before saying anything. She will grab my phone and pretend she's talking and go "um, alo, buteba abu mama blalaaaaleee" lol

She does says things that amaze me, like the other day she was trying to steal dss's blanket and said "mine!" and I said "that's Jack's blanket" and both dss and I heard she said "my name gak" and she then went to put on one of dss's shirts. It blew my mind haha

Also sometimes other people think it sounds like she's saying (insert sentence), so I end up feeling like I might be bad at figuring sounds out. I do understand her specific sounds for certain things, like she has a particular entonation/"words" for nursing or for when she sees a baby and wants to hold it.