If My Toddler Son Could Talk, What Would He Say?

I know, I know, Einstein didn’t talk til he was 3 but he’s not my child

I finally did it. Last week, I set up an appointment for a speech therapist to evaluate my son. It’s not that he never talks. He says mama, mom, dada, dad, hi cat! and turtle. He makes lots of cute noises and several animal sounds, including a lion growl, a puppy dog pant, a horse whinny, a fish blub blub blub and a chicken bock bock bock. Yet, no please, yes, or thank you. No night night or more or why or I love you. He’ll be 2 soon.

I’ve read all the posts, blogs, mom boards, stories, a few books and have my ear close to the mom grapevine about why some kids are early chatter boxes and others are not. Is my baby just a genius, working on other skills for now? Was he traumatized somehow? Does he have an ear or hearing or some other issue?

He communicates well. He lets me know when he’s tired, hungry, happy, scared, angry, what he wants to do. He gets his sneakers when he wants to go outside or begins trying to turn the door handle. He pulls on my shirt or puts his fingers to his mouth in the sign for food when he is hungry. He can also do the sign for “more”. He picked those up in a sign language class we have been taking on and off for about a year. He lies down on his tummy when he’s tired or rubs his eyes and he reaches up to me when he’s feeling scared or shy. He gets a mischievous look in his eye when he is feeling goofy that is going to totally slay the ladies someday.

He lets me know what he wants and without hesitation. We are on the same wavelength. He simply can’t talk yet.

He runs very fast. He picks books and toys out and brings them for me to see. I read to him daily and his dad reads his bedtime stories. We do flash cards. I talk to him all day long. I’ve even started letting him watch Mr. Rogers in controlled snippets of about 5–10 minutes a few times a week in the hopes it will help him pick up words. We go to the library 2–3 times per week for story time and to read and sign out new books. He’s probably worded out. Yet, he tells me no by freezing up, or kicking his feet instead of saying “No”.

What do they do in speech therapy that I’m not doing? I can’t imagine anything. But am I dropping the ball if I don’t follow up on using this free resource? It seems like a no-brainer. What’s the downside? Maybe that he would feel pressured to talk or sense my stress? I’m not worried because his doctor isn’t worried. She says he is expressive and communicative, and he is. He just doesn’t really talk yet.

He loves strawberries, hates blueberries. He loves cars and trucks and puzzles. He loves to color and run and push anything with wheels. He doesn’t care for brushing his teeth. He loves the cat. He loves his daddy and me. He hates his car seat. He didn’t tell me any of those things with words.

It’s fascinating how well humans can communicate without language.

What would he say, I wonder, if he could talk?

More raisins!

Wow, ice cream is awesome!

I want to go outside now!

I love to run!

Let’s color!

Can I take a bath later? I don’t want to stop playing yet.

Watch me jump!

I love my piano!

Hi, cat!

I love you, mommy. I love you, daddy.

I bet he’d say all of that and more. I bet he’d sing, too.

I don’t want to put pressure on him to talk but I do want to do all I can to help him have everything he needs. That’s how I want to do it. That’s how I mom. That’s one of the reasons I’m a one and done mom. Because I know I can’t give all the attention I have to 2 kids, and that one will get less. Maybe not all the time and maybe not always the same child, and maybe that’s silly or maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how I feel. This way, I know where the attention always needs to go.

If my son could talk, would he say thank you? Would he ask for a sibling? Would he offer compassion for how tired I am? Maybe one day he will, and maybe one day I will know.