Your Toddler's First Words

Every parent eagerly awaits the day their baby puts two syllables together and says the words "Mama" or "Papa". By the time a child becomes a toddler of one or two years of age, she may use these words besides six to ten additional ones and at least six consonant sounds. Of course, the toddler knows the meaning of up to 200 words. At her age, though, she does not know how to form all of these words with her mouth so that people understand her. Which words are the important ones your toddler may use? Why does he use those particular words?

Your child may have begun to say what sounded like "Mama" or "Papa" when he was as young as four or five months old. Until the child uses the word to refer to either parent, he is just practicing his sound production. A toddler will use these words with meaning. The toddler will also use words to identify the siblings, pets, and significant loved ones in their family. These are the times when a family member gets a pet nickname like "Anda" for "Leandra" or "Bapa" for "Grandpa". There is a simple reason for this. The child can see how certain consonant sounds are pronounced by other people and can practice them easier than other consonant sounds. The "b", "p", "n", "m", "d", and other sounds like them are formed with the lips or teeth. Sounds like "g" as in "egg", "l", and "r" are made either in the throat or require more subtle manipulation of the lips and tongue than a toddler can do at his age.

A toddler seems to learn the word "no" fairly early and will apply it to many situations. A parent may wish the toddler learned "yes" as easily. Why "no"? Think about the new sense of independence the child experiences when she pulls herself to her feet and takes her first steps. Think about how many times as a parent you say the word "no" to protect your toddler from harm. Your toddler also does not have the capability of expressing his reasons for not wanting to eat the food on his plate ("it smells or looks yucky" or "my tummy is full already") or not wanting to be picked up and held ("I was busy playing with my blocks and you interrupted me"). Your toddler finds the word "no" easier to say and may accompany the word with an arm thrust or similar action.

Another of your toddler's important words may be those used for favorite toys. If your toddler likes the Sesame Street character Elmo and has a stuffed Elmo doll, she may ask for it by name, and perhaps pronounce the "l" as a "w" sound while doing it.

"Me" becomes an important word to your toddler. With his new independence comes a new awareness of himself as a person who can make choices. Toddlers tend to be egocentric. Everything seems to revolve around him and his needs and wants. The child gains better awareness of and compassion for others a little later in his development. "Mine" is a word in the toddler's spoken vocabulary that follows the use of the word "me". The toddler develops a sense of personal possession and will not readily give up what belongs to him. The concept of sharing is a hard lesson for most toddlers.

The toddler may use words describing certain actions like "go", "drink", or "up". These are activities that are familiar to him and are part of his daily life.

Sometime during the toddler's early years the parents will have taught him the words "hi" and "bye" perhaps with the appropriate wave. This is the beginning of teaching the toddler manners.

By the time your child reaches her second birthday she will have begun putting two words together into simple sentences. She may not yet understand abstract concepts like numbers, colors, or feelings but she knows and uses the words for things that are important in her ever-expanding world.