By what month/age should a baby be able to SAY ma-ma to his mom and da-da to his dad?

Question

my baby is 11 months and not calling me mommy:( he doesnt really say much...sometimes he'll say ba-ba, da-da, ma-ma on his own..is there something wrong?????????

Answer 1

Language development has an extremely wide age range.  At only 11 months, your son is actually on the young side of being able to consistently assign a particular sound to a particular object.  Some babies can easily turn to look at mom when someone says, "Where's mama?" before they turn a year old, but many more are closer to 12-18 months before they can say mama or dada and are actually referring to their parents.  Early communication skills begin with crying for the newborn.  As the baby grows you will notice babbling that mostly contains vowel sounds.  Gradually you'll notice repetitive vowels that sometimes have a consonant connected.  Then the mamamama starts and the babababa.  But, at this stage of the game, they don't have any particular meaning to your baby, it is just practice with sounds as well as experimenting with what happens if he moves his mouth or his tongue this way.  I have been a mom for 29 years to 4 plus I am grandma to a 16 month old grandson and I have provided child care in my home for almost 21 years.  Some children do have understandable words that they can deliberately say to mean a specific thing by the time they are 9-12 months old.  This, however, is not the average.  It is most common for the age span of 12-24 months to be when language skills really take off.  Some children will reach the age of 2 with little to no discernable words yet still go on to have normal speech and development by the time they reach school age.  Every child is different.  My own middle daughter was an exceptionally early talker with about a dozen intentional words by 12 months and saying 2-4 word sentences by 14 months.  I have also cared for a darling little girl who barely babbled, even as an infant, and didn't speak her first word until after she turned 2.  She was tested and found with no problems.  When she began to speak, though, she hasn't stopped talking since.  She will be in 2nd grade this year and is the most outgoing, social, talkative little thing.  No one believes that she was a non-talker until age 2.  If you watch, you will notice that your son can understand far more than he can say.  This will happen for several years.  My own grandson isn't saying a lot of words, but can understand it if you say, "Put your dirty clothes in your hamper." or "Give Grandma a kiss."  He can't say any of those words other than what sounds like "grandma" and "hamper".  I think your son is coming along just fine for his age.  As always, it is best to check with your own pediatrician as he/she knows your child best next to you.  You can express your concerns at your son's 12 month well baby check-up, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.  Even my 16 month old grandson won't always say dada to his father and has only been saying mama to his mom for a couple months.  I think your son is doing just fine.

Answer 2

Maybe

My daughter first word at 11 months were not Mama or Dada

it was Up

Then she said Ashes,

She Dad-dee not dada

she called me MA, like a teenager, it was funny

My daughter has autsim

At his 12 check up talk to his doctor

See if you what he thinks

Also ask what you should be looking for

He could just be a late talker, or something could be wrong

If he's a late talker and has other syphomys, then get him tested

Just talking late is not one

So relax

Answer 3

you have to remember that all babies develop at their own pace!

i have an 11 month baby boy and in the last month, he's gotten the mama part down pat.  mostly, though, he just does like your baby and just babbles consonants.

i wouldn't worry.  when you take him in for his 12 month check up, if they think there is a problem, they'll refer you to a speech therapist.  and there is nothing wrong with using one...

  

Answer 4

Its impossible to say. All babys develop differently; and at their own pace. It's nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

Well, he's saying the words... you have to teach him now who mama, dada and baba is. When he says mama, respond by saying 'yes baba?' or whatever you call him. Or 'Mama's over here darling'. Things like that. When he says dada and daddy's not home, say 'dada's at work...' etc. He'll catch on very quickly.

There's nothing wrong with him... my friend's 15 month old is only starting to talk now, and he's a bright boy - just a lazy talker. Don't worry about it too much just yet.

Answer 6

Emma is almost ten months old and calls me mum mum.  She says da da, but not directed at her dad yet.

Answer 7

Around  5 years here in alabama

Answer 8

Well, you just said he says mama, right?  It takes work.  You have to teach him to call you mama.  He doesn't just know what mama means, you know?  Teach him all the time that you are mama and he is xxxx and daddy is dada.