Not trying to brag...but toddler is advanced?

[Anonymous]

DD is 2 years old and her verbal skills seem quite advanced. Her daycare teachers have commented it as well and strangers who hear her talk tend to comment too. I would say she has hundreds of words and speaks in nearly complete sentences. She is also very inquisitive and asks a lot of questions - for example she might show me a picture in a book and ask "what is the name", "what does it do", "what is it for" - she asks for a lot of details and more in depth explanations than superficial explanations. She is learning two languages simultaneously but English is her dominant language. She also expresses her feelings. For example, if she gets upset over something, after it is over she will tell me, "I cried because I could not have the shoes and it made me sad."

Is this pretty normal for her age? Oh, and she is very petite so I think people are surprised that such a small person can speak so well.

[Anonymous]

You must be crazy to post this here. Prepare to have your heart broken and your feelings trampled, OP.

[Anonymous]

Better get her into a gt preschool, stat!

[Anonymous]

Is this an older 2 or a younger 2?
My 2YO is like this but I chalk it up to having an older sibling.

[Anonymous]

On the advanced side of normal for verbal skills, but that doesn't really mean anything except it's easier to communicate with her. I'm sure she's lovely, OP.

[Anonymous]

I have four. My three youngest (one girl, two boys) were speaking in full-on, complex sentences before 2.

My oldest was saying single words very early, but no real "conversations" until closer to three. I figure the younger ones had more to say because they peers to interact with.

My oldest was reading at 3, though, and his two younger siblings that have passed that age are not.

[Anonymous]

Normal for a girl. I know many 2-year-old girls who are very conversational. It's less common for boys because they develop language skills a little later but I have known 2-year-old boys who can also carry a conversation.

[Anonymous]

OP - I have a great 4 yo daughter and know a ton of 4 yo kids. Your daughter sounds lovely and definitely on the advanced side for language. But remember that ALL kids have areas where they will be advanced and areas where they will struggle - and this will change over time. My daughter was the first of her peers to express her feelings, but she refuses to take physical risks and is an absurdly picky eater. You win some, you lose some. And the most important thing is to value each kid for his/her own attributes.

[Anonymous]

Prodigy! Genius! Wow! You're so lucky!

[Anonymous]

I thought my toddler was advanced, too, because he was extremely verbal, social, and had an excellent memory. He was like this incredible little person who would strike up a complex conversation about things he observed and remembered while other kids his age were babbling and hiding behind their parents.

Fast forward several years and he is a social, verbal good student with an excellent memory who has high average intelligence. Not a prodigy at all!

[Anonymous]

Very normal for girls. If your next child is a boy, you'll be worried he is not talking by this time.

[Anonymous]

I have two kids and this sounds very much like my oldest. My younger was much less verbal and much more into physical activities. Oldest is still very strong in verbal/language skills and I think this is where his interests will remain throughout school and life. My younger child largely caught up verbally, but remains more athletic than the older one. With little kids, I think what they focus on early is a good indication of their later interests, but not necessarily of any special level of talent.

[Anonymous]

This was my 2yr old, at 2yrs exactly. She's four now and I'm pretty sure she hasn't stopped talking at all in two years.

It's possible your child is gifted. It's more likely she's not. Regardless, she's your child and it sounds like you're doing a great job of fostering her inquisitive and emotionally intelligent nature.

[Anonymous]

I know where you're coming from, OP, but I don't think your child is remarkably advanced, from what you are describing. Above "average," probably, but so what? My sister was an early reader, skipped first grade...and has been "right on track" for everything else the rest of her life.

When my oldest daughter was 2, she was exhibiting all the behaviors you describe above. Her pediatrician said that in 30 years of practice, she had the strongest vocabulary he'd ever seen at that age...

But so what? As she gets older, her friends are catching up with her. She's very verbal, but she's not Doogie Howser or something.

[Anonymous]

My nearly-14 yo DD was the toddler you described, OP.

Today, she's very bright, identified as gifted, and gets straight As. But I don't know that she's really "advanced." I see UVA or William & Mary in her future, but probably not HPY.

She also likes to come home and binge watch Grey's Anatomy on her iPad on the weekends. And she's a bit of a social misfit.

So, yeah... just reminding you that even very "advanced" toddlers grow up to be teenagers!