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Expert Q&A

	By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist

When it comes to speech issues, is there really a second, third or fourth child syndrome?

A first child often is a novelty and parents put a lot of time and effort into making sure everything is perfect for them. A first child has his/her parent's full attention while a second, third or fourth child is constantly seeking her parent's attention.

In a larger family, parents have less time to spend quietly talking and exploring the world. A toddler may be spending a lot of time with Mom as she is running between soccer practice and ballet; however, most of the conversation may be directed toward the older siblings. When Dad comes home late for work he may be bombarded with soccer stories or helping with last-minute homework assignments. Unfortunately, little time is available for Dad to talk and play with the toddler because most likely she is getting ready for bed.

What to do:
Take the time to talk with your toddler. Include him in the conversation. As you're talking to your older children about soccer say to your toddler, "Let's go see the soccer game. They run fast. We can sit in the bleachers and watch the kids kick the ball."

Mom and Dad need to make time to talk with their toddler, as well as with their older children who can already talk. Sit on the floor and play with your toddler. Use toy animals to describe actions. A cow can run, walk and sit. Stimulate speech sounds by making animal sounds, "Moo goes the cow." As you're making supper, talk about the ingredients you're using and ask your toddler for help, "Can you please get Mommy the pan?" Encourage talking while stirring the pot together, "Stir, stir, stir." Show your child an egg and use a fill-in-the-blank sentence: "Put in the..."

Always reinforce any communication attempt by saying, "Nice talking. I like the way you use your words." Consider this your toddler's "homework time."

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