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When older siblings talk for their younger siblings....

© Schatze Rasmussen

When older siblings talk for younger children (typically one to three years of age) who are just learning to speak it can be extremely frustrating for everyone. The young child does not get a chance to learn to communicate their wants and needs and they often times end up acting out when they can not be understood. Parents also get concerned whether their child is able to speak or will ever learn to speak.

Here are a few ideas for the over-enthusiastic child who likes to "help" their little brother or sister speak:

1. Make a game up, like "no one can talk for half an hour". This is hard to do but if you put a timer on it can be helpful. Older siblings like this game because they read the numbers or can guess what time it is. If the baby talks during this time it is "ok" because "babies can't play the game", just the BIG kids. This gives the littlest ones a chance to communicate without being interrupted by bigger people or adults. Quiet time games like this are nice too because the kids can all play and have the quiet times they sometimes need.

2. Give each child alone time with you. You can teach a lot during this time. No one else can interrupt you two. Take the child outside or up to their room and close the door and just sit and play with blocks or trucks/cars, etc. Kids will talk when no one else does usually and you can learn a lot from them too. My youngest, for example, calls all food a "nana" (banana). I might not have learned this if his brother hadn't been watching a tv show and just him and I were sitting on the floor in another room playing quietly. Give each child a little bit of your time every few days or rotate days for each child if you have too. All kids, even the big ones, CRAVE your undivided attention.

3. Play another game like "freeze". Whenever anyone hears the baby try to talk, everyone "freeze" where they are and all movements and just look and listen to the baby. When the baby is done talking or even babbling, you can move again. We have had real fun with this one, but only do it for up to half an hour because even big people can get bored with this game.

4. Instruct everyone to repeat anything the baby the says, whether it is a "raspberry" sound, a motor boat or car noise or a string of syllables that make no sense. It can be fun to try to imitate what babies say because it is hard. You really have to listen. This technique is called "glossing". Even babies are able to recognize when someone imitates them and they love hearing themselves. Again do this for only a half-hour at a time.

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