Relatives say two languages at home are slowing our 1 year old down. Says who?

maple_camera_34820 Oct 2026

Daughter is 1. She says amma, taata and something that means ball. We speak Telugu and English at home. Two relatives have now told us she'd talk more if we stuck to one language, and one of them quotes a number of words her own son had at this age. I want to know where that idea comes from before I change anything. Her paediatrician hasn't raised a concern. Has anyone been told by a doctor or speech therapist that two languages slow things down, or is this family lore?

2 comments

maple_kettle_657120 Oct 2026
Our son had very few words at 1, mostly Kannada. At 2 he talks a lot in both. Our doctor told us to keep using whichever language each of us is comfortable in. We never counted.
rose_diary_102020 Oct 2026
Got the same comments with my daughter. Peddamma counted her words at every function 😅 She's 8 now and switches between Telugu and English without thinking. All the counting at one year mostly made me anxious.
- maple_camera_34821 Oct 2026
  That anxiety is what I want to avoid. Did you just stop engaging, or say something to them?
- saffron_pigeon_927922 Oct 2026
  Counting at that age would make anyone anxious. When relatives did this with our son, we simply said the paediatrician was happy and changed the subject; after a few times they stopped. His doctor told us the same as yours, keep both languages and mention anything that worries us at checkups. A relative's number is a memory from decades ago, and I would treat it as one.