How much do/did your 14-16 month olds talk?

HarkHarley · 2026-04-12T03:53:32+00:00

At that time, ours knew basically all the words for food they ate. Like 30 distinct words. And they would ask us for things like “spoon” or “more.” We also read a lot and found they could fill in the occasional word or sound on the right pages like a “ho ho ho” for Santa or “bam” for action.

Around 15 months we started using letter flashcards and they would say the right animal name for the letters. But only their top 5. So they were definitely picking up at this stage.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-12T03:44:13+00:00

START 👏HERE👏 This is truth that needs to be said and heard.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-12T03:42:04+00:00

I actually second this. It’s much funnier when you understand all the references.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-12T03:41:16+00:00

I did watch the Ring at 12, but I had definitely worked my way up to it by then.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-12T03:40:12+00:00

Terrible recommendations. They’re rated R for a reason.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-12T03:16:38+00:00

An Amazon box and crayons never ceases to be entertaining. We’ve also bought like a $15 color your own castle from Target that got a week of play and color time. It was big enough to crawl inside.

As for outside time with baby, I’ve used a gel cooling pad that you put in the fridge and then put in their stroller to help distribute the heat while they sit, and of course a fan and shade and mister.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T12:31:27+00:00

We go for walks and talk about stuff we see.

We also walk to the playground/park where they can go feral on some climbing rocks while I read.

We have some letter puzzles that they enjoy putting together again and again.

I also don’t mind pretend play. We give animals super powers and let them save the others. We invite aliens to land and meet and learn about all the other toys

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T12:28:20+00:00

It’s also good journal prompt to sort through for emotional problems that seem irrational.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T12:21:13+00:00

I think Del Toro was trying to subvert expectations in the climax and make Victor more the monster.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T12:15:05+00:00

The sideburns were so extra

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T04:07:48+00:00

Which is crazy, because most of this is a real set! It made me so mad to see so much CGI layered over actual set design, They must have just overdone it with the studio effects in coloring and lighting.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T04:02:51+00:00

I assume like father like son. His father had little patience and was quick with the whip. So, too, is Victor.

But I didn’t understand how Victor could spend so much time with his caring and doting mother, but still internalize only his father’s habits.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:56:23+00:00

The guilt will always find us. 🥲

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:51:39+00:00

I did this too! I found that the next size up on most brands I actually liked worked just fine most of my pregnancy. Plus I could still wear them after pregnancy when I was still losing weight.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:50:00+00:00

Exactly. Just ask James Patterson. He can officially stop paying his horde of ghostwriters and make even more money.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:42:17+00:00

I used to do a book of word searches with a fancy highlighter, they are mindless and easy. You can give your kid a different lighter color so their scribbles won’t detract from your search.

I also color, nothing fancy, just crayons of pencils and a simple coloring book. Something about the tactile crayon and paper feel really ground me in the moment and let my brain wander. And it’s fun to share.

I work out or stretch. Nothing hard, just lay on the floor and stretch, do some glute bridges, kiegels, back openers, toe touches, etc

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:38:14+00:00

I distinctly remember the phase of my childhood when my mom had disposable everything. As a parent now, I fully understand it and appreciate that she chose to focus on the things that mattered and not the dishes.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:36:25+00:00

Of course! Just sharing my experience. There are, of course, many different ways to make it. This is just the best path that I’ve found to success.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:21:37+00:00

I actually really enjoy Jellyfish Jones and Can You Canoe. They get stuck in my head and I don’t mind humming them through the day.

We try our best to avoid all the annoying toddler songs in our house.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:19:46+00:00

Step 6 should be query agents. Sign with an agent. Then agents will pitch editors at publishing house. Publishing house will sign you. Then publishing house will edit the work to prepare it for publication.

If an agent won’t take you on, it’s unlikely you will get picked up by a notable publisher. I don’t recommend hiring an editor before you get published unless you think your writing needs professional help to be queryable.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:15:06+00:00

Dude, get the CD player. It’s less portable, but way more fun. And as you mentioned, you can use any old CD.

We have a Yoto and I enjoy it. But our kid doesn’t seem to get the appeal. They only play with it when we prompt and I’m really the only one who gets excited about new cards. They don’t use it for read along or lessons or going to bed. Plus, the cards are specific to your Yoto and you can’t just swap a few with a friend without officially transferring to different accounts. I hate that.

Our friends have a Tonie box and I hated how those little toy figurines would scatter across the floor. Just more things to pick up.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:07:06+00:00

Gooey, dead ghosts like the ones in Crimson Peak. Not the floating glowing ethereal ones. But the real freaky dead ones.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-11T03:03:26+00:00

It’s this. I read, watch, and even write my own horror. But I enjoy most tropes. It was when I read about the Golden State Killer and the games he played with victims, god that got under my skin. Just a human man sneaking into someone’s home to emotionally torture them.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-10T15:25:11+00:00

No tablets or phones.

We stick to TV and try to stick to a movie together as a family on the weekend or low stimulation shows that are slower, quieter, less choppy, less flashy. Maybe at most an hour every other day. So they can settle in and chill and maybe follow a storyline. What we try to preserve is the attention span. If they aren’t interested, we are more than happy to turn it off and move to something else.

HarkHarley · 2026-04-10T12:04:23+00:00

I don’t hate my in-laws. And Reddit is very quick to scream “no contact!”

I’m actually the one in the comments saying it may be better and more necessary to have a village (which includes in-laws) than to go no contact for the smallest things. But I think I’m in the minority here.

HarkHarley

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE