Myths and facts

Questions parents often ask, answered from what the studies found.

• Is "mama" usually the first word?Often, yes. In a large survey of American parents, about 2 in 3 said their child's first word was "mama" or "dada".
• Do all babies walk by their first birthday?No. Only about half of babies walk on their own by their first birthday. Nearly all healthy children walk somewhere between about 8 and 18 months.
• Do girls talk earlier than boys?On average, a little. But the difference is small next to how much children vary, whether they're girls or boys.
• Do girls toilet-train earlier than boys?On average, a little: in one study, a couple of months earlier. Children of both sexes vary much more than that.
• Do all babies crawl before they walk?No. In two large studies, about 15 to 20 in 100 healthy babies didn't crawl on hands and knees before they walked.
• Do early walkers end up smarter?Not in a way you would notice. Some studies find a small link, others find none, and for a healthy child the age of their first steps says little about how they will do later.