Hi Samantha,
I totally agree with your postings....Keep talking to your children - 1 language at a time. I have 2 gals - 37mths and 19mths. I sing and talk to my kids since they were a baby. While travelling in the car, I will relate to her what is on the road - car, lorry, bus, motorbike, etc. I also buy books with colourful pictures and 1/2 words and read to her. We use 1 language at home when she was a baby - English. When she was with my In-Laws, (her caregiver during the day), they speak to her in Mandarin. She started calling Papa/ Mama at ard 9mths old and can talk in 3-4 words sentences by the time she was 18mths. Up to 20 mths, the main language she speak was English.
I enrolled her in 3-hr PG class when she turned 21mths. Within 3 mths of attending PG classes, she can communicate fairly well in Mandarin with my In-Laws.
Now, my #1 is a chatterbox....blah....blah...non-stop. She can also recite bedtime stories which I read to them every night in both English and Chinese.
My #2 is picking up very fast from her sister and at 19mths she can sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in Chinese and English.
On the topic on slow teeth growth and eating habits, I do not know if there is a connection to speech delay. But, it seemed like the case for my BIL's son, now 28 mths, can hardly speak. He calls only papa/ mama/ grandpa/ grandma and a few other single-syllabus words. This boy is considered slow in his teeth growth, 1st teeth appeared at ard 12mths. Now, at 28 mths, still have 6 teeth to go. On his diet, he is still on porridge and milk diet - He cannot handle other solids well that his mother/ my MIL dare not give him more solids worrying that he might get choked. He is also quite a cranky child who often throw tantrums, probably because the adults do not understand what exactly he is trying to say and he is also getting frustrated.
Hi CS Mummy - Dun give up, continue communicating with your daughter, read to her. Speak to her 1 language at a time - Either full sentence in English or in Mandarin. Do not mix. Correct her and encourage her to talk and response in simple sentences. Once they start yakking, you will really hope that they will keep silent for a minute.
It may be a good idea to send her for PG 1st if you are worried about CC illnesses. I sent my #1 for 3-hr PG classes for about 1yr before I switched her to fullday CC at 3yo.
I find this thread quite interesting and just wanted to share my experience