Is Your Baby Hitting Their Milestones?

By Cara Barilla

In this day and age, we are constantly undergoing the involvement of technology into our child’s lives, various methods of education & development and the increasing ways to progress a child’s involvement in learning. Whether you’re following an educational app, coach, mothers’ group, developmental planner or pediatrician, we are always under the constant pressure of comparing our child’s development to others. The question is “what is the correct guideline to follow when pinpointing where your little one is at with their milestones”? And, “when is it safe to compare with others in determining when a child has hit their milestones or not”?

Is a speedy milestone more important than the milestone itself?

There is constantly the common pattern for women in today’s society to constantly feel the need to be ahead in your “mothers’ group” or relationship circle when hitting a certain milestone. The true importance is if your child is hitting these milestones at all, and if so, how your child is effectively achieving this. The timing of the milestone isn’t necessarily important as there is more emphasis on the method of milestone activity and the way it is being put to action. A natural example is “toilet training”.

In time, the importance of “if my child is completing the milestone of toilet training within the age bracket of 2-5 years old”. People tend to believe that the younger the child is at meeting this milestone, the more intelligent they are, which in fact a myth is as children hit peaks of their capability markers at different stages in their lives.  It’s more so common that parents tend to compare and become disappointed in their children or themselves if they haven’t seen progression by a particular period of time, though in theory; as long as these children have successfully demonstrated a capable example of the marker that’s when they have successfully hit their milestone.

When your child hits their milestone more or less than the depicted chart informing the “average stage guideline”, it shouldn’t be a worry as long as it has been marked effectively. It’s the quality of behavior and character growth which is of importance rather than the timing. The behavior traits during the process depict healthy substantial development processing as opposed to “who gets there first”.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the average stage guidelines are not effective. It consequently aids in calculating our child’s developmental patterns to look out for learning and motor skill deficiencies or difficulties. If you find that your child is constantly not reaching their peak effectively its best to book in with your local pediatrician for a professional opinion.

The growing outlines of your child existing in representative charts and the “guidelines of physical development” can be grasped via the behavior and character of your child. Phases of physical progression is easy to point out. During playtime, tummy time, conversation, cradling and cuddling your child, you will notice the babies ripple effect created by your behavior, which effectively helps with the development. Newborns will show what appear to be arbitrary but balanced actions with their arms and legs.

Throughout the subsequent phase of growth, which takes place about the six month period, the child will initiate to stretch out for detailed objects with their arms, following their eyes. Within the months after, they gain sufficient control of both their hands to hold small objects. Anywhere about one year of age many children extend all of their limbs for small blocks or rattles, pick them up and encourage you to play with them whether it’s with their body language, hand, eye coordination, speech and facial expressions.

How important is your child’s language development?

Language portrayal is distinct though more gradual stages of development. Within three months, many children will develop from only crying to a method of fussing or creating firm vowel sounds. The capability to process consonants, especially the sound “mmm”, can exist only a few months after that. (infants who speak words such as “mama” before they say “dada” could possibly be portraying more within their neurological development and synchronization rather than demonstrating their favorite for a parent.)

After around 3 more months, children typically reply to their name plus definite recurrence perceived words. After one year, you’re your child will start demonstrating words, particularly nouns. Subsequently after two years of age, your child will understand more than a hundred words and will be capable to express to you the names of some objects, colours, numbers and names in picture books, which is a vital stage subsequently via the period children are prepared for playgroup and the months of social development, they distinguish approximately a thousand words then will momentarily activate the next level of milestone in speech such as “complex sentences” for e.g. “I’d like you to watch me play with my friend”.

Overall, if you feel like your child is not meeting the expected milestones, consult your doctor or friendly health professional for advice. Patience is key when it comes to these things so never feel like you’re failing as a parent if they are not being met. Some children just need time and space. Allow them to grow at their own pace and always provide them with a loving and supportive environment.