Being a parent can be exhaustive. There’s so much to do, so much to learn and so much to keep a track of. Then you have to do all of that for your kid. Often, parents are concerned if the development of their child is on the right track.
The pediatricians, educators, caregivers, usually maintain a record of this from time to time. There are no ‘accurate and totally right’ answers to this, which is why child development experts have come up with charts and checklists. The lists are a way to guide you to track the development. Take a look at which domains are helpful. The different types of developments are as follows.
- Physical development
- Cognitive development (thinking skills)
- Language development
- Social-emotional development
However, wait up. Before you invest time and stock in a single checklist, the eternal question arises, ‘Which one should I invest in?’
All lists are not similar and hence have some variations that one needs to know beforehand.
Here are some statistics. According to researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, four of the best-known child development checklists mention a total of 728 different skills and abilities. But, guess what? What’s even more surprising is that only 40 of the developmental milestones are included on all four checklists.
Hence, before deciding on one, it is probably better to have a conversation with your child’s pediatrician or primary care provider. A child physician can monitor your child for any developmental issues with screening tools that can be different from checklist tools. Additionally, monitoring development as an individual progression rather than checking boxes off from a readymade list is a winner on any given day.
The point is that a delay needs to be identified early, making it mandatory to talk to the child’s healthcare provider.
Child’s Development – Milestone
Every child has a unique and individual development story. Let’s take a look at some typical milestones.
0 To 18 Months
During this nascent period, the changes and growth are rapid. According to reputed doctors, you should speak to your baby a lot – as much as possible. Hearing your voices is productive for the development of the baby’s communication skills. If your baby is crying, respond to it immediately. Comforting a baby while they cry helps strengthen the bonds between the two of you.
18 Months to 2 Years
During this period, the baby is a toddler. In this period, children require sleep, nutrition, affectionate bonds with their parents and caregivers. To keep your child feeling secure and grounded, you will need to prepare routines and rituals, but kids’ exploration is essential. A toddler-proof home and yard can help kids explore their surroundings without running into any issues. While teaching discipline to the children, always avoid hitting them or any show of violence. Hitting can cause long-term emotional harm.
For boosting vocabularies, consider singing or talking. You need to be healthy, both physically and emotionally, to take good care of your child.
3 To 5 Years Old
The 3-5 year period is a preschool period where children are naturally curious about their new experiences… of the world, of new friends, new environments, etc. Here are some things for you to do to boost your child’s growth:
- Read to your child daily – novels, fairy tales, folklore, etc.
- Show them how to do simple chores – bathing, cleaning themselves up, brushing, basic hygiene.
- Stick to using age-appropriate language.
- Allow your child to make choices while interacting with other people.
Pay More Attention If It Is a Child with Special Needs
While it is okay to have an individual growth story for each child, sometimes a child’s growth might differ from what we see as standard. Sometimes a child might need special attention. In such cases, you, as a parent, need to pay extra attention.
ABA therapy helps to learn behavior in children and learning and takes the necessary approach to improving anything that deviated from what is standard.
Conclusion
Often the developmental pace of toddlers is overwhelming for parents. While the babies develop new skills and abilities, it is essential to track the development with child care appointments. While following a checklist, if you are concerned about missing any milestone, you can always have them conduct a screening to determine any issues.
Photo Credit
Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay
Guest Author Bio
Natalie Ige
Natalie is a writing enthusiast with a deep interest in topics related to financial institutions. Spending a good amount of time researching around the same, whenever possible, I also likes sharing the useful information with people who may find it helpful.
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