Milestones help parents and doctors monitor the development of a child.
There are many milestones to celebrate in the first year, and many milestones worth celebrating for years afterward.
In those first 12 months we celebrated:
That first smile
First coo
Rolling over
Waving bye bye
First baby sign
First word
First step
After those first 12 months till now at age 5 we have celebrated many more milestones:
Potty training
That first sleepover at the grandparents
Transitioning from words to sentences
Pretend play & Imaginary friends
Printing her name
The first day of pre-school
Learning to ride a bike
Kindergarten graduation
The list could go on and on. Although the timeline may vary, it is important not to get too caught up on comparing one child to another. Parents need to remember that children develop at different rates and even siblings can vary greatly in developmental milestones.
One of our girls is very social and independent yet has no desire to “sit & learn” while the other daughter is reserved yet has a keen interest in learning about the continents of the world or practicing another language. As a parent it is my job to ensure my children reach their milestones while not getting caught up in the comparing game.
What milestones have you recently celebrated?
If you do have concerns about your child’s development, please discuss with a medical professional.
(I am a Mom Blogger for the Loblaws Baby and You Facebook page. This post is also being published as a note on their page. Please come by and leave a comment there too!)
Jenerally Speaking
Monday 15th of August 2011
So true!! I love all the baby steps! :)
My youngest is a handful but we've been working on a lot with her. We just made it through potty training - praise the Lord!! :)