Observing developmental milestones provides parents with clues about their child’s health. It’s crucial to watch out for even the simplest breakthroughs like rolling over, walking, and talking.
If children reach milestones earlier than expected, they might be advanced learners. However, if they reach them much later, they might have developmental delays.
This article will discuss a general list of essential milestones. Read on to determine whether you need extra support for your kids to reach their full potential.
What Are Developmental Milestones?
Developmental milestones are a set of behaviors or physical abilities that express a child or infant’s growth. Experts base them on what most children can accomplish at a certain age, but keep in mind that every child is unique, as is every parent’s experience. The actual age of some of these capabilities varies quite a bit and it’s not always something to worry about if your child is slightly behind.
Milestones can include things such as children/babies being able to hold up their heads, roll over, crawl, walk, talk, and so on. Each set of new abilities belongs to a new age range.
Here are the classifications of such milestones:
- Social and emotional: A child’s ability to successfully express emotions and form healthy relationships
- Speech and language: A child’s ability to understand a language and communicate with it
- Cognitive: A child’s ability to think, explore, and solve problems
- Physical: A child’s ability to develop motor skills
Once you determine different milestones, you can work with doctors and teachers to discover if your child’s development needs improvement.
What Milestones Should You Watch Out For?
Below is a list of developmental milestones specialists endorse.
Infants: From 0 to 12 Months
- Recognize familiar people, including themselves
- Make sounds and speak simple words like mama and dada
- Understand words like no and bye-bye
- Walk with support from toys or furniture
Toddlers: From 1 to 3 Years
- Learn to share even without adult supervision
- Speak up clearly about what they want or need
- Recall words and phrases from their favorite shows or books
- Run, pivot, and walk forward and backward
Preschoolers: From 3 to 6 Years
- Enjoy performing tasks independently
- Appreciate reading skills
- Understand basic size, time, and drawing concepts
- Improve balance to ride bikes, scooters, or skates
School-Age Children: From 6 to 12 Years
- Value team sports like football, basketball, or baseball
- Develop reading skills further
- Understand and follow simultaneous instructions
- Show signs of puberty like breast development and growth of armpit and pubic hair
Adolescent Years: From 12 to 15+ Years
- Value peer acceptance and recognition
- Understand idioms, jokes, sarcasm, and other speech types that go beyond literal meanings
- Recognize abstract concepts
- Start reaching adult height, weight, and sexual maturity
Learn More About Developmental Milestones
If your child does not meet the recommended developmental milestones, consult your doctor about ways to catch up. While most delays shouldn’t be too worrisome, acting early can make a difference in your child’s life and help them to catch up.
If you want to learn more about things you can do to boost your child’s development, contact our specialists through (email) or (number). We’re here to answer all your questions about your child’s health.
