Child development milestones: A crucial phase for toddlers

Often when the child development milestones are discussed, we always speak of the right age and the things they should be doing in that age.

So, if we do have to define child development milestones, here’s a possible definition in a layman’s words: A developmental milestone is an ability that most children achieve by a certain age. These milestones can involve physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and communication skills such as walking, sharing with others, expressing emotions, recognizing familiar sounds, and talking.

So, why are the child development milestones a crucial phase for toddlers?

For one simple reason, child development milestones are nothing but, checklists. They promptly tell you if your toddler is on track when it comes to growth and development. Thus, it is because of the child development milestones one can tell what an average child can do at a particular age. If your toddler shows all the signs of the child development milestone – which we will be discussing in a bit – then you know that your toddler is growing right. If not, a paediatrician should be consulted immediately.

What are the child development milestones?

There are four main types of child development milestones:

• Physical milestone
• Cognitive milestone
• Communication milestone
• Social milestone

Let’s take a look at them elaborately here.

• Physical milestone:

This a milestone where your toddler will hone and develop both fine and large motor skills. The large motor skills are learning to sit and stand on their own, crawling, walking, etc. whereas the fine motor skills are grasping a spoon, holding a pen or a crayon, etc. These skills are generally the first to develop.

• Cognitive milestone:

This child development milestone is, by far the crucial one. It indicated the growth and development of the brain. This milestone specifies if the child is developing his/her ability to think, learn, and solve problems. With this milestone in place, they can recognize facial expression and gauge the intent of a conversation.

• Communication milestone:

As the name suggests, this child development milestone is their ability to speak and understand language/s. This child development milestone also involves both – verbal and non-verbal communication development.

• Social milestone:

This child development milestone helps the child develop a sense of belongingness. Your child will make friends and want to belong to a group, as soon as this milestone comes into the picture.

While all these child development milestones are significant indicators to keep the child’s growth and development on track, parents must also know that all kids don’t develop at the same pace. Each child is different, and they have a different set of internal and external challenges to take care of every milestone before they hit the next. As a parent, all you have to do is understand them, help them feel comfortable around you, and give them an environment that is conducive for growth and development.

About This Author

Shaheen Shaikh http://www.adrclinic.co.uk Joined: April 29th, 2018