5 Child Development Milestones All Parents Should Pay Attention To

Did you know that 82% of parents feel unprepared to accommodate learning at home? In the wake of the pandemic, more learning is taking place from home and many families just aren’t ready for it. While we can hope for better normal in the future, parents need to prepare themselves for home learning.

One of the most important things to pay attention to is child development milestones. Every parent should pay attention to these milestones so they can track their children’s education, health, and growth. Read on to learn about the top milestones you should be aware of!

1. Smiling

Smiling is a physical checkpoint that most babies reach by about eight weeks. There are two different kinds of smiles you should pay attention to.

The first is a spontaneous smile. This is a reflex and may occur without a clear stimulus. Your child might display a spontaneous smile within their first few days.

The second is a social smile. A social smile occurs as a response to a social stimulus, such as a parent singing or babbling. Most children reach this milestone when they are one to two months old.

Not having a social smile can be a sign of autism, and is worth addressing with your primary care doctor.

2. Pretend Play

Pretend play is an important behavioral checkpoint most children reach when they are between 10 and 16 months. Pretend play is the use of imagination. It can be as simple as pretending a rock is a phone or mimicking your basic household tasks.

Eventually, pretend play will become more involved. Your child might pretend they are a dog or begin to craft entire imaginary worlds.

You can help promote pretend to play with basic homeschooling, which can help foster creativity in your child.

3. Group Play

When your child reaches three years old, they will begin to show more interest in interacting with other children. Before that point, most toddlers “parallel play,” meaning that they play next to each other without interacting.

Playing with others is key to learning about sharing, empathy, and other social skills.

4. First Words

Your child’s first words will usually be when they are about one year old. They might babble nonsensically before that, but their first clear words won’t emerge until later.

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that a lack of babbling and jabbering is a potential early sign of autism.

5. Pointing

When your child reaches about 18 to 24 months, they will begin pointing at pictures and other objects. You’ll most likely notice this when reading with your child.

As your child’s vocabulary grows, they’ll begin to name the objects they’re pointing at.

Keep an Eye Out for Child Development Milestones

Every growing child reaches these milestones at different times, so don’t worry if your child seems to be moving too quickly or too slowly. It’s important simply to keep an eye out and address any concerns with your doctor. Remember, early detection is key to developing a strong support system for your child.

If you enjoyed learning about these child development milestones, we have lots of family and lifestyle content on our blog. Check it out for more!