Ticking Off Milestones? When To Worry (Or Not)

Relax! Every child is unique, and developmental milestones are only a guide.

- Camilla Rankin

Aaaaaargh, help! My baby didn’t lift her head by one month, rollover by three, only walked at 18 months, kicked a ball at four, recited the Halleluja by five… and the chart says she should’ve done it earlier (not to mention all of my friend’s children who did)!

All parents worry about their child’s development – of course we do, we all want to see our children thrive, flourish, reach their potential…

So it’s very easy to get sucked into worry about if, and when your child meets those ”golden standard” developmental milestones. But what are they really, and do I need to panic if my child isn’t meeting them exactly as the charts say they should?

WHAT ARE THESE DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES?

They’re simply a measure used by parents, caregivers and professionals to compare a child’s growth and development over time with research-based norms (averages).

Basically, hundreds of thousands of children were studied a few decades ago to find out what the ”normal” age range is in which babies and children achieved various developmental milestones, such as sitting, smiling, crawling and walking.

Milestone charts are used as an indicator to gauge a full-term child’s development, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind when using one.

Firstly, these charts are all about averages: if the chart says that the ”average” child can lift their head in prone position by month one, then it means that 50 percent can, but 50 percent haven’t managed to (yet).

Secondly, most charts give an age range for when a milestone is expected to be reached, so for example, being able to sit independently is normally achieved between four and eight months.