Monitoring Children’s Development With Amizur Nachshoni
- Amizur Nachshoni
- Jul 28, 2020
- 3 min read
Is this child’s development on track? It is a question that parents, pediatricians, educators, and carers constantly discuss as children grow and change.
Milestones at a glance Every child grows and develops at an individual pace. Here are some information and some common milestones for each age period provided by the educator Amizur Nachshoni.
Birth to 18 months In this period of profound growth and development, infants are growing and changing rapidly. Doctors recommend that you talk to your child a lot during this phase because hearing your voice will help your child develop communication skills. Other suggestions include the following:
Short intervals of tummy time to help strengthen the neck and back muscles of your baby — just make sure that the baby is awake and that you’re nearby for this time of play.
Respond when your child cries straight away. Picking up and comforting a crying baby builds strong bonds between the two of you.
18 months to 2 years Kids tend to require plenty of sleep, healthy nutrition, and strong, caring relationships with parents and caregivers during the toddler years. Doctors at Safra Children Hospital give this advice to build a healthy, nurturing environment to optimize the early growth and development of your child:
To keep your child feeling safe and grounded, build consistent routines and rituals.
Toddler-proof the home and yard, so that children can safely explore.
Using gentle discipline to direct children, and teach them. Stop hitting which can cause physical and emotional damage in the long term.
Sing, speak and read to your baby to improve their vocabulary.
Monitor your child for cues about the warmth and reliability of all caregivers.
Physically and mentally, take good care of yourself, because your child needs you to be safe.
3 to 5 years old Kids grow more confident and competent throughout these pre-school years. Innate curiosity is likely to be intensified by the development of a world: new mates, new experiences, new environments such as daycare and kindergartens.
Keep your child reading every day.
Tell them how to do basic domestic chores.
Be clear and in keeping with your expectations and explain what behaviors your child wants.
Speak in a language suitable for your child’s age.
Help solve the dilemma that your child has when emotions run high.
In outdoor play spaces, supervise your child, particularly around water and play equipment.
Give your child options on how to communicate with family members and strangers.
School-age development Children achieve independence and knowledge rapidly during school years. Friends get bigger and more influential. The academic and social difficulties posed in the school setting can impact a child’s self-esteem. As children mature, the challenge of parenting is to strike a balance between keeping them safe, enforcing rules, maintaining family connections, allowing them to make some decisions and encouraging them to accept increased responsibility.
Despite their rapid growth and development, parents and carers also need to set boundaries and foster healthy habits.
Here are some things you can do to make sure your child stays healthy:
Ensure they ‘re getting enough time.
Provide daily workout opportunities and individual or team sports.
Develop peaceful, supportive spaces at home to read and learn.
Restrict screen time, and closely track online activities.
Create successful family traditions, and preserve them.
Speak to your kids about consent, and set boundaries for your bodies.
What to do if you’re concerned If you wonder if any part of a child’s development could be delayed, you’ve got some choices.
Speak to your child’s pediatrician first and ask for a developmental screening. Doctors’ screening methods are more comprehensive than online checklists, and they can provide you with more accurate information about the strengths and development of your children.
If your child is 3 or older, you can apply for a developmental assessment from the special education director at the public school near your home (even if your child is not enrolled at that school). Make sure you write down the date and the name of the manager so that if necessary, you can follow up.
When you suspect a developmental disability or illness, it is very important that you act right away, as many developmental problems can be treated more efficiently through early intervention.
Be Aware If you are concerned about the possibility of a missed milestone, your child’s doctor will be able to discuss it with you and conduct a developmental screening as needed to give a clearer picture. You can also connect with developmental specialists, early intervention programs, and special education programs in local schools to have a child evaluated.
Good parent-child relationships, healthy education, proper sleep, and a safe, caring home and school atmosphere can help ensure children have the best opportunities to grow as they should.
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