How important are developmental milestones?

There are all these little milestones that you mark as a parent. In the first few years of life, your child develops the ability to crawl, stand, walk, use the toilet, sleep through the night, or eat independently. These can be exciting moments, but they can also be something we place too much emphasis on, especially if we fear our little ones aren’t reaching them on schedule.

Do you need to worry? Well, not usually. But sometimes it’s best to check in with your doctor. It is normal for some children to be ahead of the curve and for others to be behind the curve. That’s fine! For most developmental progress, we only need to worry if our children are missing milestones by a wide margin (6 months to a year). Otherwise, they’ll achieve them in their own time and in their own way – and that’s OK.