Childhood Developmental Milestones, is My Child on Track?

I spent a great deal of time researching childhood developmental milestones when my children were first born. I wanted to know what songs to be singing to help them learn language skills faster, we looked into sign language to enhance communication, we fed only the best foods to insure growth. We asked our Pediatrician hundreds of annoying questions and found there is a lot of information out there to help you answer the question "is my child on track?"

Language Childhood Developmental Milestones
The earlier your child can begin speaking the less aggravated you will be when trying to figure out exactly what they want. We found that speaking to our children in plain English helped our children develop early language skills. Grandmothers and other relatives were allowed to baby speak around our children, but as the parents we made sure to only speak in full sentences. Your child should have about 100 words in their vocabulary by the time they are 18 months old, and about 300 by the time they are 2 years old.

Growth Milestones
Every time you go to a Doctor your pediatrician should be taking some critical measurements of your child. Make sure your doctor is measuring head circumference, weight and height. Your Doctor will give you a percentile that will tell you how your child ranks. As an example: If your child is in the 50th percentile for weight it means that exactly half the children of the same sex and age are heavier than they are, and exactly half are lighter than they are. If your percentiles don't seem right ask your pediatrician. One thing to remember when considering childhood developmental milestones concerning growth is that if mom and dad are tall your child will probably be in the higher percentiles.

Intelligence Milestones
Every parent concerned with Childhood Developmental Milestones are concerned with their child's IQ. According to the Kids IQ Test Center, the earliest testing that can be done on your child's IQ is around the age of 3. The IQ test will consist of pictures and basic words that will elicit a response from your child. Smart Kit offers some great suggestions to help your child develop a higher IQ. Puzzles, music, and exercise are all part of their list of suggestions.

As your child grows make sure and keep up with childhood developmental milestones to know whether or not your child is progressing in a normal manner. Taking good care of your children, providing them with plenty of love, and making regular doctors visits will make sure your child stays on track.