It is important to build a strong foundation for any building to make it able to reach greater heights. In the same way, the strong foundation of one’s child is important to make him fit both physically and mentally for the challenging world. That is why parents should follow a child’s developmental milestones until a certain age.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n order to follow your child’s growth, it is vital to keep track of how he/she speaks, acts, and learns because it offers valuable hints. There is a need to keep a check upon the child’s developmental milestones until he/she reaches the age of 5 years. The children till this age are expected to possess social, emotional, communicational, cognitive learning and thinking, and cognitive problem-solving skills. Apart from this, the movement and physical development of a child is also expected throughout the 5 years.
In regards to social and emotional intelligence, children at age 5 usually tend to be like their little friends. They want to please them and they are more likely to concur with rules. They like dancing, acting, and singing. Children develop awareness and can distinguish between the genders.
A 5-year old child can tell what’s make-believe and what is real.
Children until the age of 5 tend to be independent and this tendency could be seen when the toddler visits the neighbor residing at the next door. But, still considering this as a learning age, supervision of an adult is required.
There is a need to keep a check upon the child’s developmental milestones until he/she reaches the age of 5 years.
Moreover, a child’s language and communication skill set until he/she reaches the age of 5 years, should include the ability to speak a sentence clearly. He/she must be able to narrate a story using the full sentences and they should be in a position to use future tenses, for example: “Mom will be here”. Toddlers should be able to learn the name of their own and also of their parents, siblings, etc. Also, it is expected that they should be able to recite their address.
Skills such as cognitive thinking, learning, and problem-solving are also important in the overall development of the children. It helps in their aptitude development, which could be beneficial in their academics.
It is expected that children until the age of 5, can count 10 or more than 10 things.
They should learn drawing and can sketch a human with at least six body parts. Also, they should be able to copy some geometrical shapes like square, triangle, and rectangle, etc.
If the development of a child is not as per the parameters then parents should start acting early.
As far as the physical development of a child is concerned, they are expected to stand at one foot for at least a minimum of 10 seconds. They should be able to hop and to skip, climb, and swing. Also, they should be in a position to use forks, spoon, and knife and to distinguish between them. Depending on the parenting style, children at that age are expected to visit the toilets alone.
If the development of a child is not as per the parameters then parents should start acting early.
There are some signals that a child hasn’t reached certain developmental milestones. For example, when a child isn’t showing a wide range of emotions or shows extreme behavior such as unusual sadness, shyness, aggressiveness, fear, or withdrawal. If the toddler lacks focus and easily distracted while doing an activity or when he/she responds superficially and sometimes doesn’t respond at all. Furthermore, when the child is inactive and doesn’t perform physical activities such as playing. Or when the child is having trouble using tenses while speaking or is unable to talk about his experiences or daily activities.
If these are the traits of a child, then parents should act as soon as possible and consult a doctor. Check out “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”, an organization that aims to change perceptions about the importance of identifying developmental concerns early and gives parents and professionals the tools to help.
