Why Your Child’s Milestones Matter and How to Track Them

I remember dressing my 6-month-old daughter one Friday evening into a favorite set of footed pajamas and then three days later it was way too small to snap. How on earth had she grown that much in such a short time? My mama's heart was not ready for that.

However, growing and developing is exactly what we want them to do, no matter how hard, and fast, it can be for us parents. From how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves, we need to understand growth and development. As a parent, you want to ensure your child is growing and developing on schedule so you can quickly get them help if they fall behind.

Keeping up with all those milestones through their ages and stages can be a lot. The good people at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with an assist from the American Academy of Pediatrics have built some amazing tools to help.

1. CDC’s Developmental Milestones: Here you will find milestones by age to help you track your baby’s growth and development from 2 months through 5 years. English and Spanish web pages are available.
   
2. Online Milestone Checklist: Click on your child's age and complete a milestone checklist online. When finished, you can enter your email to get a copy of the checklist to share with your child’s healthcare provider.
   
3. Downloadable Milestone Checklists: You can download the pages you need or the full set. Plus, these have been translated into lots of different languages – Spanish, French, Korean and more!
   
4. Milestone Tracker Apps: It is free on iOS and Android in English and Spanish. Photos and videos in the app illustrate each milestone and make tracking them easy and fun.

Concerned? Remember Three Things.

First, don’t do this alone. Talk to your child’s doctor or another health care professional such as a nurse or physician assistant. The listed resources can help you talk to your child’s doctor and to help with developmental screenings, referrals and evaluations. They also have a handy tip sheet on how to get help for your child.

Second, don’t wait. Kids have so much growing to do in those first five years, and many developmental milestones build on each other. Getting help early can make a real difference and keep them from falling too far behind.

Most importantly, don’t panic. There are amazing professionals at work in our communities who are ready to help. Recognizing where there may be an issue is the first, and very important, step.

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