How to Make Sure Your Kids Are Developing Properly
No one said that raising children was easy. But few people can truly articulate how challenging, stressful, and all-consuming being a parent can be. Especially when you are raising young children, it can be a constant source of anxiety thinking about how your children are developing and if they are developing properly for their age, and in comparison to their peers. Measuring child development is challenging, and every child goes through a different development process that is unique to them. Here are three things that you can do to help ensure that your children are developing healthily.
Schedule Them Regular Physicals
One of the most important things that you can do to make sure that your children are developing properly is to schedule regular physicals with a pediatrician. For the first four years of life, the recommendation is that you visit a pediatrician at least seven times to ensure health and development, and then after the age of four at least once per year for an annual checkup. These visits give your doctor the opportunity to check in on your children and make sure that they are healthy and that there is nothing of great concern going on. A doctor will be more readily able to spot potential issues than you and can give you the peace of mind that your child is healthy and developing well.
Take Them to the Dentist
The next thing that you should do to make sure that your children are developing properly is to take them to the dentist regularly. Everyone should be going to the dentist twice a year for a twice annual cleaning and inspection. These visits help to identify cleaning issues, and for children who still have baby teeth, or are within the first decade of their adult teeth, can help to identify orthodontic issues that should be resolved earlier rather than later. You should get your child checked by an orthodontist by the time they’re 7. This will ensure that you have a head start on any sort or braces or other orthodontic procedure they may need.
Stop Comparing Them to Others
The final thing that you need to do to make sure your children are developing properly is to stop comparing them to others. Child development is not a one size fits all process with perfectly timed progressions that must necessarily go in chronological order. Every child develops differently and there is nothing wrong with that. Only when a professional expresses concern should you grow concerned yourself. Embrace the unique way your child grows and develops, and you’ll be able to encourage that growth much easier.
Raising children is a hair-raising and stress inducing process that is never easy. And one of the biggest concerns that parents have is whether their children are developing properly or not. Follow these three steps to make sure that you are keeping an eye on your child’s development and that they are moving at an appropriate pace.
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