One part of being a parent is getting to see your children develop and transform. This, of course, starts with small developmental milestones in infancy, such as rolling, crawling, and talking. Some parents, on the other hand, see reaching such goals as a competition from the start. If a child doesn’t get to a point as fast as another child, a parent may wonder, “What is wrong with my child?” or “Could I have done anything?” In either case, as some parenting experts have explained, children learn and pick up these basic skills at their own pace. In fact, forcing them upon a child may end up backfiring.
But that doesn’t mean that parenting tips and suggestions can’t be helpful. Rather, it’s how these tips are used that’s the most effective. A recent press release from the Similac Infant Nutritional Panel announces such a service. Similac positions itself as a resource for advising parents in helping their children reach certain milestones. One example, as mentioned in the press release, is the introduction of nonverbal gestures as early communication. Starting with waving and nodding gestures introduces a child to basic communication skills, although only one gesture should be added at a time. However, the press release also discusses making sure infants receive enough vitamins through nutrition to encourage crawling and rolling.
So, when it comes to parenting, what are mothers and fathers to do? On one hand, ignoring a child is considered negligent and on the other forcing a child too much to learn certain skills will make a child frustrated. The best approach, it appears, is the middle ground: encouraging and helping your child get to these developmental milestones but not seeing childhood as a competition. Children need and may welcome encouragement, not stress, when it comes to learning speech and motor skills from infancy through childhood.
