“I think it’s really important for parents to remember that development is a continuum,” Dr. Blanchard told POPSUGAR Moms. "Let’s take sitting as an example. Most babies will sit on their own somewhere between 6 and 8 months. Some will do it at 5 months, some will do it at 8 — it’s not necessarily better to do it at an exact time. As long as they’re doing it within the general continuum of normal development, that’s OK. I think that’s a really important message because parents get stressed out thinking that their child has to do specific things at an exact time, but all developmental milestones happen in a time period."
When you go to appointments with your child’s pediatrician as they grow, they’ll be closely evaluating your child based on that short visit combined with your answers to their developmental questions. If your child isn’t hitting milestones within the suggested time ranges and you’re concerned, talk to your child’s doctor about the next steps, whether that involves waiting a few more weeks for organic success or discussing early intervention or therapy options.
