Parents play an important role in their child’s health and development. As children grow from infants to teens to adults, they go through developmental stages that are important in all aspects of their life. Parents are expected to provide encouragement and support in the activities that enable their children to achieve vital developmental stages and improve their well-being.
Children go through different developmental stages. As parents, you need to expose your child to age-appropriate experiences that allow them to explore and learn from interacting with others. Child development covers 4 domains that you can expect in your child’s life.
Physical development is the most visible out of the child development domains. The changes in your child’s physical appearance – such as their height and weight – are easily noticeable. It’s important to note that what you see physically does not necessarily correspond to what you can’t see, which is brain development.
Sometimes, parents think that intellectual and cognitive development is all about learning how to read and write. But it is more than that. It actually focuses on the way changes in the brain occur that are related to how they think and learn as they grow. Children are naturally curious and as their brain develops, they have a greater capacity to explore the world around them.
Language and communication are vital to a child’s development. If your child has good communication, engaging, and socializing with other people will be easier. As a child’s first teacher, it is important that you interact with your child and guide them in effectively communicating with their environment.
Social and emotional development starts with how the parents bond with their children. Interestingly, the bond between a child and their parents starts from the moment the mother gazes at the child after delivery. Children are also highly social. You should encourage your child to frequently engage with other children to develop empathy towards those people around them.
Raising a child is one of the most challenging yet fulfilling jobs in the world. To help you, here are some parenting tips that can help you gain an understanding of what you can do to best foster your child’s growth and development:
Monitoring your child’s development and identifying developmental concerns are important in assessing your child’s health. Pediatricians have a unique and important role in developmental monitoring.
Always talk with your child’s healthcare provider regarding their developmental changes. Children’s Medical Centers of Fresno provides quality healthcare to children of the Central Valley. Schedule your child’s appointment today!
