Way 2 Goodlife

The family that plays together - stay together

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Family Life
    • Family Activities
    • Family Table
    • Family Health
    • New Baby
    • Mama Tech
    • Special Child
    • Mama
  • Family Travel
  • Family Money
    • Money Smart Parent
    • Money Smart Kid
  • Kids Corner
  • Videos
You are here: Home / Featured / The Powerful Importance of Your Toddler’s Milestones

The Powerful Importance of Your Toddler’s Milestones

Sharing is caring!

56 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Do you have a toddler at home?  Have you been paying attention to whether or not they are reaching toddler developmental milestones that they should be reaching at each stage in their growth? If you have not been paying attention, you should start. Paying attention to these milestones and when your children meet them makes it easier to notice if they are missing them. The earlier you catch these misses, the easier it will be to deal with them. 

Do you know when to ask for help when it comes to your child development milestones? While it seems obvious milestones for toddlers are crucial! Today I am sharing my story and help that is out there for children that need it and their parents

When I had my first child, I lived by the milestone chart. I could spend hours watching what she was doing with my checklist and question just about everything. By the time her brother was born, I was a pro – I knew what I was doing, had no use for the charts, and could teach anybody anything in the mommyhood business. Or so I thought…

Looking back at it now, I think my son started missing his milestones at about 12 months. However, since the misses seemed so minor, I didn’t pay much attention.

very unhappy boy crying holding buckets

The Importance of Your Child’s Toddler Milestones

When my son was around 2 when I started questioning certain things. Well meaning friends and family suggested that boys develop at a slower pace, plus my son is growing up in a bilingual household so it was ok for him to be behind on his milestone marks.

However, by the time he turned 2.5, I had more questions than answers and started looking for help. 

little boy participates in sensory play holding a shavel

While being very well physically developed, my toddler seemed to have very delayed speech with a vocabulary or 10 words or so, not very responsive to any instructions, and not interested in expressing himself verbally at all. All this often resulted in lots of confusion and tears.

There are specific developmental milestones that you should be looking for when your child hits specific ages.  The toddler years are particularly important because so much learning and growing is done in such a short timespan – it might be easy to miss something.

For example, at two years old, according to typical toddler development stages your  child should be able to do the following things: 

  • imitate parents
  • show independence
  • rebel against authority
  • points to and names objects
  • assemblies 2-4 word sentences
  • follows simple directions
  • builds towers
Child's Toddler Milestones

Click on these links for a full list of toddler milestones for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds.

If you read through the listed milestones and find yourself concerned that your child hasn’t reached a specific milestone, there are steps that you can take. 

What should You do if you see delays in your child’s toddler developmental milestones?

If you suspect that your child is reaching their toddler development stages slower than they should, don’t give up hope. There are steps that you can take to take a proactive approach to helping your child reach their developmental milestones. 

boy dressed in superman costume writes sitting next to his mom

Talk To The Doctor

If you are concerned, act on it and let your child’s doctor know about your concerns.  The doctor recognizes that, as a parent, you know your child best.  Share any and all concerns with the doc ASAP.  They will know what direction you should go from here.

Print out a Toddler Developmental Milestones Checklist

There are milestones checklists available to print out (or you can request one from your child’s doctor) to track your baby’s development. Fill these checklists out and share with the doctor at your next visit.

Toddler demonstrated Milestones by playing counting and numbers

Request That Your Child’s Doctor Do A Developmental Screening

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for developmental milestones at the ages listed above.  If you are concerned, request that your child’s doctor does one of these screenings.

Ask For A Referral

If you do all of the things listed above, yet you are still concerned, be sure to ask your child’s doctor for a referral to a specialist.

a child is sitting on mom's lap looking at the doctor

Request A “Child Find” Evaluation

At any point in this process, you can ask for a Child Find evaluation by making a phone call to the public early childhood system and asking for this assessment or finding out more about the process.

MORE ABOUT MY STORY

Mother knows best – I should have asked for help earlier, but I am glad I did it when I could no longer dismiss my questions. The importance of early intervention is undeniable, and I only wish that more parents knew what resources are available for kids under 3-years-old.

From the in-home evaluation to a medical diagnosis, from one-on-one therapies to help with specialized pre-school enrollment – early intervention made a huge difference for my family! 

boy in harness fell in the pile of leaves

If you are concerned about your child’s development, don’t be afraid to start asking questions! Also, you can find resources here and get a Milestones App!

You can also order a FREE “Parent Kit”  – it includes a Milestone Moments booklet with checklists for ages two months to 5 years and a growth chart.

« Awesome Children’s Museums To Visit In The Midwest
25 Fantastic Things To Do Outside For Summer Fun »

Comments

  1. Donna @ Modern on Monticello says

    June 15, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    Thank you for sharing this post. I now have grandchildren and will be paying more attention. #HomeMattersParty

  2. Emily says

    June 4, 2023 at 7:55 am

    Thank you very much for this article. Such a helpful blog post!

videos

Meet Us

Our family is just like yours and every day here is a play day! Join us for a movie, a good book or a game. Fix a quick dinner or find an incredible way to clean your house. And have you seen our awesome videos? Because everyone knows, a family that plays together - stays together! Read More…

Our Favorite Articles

101 TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH KIDS
30-DAY CLEANING CHALLENGE
BIG BICYCLE SAFETY BOOK
COLD REMEDIES FOR INFANTS CHEAT SHEET
SUMMER CAMP SAVINGS TRACKER
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS

Contact us at

way2goodlife@gmail.com

Money Smart Kid

Teen girl with hadphones working on computer

View more from money smart kid...

Chicago

Kalahari - There is something stunning about the changing seasons in the Midwest. Between fall, winter, spring and summer it's hard to choose which our favorite is. That is why taking a trip to the Midwest is a must. #Midwest #Way2GoodLife #FamilyTravel #travel

View more from Chicago

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

56 shares