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| |    What Is Development? by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. "I hope you enjoy each stage of your baby's development, whether it's a little 'early' or a little 'late.' The odds are on your side that your baby's development is perfectly normal. It's a shame to worry about insignificant developmental variations when you could be celebrating them instead." -Ben Spock It's natural for parents to want to know that their children are developing normally. When a baby is born, one of the first things new parents do is count the fingers and toes to make sure all the parts are there. Although you can never entirely put that concern behind you, being overly focused on developmental schedules doesn't help you be a better parent. Children don't thrive under constant pressure, whether the pressure comes from comparison to a successful older sibling or to a chart of developmental milestones. Many children progress quickly in certain areas--walking or talking, for example--but end up with only average skills. Or they are quite slow, but end up excelling. Except at the very extremes--children who have obvious disabilities, for example--any predictions based on an infant's performance are likely to be wrong. That said, a list of developmental milestones does serve a purpose. One of the great joys of parenthood is watching your child grow and develop new skills. Knowing what advance to expect next is like having a program at a Broadway musical or a baseball game--it makes the show more interesting and enjoyable. But there is much more to development than knowing what children do at different ages. How does development in one area--say muscle coordination--affect other areas, such as thinking or social skills? What can parents do to promote optimal development in their children? And, if there are problems in development, how can you understand and deal with them most effectively? You don't have to be an expert in child development to be a good parent. But you may find that extra knowledge helps you to relax about your child's progress and--in Spock's words--to celebrate it even more.
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