Helping kids reach milestones
First five years crucial in child development
The first five years of a child’s life are a time of unparalleled growth and development. A baby learns more during the first three years than in any other period in their life.
During the first two years, up to two million connections are made in the brain every minute! Every experience is teaching them about their world; however, the most important teacher of all is you — their parent and caregiver. You are their interpreter, their guide, their steward, their security and their bridge to understanding and navigating the world around them. Although young children are constantly learning from the things around them, there are some basic skills and knowledge they need to acquire by the time they are five years old. These are called milestones and children can’t reach them without lots of help.
Parents often worry about social and emotional milestones such as when will my children learn to share, take turns and wait patiently? Here are some tips to help your children acquire healthy social and emotional development based on age.
Fostering social emotional development in a baby:
1. Respond to your baby when they cry and meet their needs. They need to know that they can depend on you in times of need. 2. Hold and hug your child. 3. Read their cues for tiredness, hunger, happy, upset, etc. All behaviour is communication.
4. Be gentle and stay calm when they are upset. Hold the baby, sing softly, cuddle, or walk with them.
Fostering social emotional development in a toddler:
1. Make eye contact. This means getting down to their level when you talk to them.
2. Design predictable routines for your family. Life runs smoother when you have a plan and toddlers take comfort in knowing what to expect.
3. Always let them know that you delight in them. A little undivided attention can make a big difference. Every child needs to know someone is crazy about them!
4. Stay positive when they try something new. Praise effort. It doesn’t matter if they succeed or not.
Fostering social emotional development in a preschool child:
1. Help them give names to their emotions. Big emotions can be scary. Having a name helps calm the scary.
2. Play games and sing songs that teach emotions and body language.
3. Calmly talk to them about what is troubling them. A little understanding goes a long way.
4. Be intentional about teaching your family values and how to have a positive attitude.
You’re not in this alone. It takes a whole community to support healthy child development. Lethbridge Early Years Coalition believes that all children deserve a safe and nurturing childhood. Science tells us that the early years (from birth to age five) are the most critical period in a child’s development. A child’s early experiences and environments have lifelong impacts on everything from mental and physical health to success in school, work and relationships.
Lethbridge Early Years works with community partners to create positive environments for young children, build awareness of the importance of the early years, act as a voice for the early years and host community events centered around early childhood development. For more information about Lethbridge Early Years, visit
or contact lethbridgeearly years@gmail.com.
Vicki Hazelwood is coordinator of Lethbridge Early Years Coalition.