The early years of a child’s life are very important for his or her healthy development. As parents, you know your child best. Milford Kids Thrive Child Development section helps parents and caregivers learn more about child development (physical/cognitive/social-emotional/communication), track developmental milestones, and get tips on how to ensure your little one reaches their fullest potential. If you have concerns about your child’s development visit our screening and early supports page.
One of the most important lessons we can help our children learn is in teaching them to be flexible. Flexibility is the ability to adapt to new situations, be inventive, and use multiple strategies to overcome difficulties. In life, plans are constantly changing and we’re thrown curveballs all the time. The people who are able…
Studies have shown that reading books to your children each and every day is the single biggest factor to their early reading readiness and the development of cognitive skills. Research proves that children need to hear 1000 books before they begin to learn to read independently. Reading to children will: 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is an early…
Starting solids is an exciting and important milestone in your baby’s development; one that exposes them to a brand new world of flavors and textures, and will also put them on the right path to growing healthy and strong. Most babies are ready to start with more solid food between 4-6 months (when their strong…
Tantrums are a very normal part of child development. They’re how young children show that they’re upset or frustrated. Tantrums commonly appear during the second year of life when language skills are just starting to develop. Toddlers can’t yet say what they want, feel, or need, causing frustration that may lead to a tantrum. Those first…
Did you know there are four stages of drawing and writing that you may see as your child grows, from random scribbling to drawings of people and objects. Read more about these stages, including tips on how to encourage your child’s drawing and writing skill development in Learning to Write and Draw from Zero to…
Life with a new baby is sure to bring up some questions, and at times concerns. Even the most prepared parent-to-be can be caught off guard by some of the strange, but totally normal, physical characteristics of their newborn. Take a look at this great article from The Bump; 10 Weird (But Totally Normal) Things…
How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about their development. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Every child is different of course…
Children develop at different rates. If you are concerned about your child’s development, developmental screening is a process that helps caregivers understand where children are in the various areas of development and whether they could benefit from support …