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.
Does your child gag at the sight, smell, touch, or taste of certain foods? Do they prefer to eat only certain textures or tastes? Did they not go through an oral stage as a baby/toddler where they mouthed and chewed on toys and other objects? Or maybe you find they excessively chew or mouth objects…
Did you know one of the most important interactions you can have with your child is through play? The earliest experiences in your baby’s life impact their future because “the experiences and relationships young children have…literally shape the development of their brain.” Looking for more information on your young child’s brain development and the many…
When a child dresses up they represent themselves as someone else–a mother, a father, a dinosaur, a super-hero! It’s an important part of their development of ‘transforming’ one thing into another. In this case, they are transforming themselves into another role. Take a look at a short article from NAEYC Is Dressing Up for Halloween…
The brain develops faster through the first 1,000 days of life than at any other time in life. That’s why the first three years of a child’s life are so important! Early brain development lays the foundation for future learning, behavior, and relationships with others. Click HERE for a great article from Fatherly that explains…
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…
Even young children can help with chores if you choose activities that are right for their age. Young children naturally want to be a part of the family and want to help. Involving them in household tasks at an early age can have a positive impact on their life. Involving your children in household chores…
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 …