20 Development Milestones Nobody Warns You About
These 20 development benchmarks are often unexpected but will help you better understand your child's developmental stages.
- Tricia Quitales
- 5 min read
Parenting surprises you a lot, and many benchmarks catch you off balance. Though little initially, several of these events represent significant developmental leaps for your child. Even though certain events could seem odd, they all help your youngster grow. Be calm and sympathetic, and welcome every stage as it presents itself.
1. The Real Tantrum
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The “terrible twos” could seem to you as simply a fable. But it feels crushing when your child has their first breakdown. Naturally, tantrums are a component of emotional growth.
2. The “No” Stage
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Your child will one day learn the power of saying “No.” They will say it to anything, including objects they desire. Though annoying, it is a show of independence.
3. Unconscious Attachment to Objects
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One morning, you may discover your child has a preferred blanket or toy while waking up. They will not let go of it, even in public or in bed. This is a standard phase of comfort and protection.
4. Copycat Behavior
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Your child will begin copying everything you do. They want to copy you from using your phone to brushing your hair. This guides their learning and skill development.
5. Dark Anxiety
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Your toddler can suddenly be terrified of the dark around two or three years old. Growing up naturally involves a fear of some kind, which is linked to their growing sense of security and imagination.
6. Learning Not to Tell Stories
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Your child can stretch the truth or fabricate tiny lies. This is normal and natural for their social and cognitive growth. They are starting to realize how different imagination from reality is.
7. Clinginess Toward A Single Parent
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Your child may fix on one parent more than the other for some time. It only marks a phase; it is not a rejection of you. They may choose one parent for comfort and are developing attachment.
8. Picking Up Quick New Words
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Your child will start speaking new words one day without warning. They can catch you off guard by correctly using a term you have yet to teach them. Around eighteen to twenty-four months comes the vocabulary explosion.
9. Their First Time Correcting You
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Your child may try to copy you or chastise you. Hearing them say, “No, Mommy, don’t do that!” will probably surprise you. It is just them interpreting social norms here.
10. Body Autonomy
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Your child will eventually object to your helping them with chores. They could insist on brushing their teeth or clothing themselves. Normal and healthy is this drive for independence.
11. Copying Social Events
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Your child will begin performing out-of-ordinary social scenes from their lives. They could act to host a tea party or answer phones. It reveals their learning of relationship navigation.
12. Quick Interest in Potty Training
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Your child will show signals of readiness for potty training one day. Though they will be determined, you might feel more prepared. Though it requires patience, this milestone can strike out of nowhere.
13. Anxiety Related to Separation Returns
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Your child may suddenly suffer from separation anxiety even beyond the infant stage. It can be difficult to drop them off at a sitter or daycare. Usually between the ages of one and three, this indicates attachment.
14. Testing Restraints
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Your child will start to challenge norms and test limits. They might press buttons only to see your response. Developing a feeling of self and knowing limitations dramatically depends on it.
15. Instant Stranger Fear
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Although toddlers are usually pleasant, they can develop stranger phobias. When they meet new people, they may grow terrified or cling to them. Social growth naturally phases like this.
16. Creative Play
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Your child will soon begin acting out-of-pocket. They might design intricate situations, including action figures or plush animals. It’s evidence of cognitive development and acquired ability to solve problems.
17. Self-Consuming Action
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Your child will eventually start to console themselves when they are angry. They might grip a toy, suck their thumb, or rock back and forth. Their approach to acquiring emotional control is unique.
18. Growing in Sense of Comedy
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Your child will begin to value jokes and humorous circumstances about two to three years old. They could find anything essential, like a ridiculous look or a clever word, funny. Early social bonding is much enhanced by humor.
19. The First Time They Own Their Mistakes
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Your child may surprise you by apologizing following a mistake or outburst. Though they will try to atone, they might not need help with their ideas. In social and emotional growth, this marks a significant turning point.
20. Need for Alone Time
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Toddlers will start looking for alone time even though they adore being with you. They might withdraw to play alone in a peaceful place. This is a positive indication of rising self-reliance and autonomy.