Disclaimer: This post is made possible with support from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program. All opinions are my own.
I can’t believe my baby girl turned 3 years old last month. She is growing up so fast, and it amazes me when she learns new things. Some things she simply grasps on her own and it is such an amazing thing to see when it happens. I find myself asking how does she know something or telling my husband or a friend of a new milestone she reached and how proud I am of her. So this is going to be such a fun age! I can already tell.
I’m always paying attention to the developmental milestones that she reaches or what milestone she should be reaching next. It’s so important to keep an eye on a child’s developmental milestones. The earlier you notice something, the quicker you can act on it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” (LTSAE) program can help with that. It’s such a great resource for parents to know what milestones their child should be reaching and even provides you with signs of possible developmental delay. Make sure you also check out the FREE “Parent Kit” which includes a Milestone Moments booklet with checklists for ages 2 months to 5 years and a growth chart.
So what milestones should a 3-year-old be reaching, anyway? Let me tell you what developmental milestones my 3-year-old has been reaching lately.
The Sweetest Little Girl
Joia is the most affectionate toddler I know. Who knew that showing affection was a developmental milestone? Without prompting, she shows affection all the time. My sweetie loves to give hugs and kisses and she will tell you she loves you with ease, even when you least expect it. She shows a wide range of emotions. She understands what it means to be happy, sad, or mad. If she’s feeling any type of way she will definitely let you know and she also understands when others are upset or happy, too. She cares about other people’s feelings and will show concern if a friend cries.
The Talking Toddler
People always compliment my toddler on how well and clear she speaks. I compliment her, too! Her language and communication is awesome. We have really good conversations and it always shocks me at how many words she knows already. She talks well enough for strangers to understand and puts together 2 to 3 sentences on a regular basis. She knows the names of family members and her friends at daycare. Most familiar things are easy for her to name and she says words like “I”, “me”, “we”, “you”, and some plurals too.
Not only does she talk well, but she understands and follows instructions well too. She loves to talk whether it’s telling me about her day or pretending to talk on my phone. The words “why?” and “what’s that?” are used on the regular. She wants to know things and she soaks it up like a little sponge. When she plays make-believe it’s so interesting! Sometimes I stop in my tracks to listen to just what she’s pretending with her dolls and superheroes and she truly has a big imagination.
My Little Bookworm
Reading was one of my favorite things to do ever since I was a little girl and it is still a favorite hobby of mine. Baby girl is definitely following in mommy’s footsteps. She absolutely loves trying to read books. Of course, she doesn’t know how to read just yet, but she can turn book pages one at a time and explain what’s on each page. She will grab a stack of books and sit there and go through all of the pages and “read” them out loud.
These are a few of the very noticeable milestones she has reached recently and she has reached many more. We are also working on reaching others like separating easily from mom and dad. She really hates to see mommy and daddy go when we drop her off at daycare, but it’s getting better with time. Keep track of your child’s developmental milestones on-the-go with the free Milestone Tracker app! The app helps me know just what milestones my child has reached and what we need to work on her with. It also reminds me of what I may need to ask her doctor about as I can see all of her progress right on the app. It really comes in handy.
What milestones have you noticed that your child has reached lately? Comment below! We’d love to hear from you.
Leave a Reply