Image via Wikipedia
Your daughter is eight months old and still isn’t sitting up alone. The milestone charts say she should have by seven months. Should you worry?
Every baby is different and they all develop at his or her own pace. The milestone charts are simply a guideline- an average. If your child is slower at some things, she may be quicker to pick up another skill. She may be babbling way or walking before your neighbor’s child. Life tends to even out.
Your son may never be interested in crawling and may go from cruising around furniture to walking. Or, he may spend months crawling and not be very interested in walking. It can be very frustrating as a parent – particularly a competitive parent – but there isn’t much you can do to change it.
Babies have distinct personalities and learning styles. When one first time Dad said he thought they would have their daughter on their schedule in two or three days, all of his more experienced friends laughed. It took several weeks for him to realize that his friends were right, and he and his wife were adjusting their schedule to the baby’s – and they had no power over her.
Certainly, if you have concerns about your baby’s development, ask your doctor. For example, if your baby isn’t responding to sounds, she may need to have her hearing checked. It is a simple test and, at the very least, will give you peace of mind. If she does have any hearing loss, the early it is addressed, the better. You know your baby best and can often point out problems to your doctor.
