Mini-Milestones: The Building Blocks of Development
We often hear about the big developmental milestones: rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking. While these achievements are undoubtedly exciting, they're actually the culmination of countless smaller steps – what we call mini-milestones.
These mini-milestones might seem trivial, but they offer a window into your baby's strength, coordination, balance, and overall movement quality. For example, rolling from a child’s back to their belly requires a complex sequence of skills: bringing hands together, lifting legs, tucking the chin, and coordinating a roll while maintaining strength and control.
By paying attention to these “baby steps”, we can gain valuable insights into your child's development and identify any areas where they might need a little extra support.
Some examples of mini-milestones leading up to bigger ones:
Rolling belly to back: lifting and turning head in tummy time, propping on forearms, and reaching for toys.
Sitting: completing pull to sit without head lag, sitting with hands propped, and maintaining a straight back with support.
Hands and knees crawling: pushing backward, baby “plank”, pivoting in tummy time, and rocking on hands and knees.
Walking: supporting weight on both legs, bouncing with hands held, standing independently, cruising, and taking steps between furniture.
Remember, every baby develops at their own pace. It is not a race or a competition. Furthermore, it is often better not to race to the next milestone to allow babies time to develop not only strength, coordination, and balance, but to establish numerous new neural connections to support brain growth and cognitive development.
We support you and each baby on their unique developmental journey. If you have any concerns about your child's development, contact us at hello@moveverypt.com to schedule a complimentary consultation. We can provide guidance, support, and individualized therapy to help your little one thrive.
