Are Childhood Milestones Important?
Childhood milestones are an important checkmark to determine if your child’s brain is developing the way it should. There are millions of connections being made in the nervous system at any moment in time.
Our sensory organs (eyes, ears, etc) receive stimulation and send those messages through our nervous system to our brain. As a child is introduced to new stimuli, the brain builds. It is necessary for a child to receive the proper stimulation at the right moment in time to continue the path of proper brain development.
Muscle movement also directly builds the brain that advance a child from 1 milestone to the next. This begins early on in life, when your newborn should get plenty of Tummy Time. A baby needs to learn to crawl before learning to walk, and a baby will fall and stumble at first. As your child continues to walk, 
more connections in the nervous system are made, which develops the brain further.
In fact, walking upright is extremely complex. To walk like a human, both sides of the brain must be in-sync. As the brain builds, a child begins to learn to talk and develop social skills. This continues through childhood until the child has developed a mature, adult brain and body.
Let’s look at some major milestones and when they should occur
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Motor Milestones
| Age | Milestone |
| 4-9 Months | Sitting without Support |
| 5-11 Months | Standing with Assistance |
| 5-14 Months | Hands & Knees Crawling |
| 6-14 Months | Walking with Assistance |
| 7-17 Months | Standing Alone |
| 8-18 Months | Walking Alone |
Note: This is a medical chart of milestones, but I do not have a source
As you can see, the milestone timeframe is pretty large. For example, walking alone can happen anywhere from 8-18 months. If you are looking for an optimally functioning brain, check your kid’s milestones compared to the lower end of the timeframe. For example, was your child walking alone around 8-12 months?
Remember, your child should crawl before walking. If your child skips that phase and goes straight to walking, put your child back on his/her tummy to learn to master crawling.
Language Milestones
| Age | Milestone |
| 3 Months | Cooing begins |
| 2-7 Months | Vocal experimentation begins, starting with vowel sounds, then consonants |
| 4-8 Months | Baby begins to babble(note: even deaf babies babble) |
| 8-12 Months | Babbling starts to sound like language |
| 12 Months | Uses one or more word with meaning |
| 12-18 Months | Begins to parrot parents in attempt to speak |
Melillo, Robert. "Chapter 6/Behavior." Reconnected Kids: Help Your Child Achieve Physical, Mental, and Emotional Balance. New York: Penguin Group, 2011. 86. Print.
If you find your child or a child you know is not on track, get them checked for a Brain Imbalance and for optimal Nervous System function. To learn about the RiverPath Chiropractic Brain Center, CLICK HERE .