Podcast Episode 322: Is Your Child Really Behind? Busting Myths About Developmental Milestones with Dr. Emily Heisey and Dr. Matt Otteman
If your search history includes “why isn’t my toddler walking yet” and “how to support child developmental milestones,” take a deep breath and step away from the Google rabbit hole.
Here’s the truth: your child isn’t behind—they’re crafting their own, perfectly imperfect timeline.
Milestones aren’t one-size-fits-all, and despite what Grandma (or social media) might have you believe, there’s a lot more wiggle room than you think when it comes to how we support child developmental milestones.
According to this episodes podcast guests Dr. Emily Heisey (PT, DPT) and Dr. Matt Otteman (DC), Co-Owners of KinActive Kids, the real trick is learning to spot the difference between genuine red flags and harmless quirks. Pro tip: holding your hand every time they walk isn’t necessarily a problem—it’s just your kid mastering the art of keeping you close!
To better support child developmental milestones, try incorporating purposeful play (think everyday activities turned developmental gold) and don’t stress about having fancy toys—creativity and some well-placed furniture work wonders. And if your little one’s timeline feels a little off thanks to a pandemic’s worth of containment contraptions (hello, baby jumpers), the good news is, it’s nothing a few tweaks and some floor time can’t fix.
So, what’s the best advice to support child developmental milestones? Trust your gut—it’s your built-in parenting superpower. Every kid is different, and comparing milestones is the quickest way to steal the joy of watching them grow. Let go of the pressure, embrace the mess, and remember: they’ll walk, talk, and hit those milestones eventually… probably just in time to make you wish they’d slow down.
In this episode of the No Guilt Mom podcast you’ll learn:
- That there’s a broad range of typical developmental timelines, so those timelines aren’t exact.
- How you can do purposeful play with your little ones .
- Why the right shoes can help children with ankle stability, which is often a key factor in delayed walking.
- That developmental delays are not a reflection of a parent’s failure because kids develop at their own pace.
- How “pandemic parenting” led to overuse of container play (ex. walkers, jumpers), limiting movement and causing delays (and how to fix it).
Resources We Shared In This Episode:
Learn more about KinActive Kids HERE!
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Read the transcripts HERE
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