As a mom there’s no doubt that we are always looking for the best for our kids. That includes being on top of their mental development from the moment they are born.
The first time I heard about the famous milestones was when I had my daughter. I always knew there were some stages of babies’ mental development that are clearly more obvious than others, such as crawling, walking, and even when they turn into teenagers. However, I wasn’t sure about how important the leaps are and the great impact that these processes have in the daily life of our babies in order to master new skills.
The truth is that every leap and every baby is a total miracle in their own way. It is truly amazing how our instincts allow us to develop and master new skills in a natural and perfect way.
What is a leap?
A leap is a sudden change in the mental development of your baby as The Wonder Weeks defines it. This progress allows your child to master a new skill.
It is of great benefit for everyone to understand when these changes occur and what they mean for the development of our child so that we can provide support and even encourage them.
These small changes will give us more information about their personality and the health of our baby. These stages generally happen at a certain age. However, we must always respect the rhythm of each child to avoid generating frustration. They typical leaps will also provide us with insight if special support is necessary to promote their development.
How to recognize a leap?
Every new leap is also associated with a fussy phase that could disrupt your baby’s daily routine. This could also affects regular patterns such as eating, sleeping, and even their independence.
Currently, thanks to technology, we have much more knowledge. There are excellent tools such as The Wonder Weeks app and a very special podcast aprendiz de mama al cuadrado, in Spanish, where they explain when these changes occur, how to recognize them and above all what we can do to support our babies. There are even great resources about the right toys for every age.
The most important thing is to be empathetic and to understand that learning skills such as walking does not happen overnight. There are many processes that involve a great development in the brain of our baby.
Let’s celebrate each achievement, congratulate them, and help young children create strong self-esteem from a young age. Let’s avoid comparing them with others and enjoy the process!