F a m i l y F e a t u re - I S S U E 07
Meeting milestones
COVID-19 has impacted our lives in so many ways, one of which is that many parents are worrying about their young children reaching milestones, such as potty training, on time. Dr Oscar Duke discusses parents’ concerns and how we can alleviate them.
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recent study of 1,000 EXPERT Q&A parents across the UK has Doctor, author and dad, Oscar Duke found that nearly half have answers our questions on children’s lost sleep from worrying development, social media and the about the rate of their importance of good-fitting nappies: child’s development. A staggering 65 per cent put pressure What should parents do if on themselves to ensure their kids hit the their children are late in hitting milestones, such as milestones they ‘should’ at certain ages, potty training? with walking, potty training and sleeping Dr Duke says: “Try not to allow yourself through the night being the main stages to worry too much about the exact that concerned them the most. timing of the different developmental The study, commissioned by Pampers milestones – and, most importantly, for their new Pampers Active Fit range, don’t let your child become aware of also found that 45 per cent of parents any worries you may have. Children worry their child didn’t develop at the rate will usually develop well with gentle they should have, with more than eight support and encouragement, but in ten comparing their child to others the some milestones like potty training same age. need a bit more Despite these focused parental concerns and input. Just stresses over occasionally a development, child struggling 55 per cent with certain of parents skills may feel they’ve need medical benefited from assessment being at home, to ensure as new working that there’s patterns have no medical meant they have diagnosis witnessed more contributing to of their child’s milestones than the delay.” they would have Dr Duke and his daughter It is so done before. easy to tell And 83 per cent parents not are confident that their children will still to compare their children to hit their future milestones based on others – but so many parents recent changes at home.
Children will usually develop well with gentle support and encouragement www.FamilyFirst.co.uk
do it! What is your advice for parents who are getting stressed because they feel their children are behind compared to their friends or people on social media?
“Social media allows other parents to highlight the areas in which their child is flourishing, few share the more challenging side of parenting. Some children develop faster in one domain
than in others. For some, motor skills such as crawling and walking will be more advanced, while others will be stronger in areas such as speech and language. Just like us adults, remember that your child will have unique strengths and will most likely catch up in the end. If you’re ever concerned then be sure to discuss this with your health visitor or GP.”
Why is the right nappy so important for children, particularly when they are learning to crawl or walk? “As children start to explore the world around them they begin to gain muscle strength and co-ordination, which enable them to improve their motor skills. No child wants a wet or dirty nappy interfering with their movement, so ensure that they are wearing a nappy specifically designed for wriggly little ones that keeps them clean and dry whatever they are up to. This is why Pampers new Active Fit range is perfect for such wriggly babies, as they are designed to be the best-ever wriggleproof fit with their 3-way fit and their quick-dry core, which creates up to 12 hours of leak protection. Leaks are no more fun for the developing explorer than they are for the adult doing the clean up!”
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