Why celebrating your child’s milestones matters

Credit to Author: Cheryl Song| Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 23:43:08 +0000

A child’s developmental journey is filled with many milestones and monumental firsts that symbolize the passage of time and growth. However small or big, these milestones are worthy of appreciation and celebration. Being aware of a child’s developmental milestones is necessary for parents to use as a benchmark to observe, assess and identify their growth or potential delays.

It is also important for parents to be mindful that while everyone develops at their own pace, it is necessary to seek early assistance when the child is not reaching key developmental milestones by a certain age. Milestones are more than just birthdays, first words, first steps, the first day of school or graduation. They could also be the advancement of proficiencies such as mastering self-help tasks, acquiring a new skill or overcoming a developmental delay at their own pace. When a child reaches a milestone, take the time to appreciate and acknowledge their progress.

Marking progress, making memories

Celebrating milestones can strengthen family relationships, improve self-confidence and foster a sense of accomplishment. It helps children feel loved and appreciated at each stage of their lives. In Canada, families have a variety of ways to celebrate, depending on their culture, religion, values and beliefs. Make each milestone special and memorable by celebrating in ways that honour your family’s traditions while incorporating the richness of Canada’s diverse culture. Invite children to be part of the discussion and decision-making process.

Include your child’s interests in their milestone celebrations and show them that their input is valued. Whichever way you choose to celebrate your milestones, from simple and private, to more elaborate and public, ensure that the celebration is meaningful for your child and the family. Make it a memorable moment, a time to reflect and appreciate how much they have grown and improved over time.

Ways to celebrate milestones

• Provide verbal encouragement, be specific about their effort and describe what milestones they’ve reached.
• Provide physical encouragement with a high five, a smile, a hug, or a pat on the back.
• Come up with a secret sign, or a little song and dance routine that you can share exclusively with your child.
• Cook your child’s favourite meal, throw a party, give a small gift or plan a special outing.
• Write special notes, poems or a letter to your child.
• Take photos or videos to mark the moment.
• Create a keepsake such as a time capsule, handprint/footprint, or plant a tree.
• Take time to document your children’s milestones with journaling, visual charts, growth charts, scrapbooking, a memory box or a video blog.
• Display your child’s work by framing and showcasing their photos, art and writing.
• Share stories of your child’s achievements with family and friends. Children grow and change so much throughout their lives.

By celebrating milestones, both big and small, we show them that their hard work is valued, their dedication is recognized and that their accomplishments deserve to be honoured. Celebrating these milestones can have a positive impact on their overall development and strengthen family bonds. What better way to celebrate children’s milestones, than with special, personalized and meaningful moments that create lasting memories!

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