5 Things I Have Learned From My Own Kids As A Pediatric Physical Therapist

5 Things I Have Learned From My Own Kids As A Pediatric Physical Therapist

You can encourage skills to develop, but kids will do things on their own timeline

This is not breaking news, but I think we all need to hear it multiple times before we believe it. There are ages when developmental milestones are typically met, but there is also a range that is considered “normal.” Maeve walked right before she turned one, and Marley started walking closer to 15 months old. Did I do anything different? Nope.

If your child is delayed beyond the “normal” range, you will likely have a discussion with your pediatrician and therapy services may be helpful. As a PT, the thing that is the most meaningful is that a child continues to progress, even if that progress happens at a slower pace. 

The most exciting toys are not actually toys.

There are about 1,350,384 different toys out there (I made that up) that you can buy for your babies and toddlers. Are some of them amazing and for some reason better than others? Yes. 

BUT, the toys that kept the girls the most occupied as babies are: a remote, silicone straws, spatulas, red solo cups, and makeup brushes. 

My advice would be to ask for/register for/invest in a few toys for each stage, but keep it minimal.

There are varying degrees of “normal” muscle tone.

Muscle tone is the amount of tension in muscles and is different than muscle strength. Kids that are typically developing fall within a range of what is considered “normal” muscle tone. However within that spectrum one may fall on the high end or low end of tone. 

For example, Maeve is on the higher end of muscle tone and Marley is on the lower end of tone, but they are both typically developing. Marley is a little floppier, clumsier, and makes me slightly terrified in a bounce house. Maeve on the other hand can jump off of any elevated surface and land like a cat. 

Preferences are okay. Not every baby is perfectly symmetrical. But if they are only ever doing things to one side, this should be looked at more closely.

I am pretty confident that every baby has a slight preference to turn their head one way more than the other or pull up to stand with one foot more than the other. Both girls did this and the PT in me thought a little too hard about it. As long as your baby is doing things with both sides of their body most of the time, it’s okay. If you notice that they have strong preferences, bring it up to your pediatrician.

It is important to let them fall (safely).

They are going to bump their head (on many things) in the process of learning how to move and explore their world. They will definitely fall and they will fall a lot. It is good to let them fall because it helps them to learn about balance and how to get back up. 

My advice would be to ditch your classic coffee table and opt for a pouf or ottoman. And use baby gates by the stairs. Other than that, a little freedom is great.