“Say it! C’mon, please say it: ‘Mama. Dada.'”
A new poll surveyed 2,000 parents and found that over half of them are concerned for their child’s development when they don’t reach milestones — like uttering their first words — by their first birthday.
The South West News Service data, collected by OnePoll and VTech, found that 69 percent of parents worry that their little ones’ not meeting milestones on time will negatively reflect negatively on their child-raising skills. And 29 percent fear their kids’ lack of walking, feeding themselves or smiling by a certain age.
Three-quarters of the new caretakers say they are confident in knowing when babies should reach their milestones. However, 44 percent of respondents said their youngsters should have the ability to roll over between 0 and 3 months of age — when most really reach that skill at 4 months.
But that’s not to say answer-seeking parents don’t utilize their resources. Parents know that kids should start smiling (25 percent) and some begin teething (21 percent) before they’re 4 months old. They’re also aware that abilities like sitting up (43 percent), drinking from a straw (31 percent) or sleeping on their own (28 percent) should happen by 6 months.
Seventy-four percent of parents try to stimulate their child’s development by introducing them to educational toys or games (54 percent) or feeding them enriching foods (51 percent).
“Tummy time” is a popular method for 42 percent of parents to help babies strengthen their neck and shoulders.
Thirty-eight percent of respondents also said they shop for toys that encourage their child to get moving, like coloring, building and sing-along activities.
“Baby toys are designed to engage children through play and discovery across multiple stages of development, so parents can spend more time focusing on bonding with their baby through play,” said Andy Keimach, president of VTech Electronics North America.
“Baby toys are for more than just play,” Keimach said. “They are a great option for parents looking to supplement playtime with their baby in order to help them reach developmental milestones.”
Parents know what’s good for their kids, but 57 percent admitted they get annoyed with toys that have too many pieces, while 55 percent said toys with sound drive them crazy.
Despite all the “goo goo, gaga,” 78 percent of parents claim their child has met milestones quicker than they expected.
