 Perhaps the most helpful first piece of advice is to keep good, dated records of your child's development, not just of sitting and walking, but of the less fascinating stages too, such as clutching an object with finger and thumb, first using a two word sentence, and first turning of the pages of a book etc.
Children undoubtedly develop at different rates in the different areas. A child may mature quickly in the area of gross motor skills but may be slower in his or her mastery of the cognitive milestones. Individual milestones are not a good basis either for identifying giftedness or for concern. It is the overall pattern of development in the area, with due allowance for cultural and personality factors, that should form the basis of judgment. Look through the table below, which describes normal developmental milestones, and those significantly advanced.
| Development milestones | Normal Development | 30% Advanced | | Gross motor | | | | Rolls over | 3 months | 2.1 months | | Sits alone | 7 | 4.9 | | Stands alone well | 11 | 7.7 | | Walks alone | 12.5 | 8.8 | | Walks up stairs | 18 | 12.6 | | Turns pages of book | 18 | 12.6 | | Runs well | 24 | 16.8 | | Jumps with both feet | 30 | 21 | | Rides tricycle using pedals | 36 | 25.2 | | Throws ball | 48 | 33.6 | | Skips with alternate feet | 60 | 42 |
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