Understanding Chronological Versus Developmental Age

This episode is focused on the difference between your child's chronological age and their developmental age. Chronological age is easy to measure, it is the number of birthdays that our children have had. It is easy to measure and is useful in knowing when to start school, drive a car, or vote. Developmental age is more complex and is related to how our child is developing in various areas, including physical, intellectual, emotional, social, moral, and sexual. 

This information is useful when we try to make comparisons between our children and other children. We may even notice that the children in our own family are not meeting milestones at the same time even though they live in the same house and have the same parents. Developmental age is the reason for these differences. Each child will go through a predictable, progressive development, but how they go through that process is individual and influenced by their personality, character, reactivity, birth order, and family situation. This is why children in the same household develop in a unique way in comparison to their siblings.

Understanding the difference between chronological age versus developmental age, and learning how to view a child in relation to their developmental age in each specific area will help in knowing how to adjust our parenting to get the most out of each of our kiddos. Knowing what to expect - not too much or too little - helps us tweak our approach to keep your little ones moving forward. This is a powerful tool in creating a harmonious family life that also builds trust between parents and their children.

Just to let you know, for the duration of the Proactive Parenting podcast launch, I will be releasing two episodes a week instead of my normal weekly release schedule. I hope you enjoy the extra episodes.

Proactive Parenting is based on validated theories and scientific research to provide the information you need to care for your modern family. Not everyone grew up in a completely healthy family of origin and consequently may be unsure of how to be a parent when they start a family. Proactive Parenting was created for parents who need a solid foundation to start raising their children, and for parents who want to do better. It is a way to move past old behaviours, break unhealthy habits, and replace them with parenting actions that will lead to a healthy family life for both children and parents.

If you want to learn more about Proactive Parenting, please visit my webpage and social media sites:

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