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SALT LAKE CITY -- Moms and dads worry about their kids' growth and development. From time to time, they might even wonder if their child is normal.
According to pediatrician Dr. Sarah Peterson, sometimes moms just worry too much. There is a lot they have to deal with as a mother, and there are a lot of things they don't need to worry about but feel like they should.
Here are four scenarios that are normal for kids in reaching developmental milestones - or, in other words, four scenarios in which parents can just chill out.
1. Not potty training on time Some kids naturally become interested in it, and some kids need some prodding to become excited for it.
Look at your child carefully and see if they are ready. If you push your child into it - even if they are 2 years old - it's going to be a lot more painful and take a lot longer.
1. Your child is not progressing exactly like an older sibling
Often, there will be another kid who is really advanced, usually the first child. Parents will compare the second child to the first child, when actually the second child is normal and right on track.
1. Wetting the bed
It's usually genetic. So if mom or dad had that issue then it's probably going to be an issue for the kid. What is really critical is not making the child feel bad about it. You might be setting them up for failure if you tell them to keep a dry bed, when their body is not ready.
Help them understand their body has to be ready for it and it's not something that is easy for them to control by themselves.
1. Delayed speech
You probably shouldn't understand everything your 2 year old is saying, or else they would be really advanced. As a rule of thumb, at the age of 2, we should understand about 50 percent of what they are saying. And that's not a lot.
You want them to be interacting, making good eye contact, trying to say words - a lot of them have little code words. As long as they are trying to communicate, that's a good sign.
It's good for a parent, if they are concerned, to listen to their intuition. If something is really concerning them, the best thing is to talk about it and talk to their pediatrician about it. Comparing your child to other kids, as well as a lot of well-meaning parents giving their advice, can cause much stress that doesn't need to happen.
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