5.  Your mother-in-law keeps telling you your nine month old should be walking by now (her children did!) and you want to set her straight.

4.  Your child loves bugs (or wants to learn to sew) and you don't have a clue.    

3.  You know you should talk with your middle schooler about alcohol but you're not sure what to say. 

2.  Your teen is totally stressed out and you want to help. 

Every child is different and every stage in a child's life can bring new and interesting challenges.  As parents, it is important to learn about and be aware of our children's needs and differences at different stages of their development. 

It can be hard to know what are typical behaviors for kids of various ages but experts have been able to identify milestones in how a child typically plays, learns, speaks and acts at various ages. 

The Minnesota Department of Education has pulled together detailed information on common milestones for children from age 3 months to 5 years which also list simple things you can do to support and encourage your child's healthy development. 

Sometimes parents want to know what they can do to help their child build the skills they’ll need in kindergarten.  This list includes some of the common items found on kindergarten checklists.  Before kindergarten, a child should be able to:

• Cut with scissors
• Trace basic shapes
• Speak understandably
• Identify some alphabet letters (especially their own name)
• Count to 10
• Hold books correctly and turn pages
• Know their first and last name
• Hold and use crayons and pencils
• Recognize groups of one, two, three, four, and five items.
• Talk in five or six word sentences
• Participate in rhyming games

Before starting kindergarten, children should also be able to do certain things including separating with parents without distress, using the bathroom, washing hands, dressing themselves, and communicating personal needs. 

It is also good to practice certain classroom routines including:

In addition to reading, there are lots of other things you can do with your child to encourage learning.  Singing songs, going places, drawing and coloring are fun and help your child learn.

You don’t have to sit down and “teach them”.  Instead, incorporate learning in all your daily activities.  Practice counting skills as you set the table.  Ask your child to point out all the circles, squares, or other shapes they see.  

Have lots of writing materials handy including pencils, markers, crayons, paper, etc.  Encourage your child’s efforts by praising their scribbles.  Show how you use writing to make lists and write notes.  Post their work on the refrigerator. 

Talk about everything.  Encourage them to add a new ending to a favorite story.  Ask them to share their thoughts and ideas about the world around them.  Ask questions that encourage them to think about what they’ve seen, heard, or done.  Model thinking “out loud”.