By Stephanie Lord-Darby and Sienna Southen
I was the anxious snorkeller on the boat, watching the dad beside me prep for his 12th dive of the year.
He was buzzing. This was his moment — he was going to touch the ocean floor today, maybe even spot an octopus. A milestone he’d been dreaming of, six metres down.
Me? I was hoping to simply swim six metres out. Away from the boat. Not down.
That’s when it hit me — this is exactly how we treat baby milestones.
That’s the thing about milestones — they’re not just a destination. They’re a journey of preparation. For him, touching the ocean floor was the result of years of practice, experience, and a scaffolding of skills. For me, my milestone looked different. And that was perfectly okay.
The wiggle-by-wiggle journey
How beautiful would it be if we placed this same emphasis on milestones for our children? The gentle understanding that development is not a race, but a journey we take wiggle-by-wiggle, crawl-by-crawl, step-by-step. Or in this case, dive-by-dive.
In a world of baby apps and developmental checklists, it’s easy to feel like the anxious snorkeller on the boat, comparing our child’s journey to the “12th dive” of the baby next door. We panic when our little one isn’t ready to “dive to the bottom”, forgetting that they’re still mastering the art of floating.
Here’s something paediatricians don’t always tell you: milestones are useful, but they’re also stressful. So when should you actually worry?
We sat down with Paediatric Occupational Therapist and GymbaROO ambassador Sienna Southen to ask her. We wanted to know how we, as parents, can trade our anxiety for awareness when it comes to milestone measures.
“Every child develops at their own pace,” explains Sienna.
“It’s completely normal for milestones to look a little different from one child to another. While development generally follows a sequence, children may reach skills at different ages and stages as part of their own unique journey — and variation is often part of typical development.”
Sienna reminds us that culture, family values, and everyday experiences all shape how and when skills emerge.
So when should we seek support?
Sienna suggests keeping an eye out for:
- Your child consistently falling behind peers in one or more areas
- That gut feeling — when something just doesn’t feel quite right
“Reaching out for support never hurts — it may simply provide reassurance that your child is developing well, or it can open the door to early intervention, which research shows leads to the best outcomes for children. Seeking advice is not about labelling or doing something wrong; it’s simply another way of supporting your child’s growth.”
If you’re unsure what milestones look like for your child’s age, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a great free resource available online. It breaks development down into:
- Communication
- Gross motor
- Fine motor
- Problem-solving
- Personal–social skills
“It helps to highlight both strengths and areas that may benefit from monitoring or extra support.
“Most importantly, trust that you know your child best — asking questions and seeking guidance is a positive and proactive step in supporting their development.
So whether your baby is taking their first stroke or their twelfth dive…
Know that they’re on their own journey. Some days they’ll be looking for adventure; other days, staying close to the boat will be enough.
If you’re ever unsure, reach out to your child health nurse, GP, or your local GymbaROO teacher — you don’t have to navigate it alone.
At GymbaROO, we’re here to guide you wiggle-by-wiggle — no pressure, no comparison, just connections through movement for brain-body.
Stephanie Lord-Darby
MEd(Res), B.Ed.) is an experienced researcher, teacher and GymbaROO Education Operations Co-Ordinator
Sienna Southen
A qualified Paediatric Occupational Therapist (MOT, OTR/L), brings extensive clinical experience to her role as our Ambassador.
References:
ASQ-3- Ages and Stages. (2015). Ages and Stages; Ages and Stages.