Niki's Milestones at 3.5

I got this checklist from Mumcentre; it's a milestone chart for kids of 3½ - 4 Years

Does your child refuse to hold still? Give him/ her plenty of outdoor outlets to expel this burst of energy. (Check)

What to expect from your child:

Physically and mentally

Has better balance (girls usually achieve this quicker than boys) - Check, also likes dangling from grills etc and scaring the *&%$ out of her mummy
Has intentional ideas about what to scribble or draw - Check, I'm especially proud of this coz just this morning she drew me a bed and a house
Shapes scribbles into semblance of alphabets or even short, misspelled words - Check!
Catches ball thrown directly at him/ her - Ok not so much here, why because she gets all princess-y on you
Rolls play dough into balls and puts them together to make shapes or people - Ok time for mummy to buy her play dough

Language and emotions

Uses longer sentences - Check, very long winded as well, mummy literally zones out sometimes
Recognises and reads short words such as own name and cat, dog, etc - Check, also Barney, High Five, toilet
Empathises with characters in stories - Check, gets very emotional about Mary's Little Lamb

Sleep

Nightmares are very common at this age. And so is fear of the dark. Ease your child’s night-time anxieties by giving him/ her a nightlight, flashlight and/ or a comfort object such as a favourite toy - Check, ya of recent .. tends to suffocate poor bear-bear

Ideal toys for this age

Intermediate-level jigsaw puzzles - Check on this one
Simple board games - check this one too
Scooter and tricycle - just got it right last night, oh boy!
Early-learning computer games - Check .. whiz at this just like Daddy, and can play x-box too
At this age, a child should be allowed to choose his/ her own toys - check

Useful tips

If you haven’t already, emphasise good etiquette and manners now itself. Teaching children to say “please”, “thank you” and “I am sorry” from a young age helps them grow into conscientious adults - check, check and check!