Guess what?  Even if the child is a genius, you may be expecting a child to do something that is greater than their ability. You may also be setting the child up for failure. Remember, try not to place adult expectations on a child's behavior or verbal responses.

A common story I hear from parents is when a two or three year old tells a parent "N0!", the parent responds that the child is disrespectful or being openly defiant and the child gets punished. Developmentally, a child at this stage does not have the "brains" to process; "you did this to me so I'm going to do this to you." Their mastery of words is less than fifty. "What feels good" is the child's motivator and trial and error for what works.

Having a good understanding of what a child is capable of doing at a certain age or milestone is important and can save you a lot of headache and heartache. Also if a child misses milestones it could be an indicator of physical or mental challenges. And remember this is from birth till about age twenty-four.

Developmental Milestones from CDC

Developmental Milestones from Michigan Medicine

Stages of Adolescent Development