Your child’s milestones at age four

While no two children are the same, developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. If you’re the proud parent of a busy four-year-old, here are 20 important milestones your child has just reached or will be likely be reaching in the next few months.

1. His sentences are becoming longer as he combines several words or more.
2. He will talk about things that have happened away from home and is interested in ‘discussing’ preschool, his friends, outings, and interesting experiences.
3. Your child’s speech is usually fluent and clear and ‘other people’ can understand what your child is saying most of the time. He can construct long and detailed sentences and can tell a long story by sticking to the topic while using ‘adult-like’ grammar.
4. Most sounds are pronounced correctly although he may be lisping at this age and still having difficulty in pronouncing ‘r’, ‘v’, and ‘th’. Your child can communicate easily with familiar adults and with other children.
5. He may tell fantastical ‘tall stories’ and engage strangers in conversation when you are with them.
6. Your child skillfully uses a spoon, fork, and dinner knife.
7. He dresses without much help, and can unzip and unbutton his clothes.
8. Your child can feed himself, brush his teeth, comb his hair, wash, dress, and hang up his clothes with a little help.
9. He is able to stack ten or more building blocks, can thread small beads on a string, and forms shapes and objects out of clay or play-dough.
10. He would rather play with other children than by himself.
11. He likes to jump over objects. He enjoys running, galloping, riding his bike, skipping, turning somersaults, and climbing ladders and trees.
12. He can hop on one foot and move around obstacles; and can catch, bounce and throw a ball with ease. Four-year-olds are not very good at pacing themselves, however, and he will get tired and cranky if he isn’t given enough quiet activities.
13. Your four-year-old enjoys playing with other children, has a very vivid imagination, and enjoys pretending, often with imaginary playmates. He often changes the rules of a game as he goes along and likes to talk and have elaborate conversations.
14. Your child seeks out adult approval and for the most part, understands and obeys simple rules.
15. He is now capable of feeling jealousy and at times may be boastful, as enjoys showing off and bragging about his possessions.
16. At this age, he begins to understand danger and may become quite fearful, especially of the dark and monsters. This is because he struggles to separate make-believe from reality.
17. Your child can feel intense anger and will still throw tantrums over frustrations.
18. Your child expresses anger verbally rather than physically and may tell tales and lie. He understands the concept of lying, but his imagination often gets in the way.
19. Your child will enjoy imitating the parent of the same gender, particularly in play. Pretending goes far beyond ‘playing house’ to more elaborate settings such as the fire station, school, or shopping centre.
20. Your little one loves to tell jokes that may not make any sense to adults.