Article-Child Dev Step By Step

Step by step guide to the stages of child development

Is your baby's development on track? These milestones provide a general guide to child development during the first few years of life.

Looking at a newborn baby, you may find it hard to believe that in just one year this little person will be walking, beginning to talk, and beginning to eat some table foods. The baby will also begin to show his or her personality in that time – traits that will last a lifetime.. Parents always want to help their children develop according to “schedule” – that timeline set by pediatricians and child development experts based on the average child’s development. While all children develop at their own pace, the following are general steps and stages that children go through in the first few years of life – and these are the milestones that your pediatrician will want you to look for as signs of healthy development.

As a newborn baby, the child can’t be expected to do much except eat, sleep and produce dirty diapers. But in between these limited activities, your baby will have periods of alertness in which you can interact with her and begin to stimulate her mind to help her learn about her world. Gradually, after the first few weeks, she will develop enough muscle tone to hold her head up by herself as she watches the toy you show her, and her eyes will begin to track its movement.

By around the age of 4-5 months, the baby should begin trying to roll over when placed on his tummy or back, and should also be able to raise his chest up using his arms. Since pediatricians recommend that babies sleep on their backs to help prevent the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), be sure the baby gets plenty of “tummy time” by letting him spend a few minutes on the floor on a mat or blanket. Many babies become irritable in this position, however – they can’t see what’s going on around them and become frustrated – so it may help for you to lie on your tummy too and let the baby see your face, or to put toys around for the baby to look at (but he’ll almost always prefer to look at your face). Also around this age, the baby should be able to smile, reach for objects, and pay attention to very small objects.

Around the age of 6 months, your baby should be making more “baby talk” noises with vowel-consonant combinations (like “ah-goo”). She should be able to support her own head well, and may even sit without support (usually by 7-8 months at the latest). She will probably enjoy standing on your lap with you holding her hands – and this will also help develop her leg muscles, so it’s good practice that will prepare her for learning to stand and walk.

By 7-8 months, your baby should begin to develop his fine motor skills. He will probably be able to reach for and hold toys, look for a toy that fell, and pass a toy from one hand to the other. He should be able to sit well without support and stand while holding your hands. And his baby babble should be more pronounced: “ga-ga”, “ma-ma” and “da-da” are common vowel-consonant combinations (and a thrill to proud parents who are eagerly awaiting his first word).

Around 9-10 months, your baby should be able to pull up to a standing position from sitting and sit up from a stomach-lying position. She may be able to stand alone momentarily, but most babies are not ready to walk just yet at this age. She should also say “mama” and “dada” and even play “baby games” like patty-cake (clapping her hands) or peek-a-boo.

From 11 months to one year, your baby should perfect his ability to “cruise” – walking while holding onto furniture for support. While he may or may not increase his spoken vocabulary beyond “mama” and “dada” during this time, he will begin to understand many of the words you say to him, such as “no” (although he may choose to ignore it or get upset when he hears it). He will most likely be able to wave bye-bye or play patty-cake.

Throughout the toddler years, your child will perfect her walking, running and jumping; learn to feed herself without making a huge mess (you hope); and increase her vocabulary exponentially. At checkups, your child’s doctor may ask you how many words she knows, so it’s a good idea (and a fun baby-book entry) to keep a list of the words she knows and the phrases she uses as she grows. You’ll get to know her personality and develop your own style of parenting and discipline based on what works with your child. And your eagerness over her early milestones (like sitting and standing) will be eclipsed by bigger issues, such as when she’ll be ready for potty training and a toddler bed.

If your child doesn’t reach these developmental milestones promptly, there is most likely nothing to fear (unless she is very late in developing, or you or her doctor sense something is wrong). Relax, enjoy your baby, and let him enjoy himself as he grows.