Your Child’s Development
Developmental milestones are only useful as a basic guide for children. Your child might be advanced in gross motor skills and slightly behind in language or vice versa. This does not mean that your child has a problem. Any guide to milestones is just a reference.
Remember when going through the milestones that these do not take your child and your life circumstances into account
If your child is learning many languages it is possible that the initial language milestones will be delayed. This is normal, and certainly not, on its own, a reason to limit exposure to multiple languages or to be concerned. To the contrary, having many languages is an asset and helps a child master each language better.
Many people believe that children should be walking at one year of age. Fifty percent of children walk at or before one year of age, fifty percent walk after one year. So if your child is not walking at one year of age it is not in any way a cause for concern.
2 Months:
- Smiling
- Cooing
- Looking toward noises and faces
- Follows movement with eyes
- Picks head up
- Pushes up with arms.
4 Months:
- Laughs
- Copies sounds
- Different cries for hunger, pain, tired
- Reaches for objects
- Hands to mouth
- Rolls from front to back
- Holds head steady
- Rolls from back to side
- Scoots on back
- Flexes hips and reaches for legs
6 Months:
- Recognizes close family members
- Makes sounds for happy or sad/upset
- Consonant sounds, including raspberries
- Tries to get things that are out of reach
- Transfer things from one hand to another
- Rolls from back to front
- Scoots on belly
- Sits with support and momentarily without support
- Explores objects with mouth, including
- Opens mouth for food
- Smile at self in mirror
9 Months:
- Upset when caregivers are out of sight (separation anxiety)
- Wary of strangers.
- Babbles (“ma”, “da”, “ba” sounds but you can tell your friends that they’re actually calling for you)
- Explores cause and effect
- Pushes Balls
- Likes to watch things fall –drops things over and over.
- Plays peek-a-boo
- Immature pincer grasp (picks things up with the index finger and thumb)
- Points at things
- Gets to seated position on own
- Sits without support
- Combat crawl and/or mature crawl
- Pulls to stand
- Shakes musical toys (maracas, bells)
12 Months:
- Strong attachment to primary caregivers-cries when they leave
- Waves goodbye
- Shakes head for “no”
- Has favorite toys and people
- Says mama and dada- non-specific
- Bangs things together
- Finds hidden things
- Dumps out containers of things
- Drink from cup
- Knocks down towers of blocks
- Follows simple instructions
- Stands alone
- Cruises along furniture
- Takes steps
- Feeds self finger foods
18 Months:
- Begins pretend/imaginative play
- Imitation of adult activities and words
- Short lived temper tantrums
- Scribbles
- Points to a body part
- Able to say a few words
- Shakes head (and says) “no”
- Pulls off socks and shoes
- Tries to undress self
- Runs
- Climbs up and down stairs
- Shows interest in eating with utensils
24 Months:
- Likes being around other children
- Might begin to play with other children, especially older ones
- Asserting independence
- Wants to do things by him/herself
- Tantrums (not always so short lived!)
- Many words
- Able to put 2-3 words together in short sentences
- Follows simple instructions
- Knows names of people and body parts
- Follows two step instructions
- Plays make believe games
- Builds towers from blocks
- Kicks balls
- Runs and climbs
- Draws lines and circles.
While it can help to detect big developmental delays early, give your child time to develop. You can use various activities to promote developmental growth but every child develops at a different pace and may excel in one area over another. Remember when going through the milestones that these do not take your child and your life circumstances into account. If you have any concerns then make a note of them and discuss them with your child’s pediatrician.
-Monique Araya, MD, FAAP
The medical information on this Web site is provided for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider.
If you believe you have a medical emergency you should call 911 or your physician immediately. If you have any questions regarding your health or a medical condition, you should promptly consult your physician.
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- Bed Wetting / Nocturnal Enuresis
- Childhood Obesity
- Childhood Vaccinations
- Circumcision
- Diet and Vitamins During Pregnancy
- Exercise and Weight Gain During Pregnancy
- How to Choose a Pediatrician
- Infections – Hard to Avoid?
- Introducing Solids
- Pediatric Dentistry Q & A
- Sex and Pregnancy
- Toilet Training
- Your Child’s Development