Child Development In The First Year

Welcome to our complete guide to baby development in the first year of life! For a new parent or caregiver, watching your baby’s rapid growth and development is a truly awe-inspiring experience. In this article, we take a look at your baby’s incredible journey of development during the first year of life, exploring the important milestones, physical changes, cognitive gains, and emotional leaps that occur along the way.

From the moment your precious lump of joy is born, he or she embarks on an amazing journey to explore and learn. Each day brings new discoveries and accomplishments as your baby’s brain, body and senses gradually develop and integrate into their environment. By understanding the key aspects of your child’s development during this critical period, you can provide them with the support and care they need.

Join us as we take a fascinating tour through your child’s first year, uncovering the incredible transformations that shape their development. We’ll discuss important stages of physical growth, such as motor skills and sensory abilities, as well as the cognitive and emotional milestones that pave the way for future learning and relationships.

Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights and practical advice that will enable you to make informed decisions and create a supportive environment for your baby. Remember that every child is unique and goes through developmental stages at his or her own pace. By understanding the general patterns of development, you’ll be able to better assess your child’s individual path and provide the support they need as they develop.

So, let’s go on this exciting adventure together, celebrating the wonders of a child’s development in the first year of life. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a deeper understanding of your child’s growth trajectory and be armed with the knowledge you need to promote their holistic development.

What to do with an infant

There are no words, it is very important that “the bottom was dry” and “the tummy worked like clockwork,” but we must also remember that every day of a baby’s life is invaluable for its development. Here are some recommendations on how to develop your baby by months, what to play with him and do.

You don’t need to nurse your baby in total silence. Talk to him in a calm, gentle voice, and by the end of the month he will linger his gaze on your face, and you will wait for the first precious smile – an invitation to further communication. Hang a brightly colored rattle above the crib at 1.9 feet away and let him try to focus his gaze on it. That’s enough for now.

Take your baby in your arms more often, and he prefers this position himself. This is how the human genetic urge to learn is realized. And when you are holding the baby, do not think about arguing with someone at this time, or get angry. Only kind facial expressions, only a calm and even tone of conversation. At this stage of development, the main thing is the satisfaction of the orientation reflex.

Put your baby on his tummy with a brightly colored object in front of him. Talk to him, respond to his humming: ah-ah, goo-goo, boo-boo. Sing songs, play melodic music, do not leave him crying in a crib for too long, in order to “accustom” him to occupy himself independently. These are prerequisites for future neurosis.

As colorful as possible, decorate the interior in which the baby spends most of his time – brightly colored fabrics, a carousel with melodic music, or moving modules will create the right mood and prepare him to master the forms and shades of color. Put rattles in his hand, hang them at arm level, more often change the position of the baby: in the crib, then in the playpen, then in the hands.

This is a month of interest in toys. At this time, the child can take them himself, grab, pull to him. Now teach him how to work with them: knock, move from hand to hand, look closely.

Show him moving toys – bouncing, twirling. The development of attention is the basis of future successful learning. Do not forget to respond to humming, which by the fifth month becomes active and very melodious.

In this way you help develop speech, the foundations of which are being laid right now.

The child is eager to start crawling, and now you need to create the conditions for this. It is better if it will be a special crib, but also part of the carpet, covered with a thick blanket, will do. Place toys in front of the baby, lying on his tummy. He will reach for them and try to crawl, perhaps on his tummy or on all fours.

The main developmental games in this month – all kinds of boxes and modules in which you can put and get out of them items. It is desirable that they are equipped with lids, which the baby likes to open and close.

This is a period of intense speech comprehension development. Talk to your baby, show him/her the objects of the world, toys, name them. This develops passive vocabulary and the prerequisites for him to start talking himself. The best toys at this point are a box or drawer with cubes and balls, small toys. Let the child take them out and put them back in.

Very useful to play with water while swimming, with floating objects in it. With this age you need to sensibly introduce the concept of can and can not. Do not forget that indulging whims – the ground for hysterical development, and excessive rigor – a prerequisite for education or rebelliousness, or indecisiveness in the future person.

Do not put a lot of toys at once, better periodically hide them and take them out one by one. In order to develop thinking, you need to play with them a little scene that your baby understands.

Let the dolls walk, eat, sleep and feed the cats and dogs. Accompany these plays with clear comments and sound imitations.

They are much more beneficial to the development of children’s intelligence and speech than the best educational cartoons.

Play hide-and-seek as you hide yourself, your baby or a toy under a scarf or diaper. Babies at this age have modulated babbling. Extract syllables from it, similar to the words of the native language, repeat them expressively several times. This way you create the prerequisites for them to be pronounced by your baby.

Play music to listen to, let it be light melodies or children’s songs. Standing on the floor or in the playpen, children will dance to them. Play with toys together, show their capabilities, call the color and shape of objects, and ask them to give you a certain thing. The tenacious memory of the crumb will retain this knowledge, and soon he himself will operate with these concepts.

During this period you must talk to your child relentlessly. Say anything you want, you can’t just be silent. Accompany your actions with comments, tell about what is happening in the house, what you see on a walk, outside the window.

All kinds of pyramids, liners, games, where you want something to put (like a game of “mailbox”), rings, put on the pins, matryoshka, large plastic puzzles – here’s the minimum set of educational games and toys. Give your baby a sheet of heavy paper and a soft pencil. He is able to leave a mark on the sheet to draw a line. Read books, play finger games, sing him songs and tell nursery rhymes.

Most importantly, without which there is no development at all with the best care – it’s emotional contact between the baby and loved ones, and, most importantly, with his mother.

Development of the child up to a year old by months

Even today your child is an unintelligent infant, but very soon an active one-year-old baby will be running around the house. In order to know if your baby acquires all the necessary skills in time, you need to track his development by months.

The first year of life: a developmental calendar

This is a detailed developmental calendar for the period from birth until the age of 12 months.

The period up to a year of age is a stage of life when the baby gets to know everything around him, learning about himself and those around him, so it is one of the most important stages of life. Therefore, read carefully.

First month

The first month of life is considered a period of adaptation for both the mother and the newborn baby. The baby’s body gradually gets used to the new environment.

If the baby is healthy and doesn’t have any worries, he or she may spend most of the day sleeping. During short periods of wakefulness, the baby chaotically moves his hands and knees up his legs.

From the first days of his life, he begins to listen to the conversations of others, the sounds of rattles and musical mobiles.

A newborn baby spends 70% of its time sleeping. In the first weeks of life, the infant often makes convulsive hand movements. Physical activity is mainly based on the following reflexes: sucking (reflexive sucking); grasping (putting your finger in the baby’s palm and squeezing your fingers tightly); searching (reflex to find the breastfeeding nipple during feeding).

At this age intestinal colic may begin to bother you. To get rid of them will help a warm diaper before feeding, placed on the tummy, light massage of the abdomen clockwise, laying on the tummy and special herbal teas (dill water, fennel).

Toward the end of the 1st month, the baby brings his hands up to his face (eyes, mouth) so that they are in view. Lying on the stomach, the baby tries to turn the head from side to side during this period, but does not yet hold its weight.

The main developmental points of a baby in the first month of life:

• Feeding on demand (can go up to 10-12 times a day, including at night);
• Physical activity of the baby is based on reflexes (sucking, grasping, searching);
• Crying is caused by discomfort;
• Recognizes mother’s voice and smell, responds to it;
• Can focus on an adult’s face or stationary object for a few seconds.

Weight gain (average) by the end of the month is 21.1 ounces. Increase in height by 0.7-1.1 inches.

Second month

In the second month of life, your baby gradually develops a routine of eating and going to bed. By this age, your baby is already delighting his parents with a smile. A two-month-old baby is able to sense his mother’s emotional state. During waking hours, the baby is already moving its legs and arms more actively, especially in moments of communication with an adult.

In the second month of life, the baby already holds its head more confidently. Lying on your tummy, the baby can hold its head for 10-15 seconds and turn it in different directions. A two-month-old baby’s movements are more coordinated.

What can a 2-month-old baby do? He likes to look at faces, focuses his eyes on objects at a distance of 7.87-11.81 inches for a long time. Sounds of humming “a-a-a”, “e-e-e-e”, etc. He responds to a familiar voice with a smile, and smiles when talking to an adult.

The main developmental milestones of a second-month-old baby:

• Responds to sounds, turns his head toward its source;
• Explores own palms and fingers, squeezes them into fists and looks at them;
• Makes first awkward attempts to reach for rattle;
• The newborn’s reflexes gradually fade;
• The baby’s visual apparatus improves, and from this age the baby begins to show interest in bright objects.

Weight gain (average) by the end of the month – 28.2 ounces.

Increase in height – 1.18 inches.

Third month

At 3 months, the baby changes every day, going from a totally dependent infant on his mother to an active, sociable infant.

By three months, the baby gets rid of newborn reflexes and learns to consciously control his or her body.

The baby becomes more and more interested in what is going on around him or her; new faces and voices arouse his or her curiosity. The baby responds to this by cooing and humming.

Three-month-old confidently rests on forearms while lying on stomach. Controls the fingers, unclenching and squeezing them. Hold the head well in the upright position.

At this age, the child can already grasp and hold toys. In humming, there are stretching sounds “b-u”, “sh-i”, etc. When approached by an adult, the child actively moves his or her arms and legs, makes sounds and is happy.

The main developmental milestones of a child in the third month of life:

• Can turn from back to side to both sides;
• Easily recognizes the source of sound and light and turns to it;
• Tries to grab and hold a rattle;
• Pulls objects and her fingers into her mouth;
• Explores his face with his hands, lifts and pulls his legs to himself.

Weight gain (average) by the end of the month – 28.2 ounces.

Increase in height – 0.9 inch.

Fourth month

At 4 months of age, the baby’s neck muscles are already sufficiently strengthened. The baby has mastered the ability to hold its head and is happy to look around at its own free will.

The child’s field of vision expands, now he or she not only sees the big picture, but can also notice individual features.

The infant’s grip on its hands has grown stronger and the baby can now not only hold a rattle, but also tries to move it from one hand to the other.

A four-month-old infant is already easily turning from side to back. Lying on his tummy, he lifts his head and chin high. His movements of his hands and eyes are coordinated. He tries to grasp a hanging toy and reaches for it.

At four months, the baby recognizes familiar objects and faces from a distance. He smiles in response to his parents’ speech. A four-month-old baby begins to imitate some sounds. He hums for a long time and in a long voice. Distinguishes his mother from other adults. When strangers try to play with him, he is wary, but then he is lively.

The main developmental milestones of a fourth-month-old baby:

• When lying on his back, he makes his first attempts to sit up by lifting his upper body;
• Lying on the stomach makes the first crawling movements;
• When feeding from a bottle supports it with his hands;
• Traces moving objects with his eyes, fixes his gaze;
• Curiously looks at her reflection in the mirror in the adult’s arms.

Weight gain (average) by the end of the month is 26.4 ounces.

Increase in height – 0.8-1.18 inches.

Fifth month

At 5 months, the baby can see distant objects well. He can smile at his mother standing in the middle of the room, and he will notice you a few feet away from the crib. A five-month-old baby looks at a working TV screen with interest. The baby has already learned to roll over independently and is trying to crawl on his or her stomach.

Five-month-old babies have a new leap in development. Lying on the stomach, the baby rests on the surface with the palms of his outstretched hands. With support under the armpits he stands firmly on his feet. The baby is able to take a toy from the hands of an adult and hold it.

At 5 months, the infant hums with a variety of intonation and volume. It picks up the difference between an affectionate and a stern tone. When communication is interrupted, if the mother is away, he/she will tap his/her feet and shout indignantly.

The main developmental milestones of a fifth-month-old baby:

• Being lifted upright and touching the surface with his feet, tries to push off with his feet;
• Mumbles and imitates the sounds made by an adult (“ma-ma”, “a-goo”);
• Reaches for toys, grabs them and pulls them to her mouth;
• Enjoys playing games with an adult, but may cry if play is stopped;
• At 5 months, many children’s first teeth start to erupt.

Weight gain (average) by the end of the month – 24.7 ounces.

Increase in height – 0.8 inches.

Sixth month

A 6-month-old baby expresses his emotions and desires better and often voices them. Now he can cry not only when he is uncomfortable or wants to eat. Crying can be caused by a desire to change activities or play with a different toy.

Active strengthening of the back and neck muscles promotes the ability to sit up, a baby can sit for a short time without support. But he will learn to squat on his own a little later.

Lying on the stomach he pulls up one leg at a time and tries to get on all fours to crawl.

At this age, when pulled up by the arms, the baby sits up from the supine position. Sits with adult support or support in the form of pillows. Mastering crawling forward. The child is already able to hold a toy and move it from one hand to the other.

The six-month-old baby can already distinguish his/her name from others and responds to its pronunciation. The baby is babbling and developing individual syllables (“pa”, “ba”, “ma”). During this period, the baby likes to be in its mother’s arms. The baby stops crying when he/she is taken in the arms.

The main aspects of a sixth-month-old baby’s development:

• Learns crawling, and by the end of the 6th month can crawl 7.8-11.8 inches toward an object;
• Getting on all fours, learns to rock back and forth, which helps strengthen the crawling skill;
• In the game, uses both hands, shifts toys from one hand to another;
• Plays on developmental mat with unbreakable mirror, gives preference to musical toys.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month – 23 ounces.

Increase in height by 0.7 inches.

Seventh month

At 7 months, the baby is experiencing a real leap in emotional development. His character and temperament begin to emerge.

He not only absorbs information, but also applies it to everyday life. The child recognizes large objects (clock, TV, mirror) and is able to point them out.

By the end of the month, the child will be able to hold his weight briefly on his feet and stand up independently by holding on to a support with both hands.

A seven-month-old baby sits unsupported with support in the palms of his hands. Enjoys throwing toys on the floor or banging them against each other. He easily turns from his stomach to his back. Babies at this age are real fidgeters.

The baby babbles for a long time while in the crib. He distinguishes between people close to him and strangers. Reacts to strangers by crying loudly. Can study his mother’s face with his hands for a long time. Likes to look at pictures and look through books.

The main developmental milestones of a 7-month-old baby:

• Reaches for an object or to mom with both hands;
• Sits down with the help of an adult and sits without support;
• Tries to attract attention to himself, shows interest in simple games (“koo-koo”, “baby steps”).

How to develop a child at one year old

It’s happening: the baby is one year old! At this age, children become incredibly inquisitive and active. The choice of games and activities is becoming more extensive. How best to develop and teach a child at this time? At what to emphasize? What activities with a child and choose toys?

Many moms, encouraged by the advice of teachers on early development, rush to buy toys and aids for learning as soon as the child turns one year old.

But in most cases, the baby completely ignores the puzzles, laces and other developmental. A child reacts negatively to the imposition of such toys. He cries, throws them on the floor, trying to escape.

This is not a reason to despair and give up on the baby’s development!

No need to force him to play what he is not interested yet. Such useful toys will interest him sooner or later.

In the beginning, it is better to focus on the development and consolidation of existing skills of the child, namely, walking, the first words, fine motor skills, and sensorics.

Games for children 1 year old are very diverse and will help parents not only consolidate, but also repeatedly improve the baby’s skills, joining new skills and knowledge.

You don’t have to expect instant results. A child needs a little time to learn a new game or learn to play with a new toy. Parents need to be patient and work with their baby every day.

Do it as positively as possible, without getting tired, showing how to build a tower of cubes or assemble a pyramid. Results are sure to come, probably much faster than Mom and Dad think. No pressure on the child! Not interested – that’s okay.

Speech development

Speech development is the most important area of activity with a baby. How do you develop speech in a one-year-old baby? By talking to him, of course. Constantly.

Don’t be lazy to tell your child how the day went, or describe what you are doing (cooking, cleaning the house). Describe the world around you as you walk outside.

Name objects, their color, their size (the terms “big” and “small” are enough).

Fairy tales, children’s songs, nursery rhymes and poems are excellent for speech development. Now sold a lot of beautiful children’s books with rhymes. Rhythmic phrases are easier to hear and memorized by a child. It’s a good idea to buy a lot of different books with bright pictures, including special versions of the bath to have fun and educational time in the bath.

When the baby will be a year and a half, you can pay attention to the method of working with cards with bright pictures and words. Such classes are Montessori, Doman, Lupan, well-known and respected teachers of early development.

The point of the class is to show the baby a card and talk about its content, calling an object or animal, describing color, etc. Such activities with a child can be carried out several times a day, using no more than three or four cards. You need to make sure that your baby does not get tired.

The development of fine motor and sensory skills

The development of motor skills and sensory skills is of enormous importance! Such activities are the best way to develop brain activity, correct perception of the environment, psycho-emotional formation of the personality.

In this area you can think of a great many entertaining games. Kids love to play with cereals. For one-year-old babies who are still pulling everything in their mouths, it is better to choose semolina. It is relatively safe, it is impossible to choke on it, clog the ear or nose.

“Find a toy.”

• You will need a large bucket, basin, or plastic container (at least 338 fl oz.).
• A few packs of the cheapest semolina.
• A few small toys like ping pong balls.

It is necessary to pour the semolina into a large container and bury toys in it. Then the child is asked to find in the semolina what is buried there. The game is very fun. Kids will be happy to dig in the grits, shifting it in their hands, looking for toys.

Children love playing with water. You can play in the bathtub, pouring water from bowls of different sizes, catch small rubber or plastic toys in a large basin or bucket.

Development of creative abilities

How to occupy a child at one year old to develop a creative vision of the world? Finger painting and modeling with plasticine are great. Modeling is better postponed until the baby stops pulling in his mouth all at once. But drawing with finger paints can be practiced right after 1 year or even earlier.

Excellent for developing motor skills and thinking games with cubes, pyramids and sorting toys. This developing toys that can safely buy a year or earlier. If you actively play with a child in these games, learn how to build a tower and assemble a pyramid, in a month he will easily do it himself.

Excellent motor skills and coordination develop attempts to eat independently. Do not be afraid to give your child a spoon. Yes, at first most of the porridge will be on your clothes and on the floor, but after a few weeks, you will be happy to watch the baby eat independently.

It is best to choose special paints, bright and safe, and the largest size poster board. Today you can buy such items at any stationery store or children’s supermarket.

Physical development

With children need to play not only games that develop the brain, physical education should be given as much time. How to take care of the physical development of a baby?

The first and most important rule – walk more! At the same time you need to let the child stomp his feet on the street. It often happens that at a year old babies do not know how to walk by themselves. No problem! At one year and a month, most of these babies are already making their first independent steps. Need to encourage the baby in every way, praise and admire his efforts.

At home, too, need to organize activities such as gymnastics and exercises. It is important not only to teach your child exercises, but also to show by example, dealing with him every day. Parents will only benefit from this practice.

The following exercises can be included:

• Rolling a ball from mom to baby and back.
• Running (“catching up” with parents).
• Throwing a ball.
• Walking on an inclined plane.
• Climbing on a stepladder, stairs or ladder with mom or dad’s support.
• Climbing on a chair, stool or sofa. Getting down from there.
• Rolling on a big bouncy ball with adult help.
• Walking on the spot.
• Raising arms up and to the sides.
• From the age of one and a half, you can start jumping on the spot.
• Closer to two years of age, it is good to practice such exercises as “windmill” with the hands and raising the legs bent at right angles to the torso (marching).

Of course, do not despair if the baby will not immediately repeat the movement. Or some of them he will not like. It will take a month or two, the child will get used to, and gymnastics will be his favorite activity.

Do not be lazy to teach your baby something new. Development of a child in a year is very important! Every month you need to introduce new activities, give your baby useful knowledge, to teach the right skills. This work will quickly bear fruit, and the baby will give more and more reason to be proud.

Norms of child development from 0 to 1 year old

Every child is unique and develops in his or her own way. Let’s learn more about what developmental milestones babies go through before the age of one year, and how parents can support this process.

What a baby learns from 0 to 1 month

The first month of a newborn’s life is considered a period of adaptation.

During these 30 days the new member of your family has to do a huge job in rebuilding his body: most of his life he existed in an aquatic environment, where he was provided with heat, nutrients and oxygen, and now he needs to breathe by himself, to regulate the heat exchange system by himself, to extract milk from his mother’s breast by himself.

This requires a huge amount of energy, so in the first month the baby sleeps and eats most of the time. In the first weeks of life, sleep is very important for an infant: while sleeping, it grows and the body gets used to the new environment. Wakefulness duration during the day in the first month usually does not exceed 2 – 4 hours.

Breastfeeding is quickly established: a newborn eats an average of every 2 hours, at night 3 – 5 times (do not forget – all very individual). Your baby’s sleeping, feeding and waking routine will be set independently depending on his or her physiology and temperament.

Your job as parents is only to notice and support these rhythms by learning to recognize and meet your child’s needs.

Physical and psycho-emotional development during this period occurs by itself, almost imperceptibly, but continuously. Despite the fact that the baby does not yet demonstrate any special achievements, he absorbs a lot.

You can make a diary where you will write down all the achievements of your baby: the first time he smiled, started to crawl, took his first steps. This will help both to trace the dynamics of development and to keep pleasant memories for a lifetime.

Physical development:

• The movements of the arms and legs are chaotic;
• Hypertonicity of arms and legs is preserved, fists are firmly clenched;
• Lifts his head while lying on his stomach;
• Learns to fix his eyes on a stationary object;
• Still strongly developed innate reflexes through which the baby adapts to the environment – sucking, search (breast search mother), grasping (clenches everything that falls into his fist), walking reflex (moves his feet as if stepping, if you hold him upright on a hard surface), swimming, Moore reflex (sets and moves arms and legs, reacting to a loud and sudden sound), etc. As the child develops, they will gradually fade, leaving room for the basic adult reflexes (blinking, sneezing, yawning, flinching, etc.).

Psycho-emotional development:

• Can delight the child with the first smile (physiological smile);
• Makes the first sounds (sniffles, grunts), and if the baby is talked to a lot, pleases the parents by humming (humming);
• Reacts by shuddering, freezing or crying to sharp and loud sounds;
• Stops crying when picked up;
• Actively helps during feeding (makes himself comfortable, looks for and catches the nipple of his mother’s breast in his mouth).

Now your baby needs especially close body and eye contact with his mother and her response to his needs, which lays a solid foundation for the child’s psychological well-being. During this difficult time, the family is tested for strength and cohesion: so that mom can devote herself to her newborn, let the other family members take care of the rest of the house.

At this age, the baby sleeps noticeably less: periods of prolonged daytime wakefulness appear. The daytime nap shortens. Nighttime sleep mode is developed: now its duration is 10 – 12 hours with breaks for feeding, during which the baby may not wake up completely.

Physical development:

• Lying on his stomach, holds his head at a 45 degree angle for a while;
• Turns from side to back;
• Holds his head upright for 1 to 2 minutes;
• Traces the moving objects with his eyes;
• Turns head in the direction of the sound;
• Hand hypertonicity disappears;
• Some neonatal reflexes (grasping reflex, walking reflex) decrease.

Psycho-emotional development:

• Demonstrates “animation complex” – active movements of arms and legs in response to the appearance of the mother, humming, wide smile;
• Freezes, listening to the sounds;
• Smiles in response to an affectionate address, conversation, and smile;
• Responds to familiar voices;
• Mumbles, sings some sounds.

The development of perception of shape and color can be stimulated by hanging pictures of bright clear shapes and patterns on the side of the crib: black and white, red, yellow, blue, green, orange.

What the baby is able to do by the age of 3 months

Perhaps the most important achievement of this month and joy for parents is the emergence of a routine that the baby builds together with the mother. There is already a distinct time of waking up, feeding and falling asleep with two to three (sometimes four) daily naps.

At this age, the baby is already able to express his or her discontent by crying and shouting and demanding attention. Observant parents may notice the first manifestations of the child’s character.

Physical development:

• Holds head confidently while lying on stomach and in upright position;
• Leans on forearms while lying on stomach;
• Examines and sucks on pens;
• Rolls from back to side;
• Tries to grab and hold a toy and then pulls it into his mouth.

Psycho-emotional development:

• Keeps eye contact;
• Smiles and laughs;
• Can hum for a long time; humming becomes varied;
• Recognizes the faces of relatives;
• Fixes his/her gaze on stationary objects for a long time (up to 5 minutes).

Have a family council and make a list of character traits of your baby’s close relatives. Pay special attention to undesirable qualities. This is a good reason to start thinking about which parenting methods could help correct them, and which would help to develop those qualities that you dream to see in your heir.

Development of the baby by 4 months of age

At 4 months of age, the coordination of eye and hand movements becomes the most important thing for the baby. The grip reflex gradually weakens, hand movements become conscious and make sense, especially when you need to reach something, the grip reflex gradually fades. It is your own hands (and sometimes feet) that become your baby’s favorite toys.

Active salivation may occur – this is how teeth start to erupt. Don’t be surprised if it only happens after a couple of months or more.

Physical development:

• Turns from back to stomach (and sometimes from stomach to back) independently or with the help of an adult holding one hand;
• Reaches for and feels objects;
• Licks his fingers, sucks his fist, for the same purpose tries to reach his mouth with his feet;
• Rhythmically jerks his legs and carries his weight on them;
• Hypertonicity of the legs disappears.

Psycho-emotional development:

• Makes a preference for his mother in socialization, recognizes her, is happy when she appears, and can be capricious when she leaves for a while;
• “Cooing” with his parents when he is in a good mood;
• Actively smiles, laughs, squeals with delight;
• Responds to the sound of his name;
• Can spend a long time engaged with toys hanging over the crib;
• Babbling and first syllables appear – “ma”, “ba”, “pa”.

Developmental milestones at five months

The fifth month passes under the motto I want to move! Let your baby keep trying to roll over, rock up and sit down, the main thing is to keep him/her safe in these moments.

If you notice that the child needs more space than he has in a crib or playpen, you can put him on the floor.

Prepare in advance for this surface: it must be clean and pleasant for contact with the baby’s delicate skin, a soft mat will work fine for this purpose.

Mode of sleep, wakefulness and feeding at this time may again begin to restructure. Sometimes the baby may not wake up all night, even for feedings, or get up very early and not finish sleeping in the morning.

Physical development:

• Lies on her stomach for a long time, leaning on her outstretched arms and can start crawling;
• Turns confidently from back to stomach;
• Sits with support, with the back strongly bent;
• Entertains herself by playing with her own arms and legs;
• Grasps objects confidently and holds them for long periods of time.

Psycho-emotional development:

• Recognizes mother’s voice;
• Distinguishes the faces of relatives from those of strangers;
• Responds differently to different tone of address – smiles in response to a gentle tone of voice and frowns at a stern intonation;
• He hums for a long time and sings;
• He encourages his parents to communicate – he smiles, babbles, holds out his hands; he is capricious if there is not enough communication.

At this age, babies often confuse day and night (this peculiarity can occur earlier, but is more common between 4 and 6 months). Think about why: maybe the baby has too long periods of daytime sleep, or he lacks movement during the day, or the air in the room is too dry and warm.

How a baby develops at 6 months

What to eat? Yes, it is at six months that your baby begins to show interest in food. This is a new stage in his development, and not evidence of a lack of milk from the mother or child malnutrition. From 6 months of age, the first complementary food can be introduced.

Physical development:

• Sits up from a position on all fours;
• Turns from stomach to back and from back to stomach;
• Gets on all fours and wiggles back and forth, preparing for full crawling (some children are already crawling fairly well);
• He follows the movement of a toy for a long time;
• May be teething.

Child development from 1 to 2 years old by month

Having reached the age of 1 year, the child transitions from material satisfaction of his needs to intellectual food: the baby is actively developing psychologically and socially.

Eating and sleeping provide for his physiological needs, but the entire waking period is directed to the accumulation and improvement of mental abilities. Of course, he continues to grow and strengthen his body.

A great role is also played by the competent upbringing that parents give to their child.

Physical development indicators

If in the first year of life a child was growing and developing normally, by the age of 1 year his weight should increase by three times compared to how much he weighed at birth. The baby is also growing.

Statistically, about 9.8 to 11.4 inches is added to the original height that the baby was born with.

The brain develops: At one year of age, its volume should be 60% of that of an adult.

Motor skills

The arsenal of motor skills with which children meet their first year after birth allows us to talk about the increased independence of the little man. Many babies are already walking by this time. If your baby is not yet walking, do not miss the moment of his or her first steps. Take a picture of the event that takes your baby’s life to a new level.

It develops fine motor skills:

• The child picks up food with his hands and learns to hold a spoon.
• He helps his mother to turn the pages of books read to him.

When getting dressed, presents his hands and feet. Recognizes the purpose of everyday objects, knows what a comb, broom or telephone are for. Tries to repeat adults’ manipulations with these items. The movements may be awkward, but they are clearly conscious. It is still far from the moment when your child will be completely free from parental care, but without you, he or she will not come to independence.

Developmental features

After the child turns one year old, the frequency of visits to the pediatrician is reduced, and usually preventive check-ups are held once every 3 months (see also: What should a child normally be like at 2 years and 2 months?) Such a schedule is related to the individual peculiarities of each child’s development.

Often, psychology comes first in terms of negative results. It happens because of the inexperience of the young mother, who did not manage to develop a sense of tolerance for the baby’s whims. Deviations from the established norms may be in premature babies.

From 1 to 2 years old, they lag a little behind physically and intellectually, but as a rule, after 2 years, they quickly catch up with their peers in all spheres.

Calendar periods

While watching her child, mommy will find it easier to determine the degree of his development if she breaks down the whole period of time from one to two years into calendar periods.

Our impromptu calendar is tied to the frequency of visits to the pediatrician: it means that going to the doctor, you will have an idea of what nuances in the baby’s behavior the doctor will pay attention to.

In addition, you will be able to independently assess the level of development of your treasure and the correctness of his upbringing. Each item on the calendar is written in ascending order – from a simple action or skill to a complex one.

12-15 months

Here’s what a toddler can do:

• Start to play independently, without adult prompting;
• Fulfill simple requests – for example, to hug his mother;
• Use a fork and spoon;
• Walk up the stairs;
• To notice funny things and laugh at them;
• To imitate the speech and actions of parents;
• Speak in his own language;
• Gesture to show what he wants;
• Clap his hands;
• In addition to the words “mom,” “dad,” “grandpa,” and “baba,” say another word;
• Crawl quickly;
• To walk, leaning on the furniture;
• To take off their socks without anyone’s help;
• To take a few steps without support;
• Understand simple requests;
• Notice parents’ reactions to his/her actions;
• Stand with confidence;
• Walk holding mom or dad’s hand;
• Shake his head when giving a negative response;
• Drink from a mug;
• Try to “draw” with felt-tip pens and pencils.

You shouldn’t expect artistic masterpieces from a child of this age: now he or she is just beginning to get a feel for colors and textures. You should let your child create as he or she wants, giving him or her the freedom to express himself or herself:

• Helping his parents dress him by supporting his arms and legs in a comfortable position;
• Bending over to pick up a fallen object;
• Recognize him/herself in the mirror and be happy about his/her reflection;
• Lifting heavier objects;
• Roll the ball back and forth while playing;
• Supporting words with gestures to be understood;
• Pulling out and putting toys in a box or drawer;
• Show their eyes, hands, nose, and other body parts when asked by an adult;
• To run;
• Signify the request for silence with a “shh” gesture;
• Help your mother around the house.

15-18 months

• Turn book pages when reading a story;
• Feel affection for animals and favorite toys;
• Walk confidently;
• To sing and do so with pleasure;
• Hysterical if dissatisfied with something;
• To walk with one’s back;
• Climb on different surfaces while exploring them;
• Speak up to 15 words of various meanings;
• Take off his or her own socks or pants;
• Sleep once in the afternoon instead of twice a day;
• Run quickly;
• Sort things by size, shape, color (we recommend reading: how to teach a child colors?);
• Playing to “feed” dolls or soft toys;
• To form phrases from words;
• Independently “read a book” by looking at pictures;
• Confidently cope with a spoon, eat with it;
• Brush their teeth under the supervision of parents;
• To speak more clearly for adults.

A toddler under the age of a year and a half is already able to brush their own teeth under adult supervision. It is important to watch carefully to make sure that the baby does not swallow the toothpaste.

18-21 months

• Speak about 50 words;
• Understand the meaning of about 200 words;
• Compose simple sentences from words;
• Remove clothes independently;
• To go on the potty, controlling the acts of defecation and urination;
• To wash and brush their teeth under the control of mom or dad;
• Know and name their body parts (hands, feet, ears, nose);
• Imitate more actions of adults – for example, throwing garbage in a bucket;
• Build towers out of cubes;
• Give descriptions of simple drawings from books;
• To open and close doors in the house and cabinets.

21-24 months

• Asking to use the toilet;
• Learn new words or actions quickly (10 words in one day);
• Repeat everything after other people;
• Assemble simple puzzles;
• Draw a straight line;
• Go down the stairs by hand with mom;
• Distinguish cold – hot, much – little, big – small;
• To put on and take off clothes independently;
• Distinguish people by gender (boy-girl, uncle-aunt);
• Jumping;
• Understand good and bad (behavior, word).

By the age of two, a child usually learns a very timely and useful skill – to go to the bathroom, holding back physiological urges for a while (for more information, see this article: normal development of a child at age 2.5).

How to present information?

After one year, the period of active mental maturation of a baby begins. All of his actions are an avid interest in the world around him, his internal and external structure. The easiest way to give him this knowledge is through play. Make a plan for activities with your child, enter into it developing games.

Your task is to provide your child with competent social and emotional development. Create during the game situations with which a child may encounter in real life (read: how to correctly ensure the early development of the child?).

This method of presenting information is optimal for a baby of 1-2 years, he remembers everything better and coordinates his behavior easier.

Voice communication with the child should be supported by images and visual examples. Remember that a baby’s vocabulary is small, and it is easier for him or her to understand what you are trying to tell him or her through gestures and play situations.

When reading a book, be sure to explain to your little one why and why the characters in the story do certain things. If you want to simulate a particular situation, make up your own fairy tale. Such techniques are part of a child’s education.

Developmental abnormalities

It is fine if the baby fits into the norms of behavior prescribed for his age.

Small deviations from the standard may be due to the child’s individual characteristics, and they are not usually of concern to specialists.

There are also critical points to pay special attention to. When assessing your child’s physical and intellectual abilities, check to see if he or she has similar problems:

• By 15 months of age, the baby still does not understand the functions of the simplest household appliances;
• Does not try to imitate the actions of adults;
• Reaching the age of 18 months, the baby still has not learned to walk;
• At the same age, speaks less than 15 words;
• At the age of 2, is not able to form words into a sentence (more in the article: what should a child know or be able to do at 2 years old?).

Clinicians believe that these abnormalities are most often related to a parent’s lack of effort in educating the child. Lack of communication can also be the cause of the problem. It is up to the parents to ensure the proper development of the little man. Give him as much warmth, knowledge and skills as a loving and caring mom and dad can.

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