From their first smile and initial mumbles of baby talk to their first wobbly steps, a child’s “firsts” are such an exciting time for parents. However, important developmental milestones include more than just the moments you can snap a photo of or document in a baby book — and they don’t stop once your child is walking and talking, either.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines developmental milestones as things that 75 percent of children of a certain age can do. These milestones are broken down into four main categories: social/emotional, language/communication, cognitive (learning, thinking and problem solving) and physical/movement.
Dr. Rachel K. Follmer, MD of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, says these milestones are an important guideline for parents. She says that using online milestone checklists (like the CDC’s) can be helpful, but should always be used in addition to regular visits with your pediatrician.
“These milestones are a way that we track the development of the brain. Each of these milestones is a piece of the pattern as children learn skills that will continue to build on one another,” she says. “There is a lot of conflicting information out there online, so first-time or new parents shouldn’t use any milestone tracker by itself.”
0-2 months
By 2 months, babies should be smiling and looking at you when you talk to them, be able to watch you as you move and focus on people or toys for several seconds. Most babies at this age calm down when they are picked up or spoken to. They should also be able to make sounds other than crying.
When it comes to movement, developmental milestones for this age include holding their head up when they’re on their tummy, moving both arms and legs, and briefly opening their tiny hands.
2-4 months
At a few months, babies begin to smile on their own, chuckle and move or make sounds to get mommy and daddy’s attention. These sounds can include baby talk and responding to you when you talk to them. By 4 months, babies can also turn their head to the sound of your voice, look at their own hands with interest and open their mouth when they’re hungry.
Four-month olds can hold their head steady without support, hold toys, bring their hands to their mouth (hello, thumb suckers!) and push up onto their elbows or forearms during tummy time.
4-6 months
Is your six-month-old putting things in their mouth, reaching for toys or clamping their mouth shut to refuse food? The CDC says they should be doing all of that by this age, as well as rolling from their tummy to their back and leaning on their arms and hands to support themselves when sitting. At this age, social milestones include laughing and recognizing familiar faces, and the language milestones are pretty adorable: taking turns making sounds with you, sticking out their tongue and blowing raspberries, giggling and squealing.
6-9 months
By 9 months, your growing baby may become shy around strangers and upset when you leave, but they’ll also smile and laugh when you play peek-a-boo and begin showing a wide range of facial expressions.
Your baby should be able to sit by themselves, move things from one hand to another, and begin to bang two objects together in their little fists.
9 months-1 year
Time flies, and by your child’s first birthday they’ll be able to do all sorts of things, like wave goodbye, say “mama” and “dada,” pull themselves up to stand and walk while holding on to furniture. Play time can include playing games like pat-a-cake, or having your child retrieve an object that they watch you hide, such as a stuffed animal under a blanket.
Hopefully, mealtimes will be a bit easier, too. Your child should be able to pick up small bites between their thumb and index finger, and drink from a cup without a lid when you bring it to their mouth.
12-15 months
Can your little one clap, hug, snuggle or copy others during playtime? At 15 months, children can follow guided directions and gestures, such as holding out one hand and asking for a toy that you point to with the other hand. They can stack and set down small objects during playtime, begin feeding themselves and taking a few steps on their own.
15-18 months
This exciting time in your child’s life is full of curiosity and gaining independence. Children at this age will begin to move away from parents during play time, scribble with crayons, try using utensils and climb on and off furniture without help.
Important language milestones include saying a few words other than mom or dad’s names, and following simple directions without any gestures (i.e. “Give me the toy, please).
18 months-2 years
“By 18 months, your child should be walking,” Follmer says. Children learn physical milestones from a “top down” approach, meaning walking is a cumulation of all their other physical milestones. If they aren’t walking by 18 months, she recommends scheduling an appointment with your pediatrician.
24-30 months
Welcome to the toddler stages! At this stage, children will know about 50 words, be able to follow simple routines (like bath time or clean up routines), begin to identify colors and play pretend.
30 months-3 years
Prepare yourself: this is the era of the “why?” questions. Your big 3-year-old should be able to say their name, begin talking coherently and ask all the “who, what, where, why and when” questions. They can do basic craft activities, use a fork and put on a coat or jacket.
3-4 years
By this age, most children will ask to play with other kids and know how to comfort sad or crying friends. They can remember what part comes next in their favorite story, hold a crayon or pencil between two fingers and unbutton a few buttons without help.
4-5 years
At around 5 years old, most kids can take turns, sing and dance and do simple household chores. They can count to 10, keep conversation going and identify some letters of the alphabet.
How to support your child’s development
Follmer says many of the most important milestones occur before your child’s first birthday. Here’s her advice for parents :
- Talk and interact with your baby. If you notice your baby looking at something, narrate it for them so they can learn new words. (i.e. “Oh, you see what mommy is holding? Yes, this is a red apple that you can eat.”)
- “Give your child opportunities for tummy time and play. This is where they will develop the core strength needed for many of those physical milestones,” Follmer says. Minimize time spent in “containers,” like strollers, car seats or playpens that don’t require kids to practice using their muscles.
- Read to your child. Reading is a social and language-based activity that will help your child identify new words and ideas.
- Minimize exposure to electronic devices.
What to do if your child is falling behind
It can be easy to become anxious when comparing your child’s progress to other kids around them, but remember that these guidelines are just that — guidelines. If you have concerns about your child reaching certain milestones, here’s Follmer’s advice:
“First, set up an appointment or evaluation with your pediatrician. Be able to explain why you are concerned. Your pediatrician might share your concerns, or they might be reassured by other things they are seeing.” Worried parents can always reach out to their local Early Intervention Services if they can’t access the care they believe their child needs.
“Trust yourself and be a consistent advocate for your child. Push for more evaluations if you truly believe your child needs them. Even the best pediatricians only see your child for a snapshot; you are the expert on your own child,” Follmer says.
Follow Chicago Parent on Instagram.
