Stages Of Child Development

Stages of Child Development month by month - Newborn to 3 months

In the beginning baby will not realise he is now a person separate from mum. He will not really understand who comes to him when he cries, who feeds him and makes him dry and comfortable again, in fact, at this stage of child development, he is not capable of thought so will not understand that if he cries he will get attention, however, it is very important that he receives attention quickly so he will very soon begin to understand you will be there for him.

Between birth and two years old, children go through various stages of child development. In these two years a child’s cognitive and motor skills develop until children become self aware and are able to think for themselves about every day activities and problems.

From a time before he is born he will be able to hear and many mums find their baby will respond to music whilst still in the womb. This will continue after birth and can help baby to settle as he now has an enormous amount of day to day noise to come to terms with and can very easily be upset.

He will be able to see but only in a general way as his eyes will still be developing and he will not be able to sort out what it is he is seeing. He will probably like bright colours and bold patterns.

Baby will not be aware of his physical body and so any movement will be entirely involuntary.

From about 6 weeks he will be able to smile and his eyes will start to move together more often.

After about 8 weeks he will be able to lift his head when lying on his tummy and will now know he has legs and be able to kick them. By now, he will be making sounds and will begin to listen to you and make noises back in response.

He will very soon be able to recognise your face and maybe his teddy bear and you will hear him laugh out loud. He will also begin to watch his hands and feet and reach towards you or some object he would like to touch. Encourage him, allow him to touch and feel all kinds of surfaces and textures.

Helpful tips to encourage healthy child development

You will find he will enjoy the movement of a mobile above his cot. Make contact by touching him, he will like being stroked and will find it very calming. Whenever he is with you talk to him and use his name. Make eye contact whilst you speak and smile at him. Sing to him or play music to him. Give him lots of loving cuddles and gently rock him.

Stages of Child Development month by month – 3 to 6 months

You will have noticed that baby is much more settled now and used to everyday noises. He will understand that you give him food and comfort, although, he will not as yet realise you and he are separate people.

He will smile quite freely now and enjoy ‘talking’ to you . He will enjoy eye to eye contact and will also be interested in your mouth movements when you speak to him. He will like to hear your voice but also his own and will laugh and squeal simply because it’s a sound he enjoys. He will love to kick his legs and this again will give him reason to laugh or squeal. He will also enjoy seeing other people and will show great interest in what is going on around him.

During these stages of child development he will find out that he can move various parts of his body and as his strength increases he will enjoy lying on his tummy and being able to lift his head and chest off the floor to look around. He will soon learn to roll over from his front on to his back and will be fascinated by his fingers and the ability to hold objects briefly. Hands and toys will now all find their way to his mouth for further investigation.

You will notice that he can now follow your movements with his eyes and he will also turn his head towards certain noises or voices.

You can have conversations with baby, imitating the sounds he makes and encouraging him to make new sounds such as ma and da. Keep up a running commentary on what you are doing and explain different noises to him. Pull exaggerated faces when you are speaking or singing to him at close quarters it will all help him to understand how to make words.

Try him in a sitting position, well supported by cushions all around, and give him toys to hold , action toys can be within his sight to keep him entertained and he will also enjoy looking in a small mirror. Give him a period each day when he can lie on the floor or changing mat without his nappy, he will enjoy the freedom and the feel of air on his legs will make him kick.

Be aware that baby can at this stage of his development become over stimulated , the world is a very exciting place for him. Try to calm him down before he becomes too upset.

Also, remember, each baby is different and will develop at his own pace, which is what makes the many stages of child development such a fascinating but complex issue and why many parents worry whether their child is developing at a normal rate - we can only offer guidelines and you should not look for any hard and fast rules but enjoy your baby and his achievements as and when they occur.

Stages of Child Development month by month – 6 to 9 months

You may find during this stage of development that baby can become fretful if he cannot see you, this is because he now knows you are a separate person to him and he is simply a little worried that he is on his own.

He can now also recognise that he is hungry or that he wants to be picked up or talked to; he will recognise voices and enjoy socialising with familiar faces.

Baby will continue to explore things by putting them into his mouth, learning about different shapes and textures and taste. He will spend time reaching for his feet and putting them into his mouth, and be able to reach and hold toys, and shake rattles moving items from one hand to another. During this stage of child development he will find the ability to roll over from his back to his front, and begin to understand how to sit, unaided. He will also find ways to move about, possibly whilst on his tummy to begin with but soon developing a crawl motion on all fours.

Physical stages of child development will include an improved ability to focus on small objects but this will also enable him to be able to discern heights and this could make him worry about falling. He will enjoy making loud noises by banging things together accompanied by many more vocal sounds and he will be able to put sounds together to make a few simple words, such as, mama or dada and he will be interested in copying any sounds you make whilst talking to him.

Although baby may now have reached the stage of development where he shows signs of shyness with strangers he will love to spend time ‘talking’ to familiar people, having close eye to eye contact with them and playing games such as peek-a-boo.

Another game he will enjoy is if you touch him on his nose and say 'Jack's nose' then touch your own nose saying 'mummy's nose' and so on.

Finally, try not to despair when he continually throws his toys out of his cot or buggy, this is a brand new skill and he thinks it is great fun,and if someone picks it up and gives it back he gets more of the attention he loves.

Stages of Child Development month by month – 9 to 12 months

Baby now fully understands and accepts that you will sometimes go away but now knows that you will soon come back again. He may be shy of strangers but will be developing good relationships with other familiar friends and family members.

He will be convinced that if he cannot see you then you cannot see him either and will thoroughly enjoy playing ‘boo’ by holding a small piece of cloth over his face – you, of course, must join in and jump with surprise each time he takes the cloth away. As his speech develops this game will continue but with the added verbal request from him of ‘where’s Jack’ or ‘where’s Jack gone’!!

Baby will be smiling and chattering to you and although there will not be many recognisable words he will understand the concept of conversation and be able to say ‘no’ by shaking his head.

He will love to hear music and repetitive rhymes and will join in with clapping actions or show he appreciates the rhythm of a song by swaying or bouncing in time to the beat.

He will be able to sit independently now and will enjoy sitting in his highchair and joining the rest of the family for mealtimes. He will also want to feed himself although this will be more about pushing his fingers into his food to feel the texture than actually eating but do not worry he will know when he has eaten enough. He will also have developed very distinct likes and dislikes so it will be important to make sure he doesn’t ‘dump’ his vegetables too quickly in order to get on to the much nicer pudding part of his meals.

He will now be able to pick up an object of his choice and transfer it from one hand to another, however, he will not have mastered the art of putting the item down again and will only achieve this by either dropping or throwing it. As he is now able to crawl and climb it may be advisable to ‘hide’ your valuables – a much better solution than having to constantly say ‘no’ to baby.

His determination will now enable him to climb up and down stairs on all fours, an achievement which will delight him and it is something he will be happy to do over and over again; a stair gate at the top and bottom will give you peace of mind .

He will begin to pull himself up to a standing position using furniture to hold onto and, in fact, some children will actually begin to walk during this period but for most this will not happen for another few months. Baby will enjoy spending a little while playing in a ‘door bouncer’ as this will allow him to feel his feet on the floor and also give him an idea of movement. He will also appreciate being held in a standing position and allowed to walk supported in this way.

He will continue to want to explore everything he sees, he will touch and poke and pick up, and put things in his mouth and then he will throw things away. He will want to bang things together to make lots of noise and will try to open and shut doors.

He will enjoy a certain amount of energetic scribbling with crayons and paper and should continue to enjoy looking at his books recognising various pictures and being able to point to any animal or object you mention.

Helpful Tips to Encourage Healthy Child Development

Sing songs with baby and share the action play, such as clapping or waving bye bye Have quiet times during the day when you sit and look at his books with him and talk to him about the people and animals or objects in the pictures. Ask him where things are in the pictures and let him point them out to you. Play ‘boo’ or hide and seek with him. Get down on the floor with him and play rolling or bouncing games. Give him a cupboard of his own with a door he can open or bang shut, fill it with pots and pans and spoons so he can make lots of noise.

Stages of Child Development – 1 to 2 years

He will develop the ability to solve problems by thought rather than physical exploration and manipulation, e.g., he will realise that if he puts a glass on the floor in front of a door then that glass will be knocked over when he opens the door.

During this period your child will be walking unaided, he will enjoy using push-along toys to give him extra stability but will also like to sit and ride about on wheeled toys. Towards the latter part of this period he will be fully mobile and able to run and stop before bumping into things.

His vocabulary will now include between 10 and 50 words and as he approaches his 2nd birthday he will be able to put words into sentences and tell you what he wants.

Despite his increased mobility and vocabulary he is still just a baby and will become clingy if upset or afraid of separation. He will not be able to respond to a given command, such as ‘get down’ or ‘don’t touch’ although he will understand, what you are saying, he will not be able to control his impulses and for safety’s sake you may need to physically move or distract him. Because he is becoming more independent he may also begin to show a little defiance as well,in this case, distraction is by far the easiest way out of a potentially difficult situation.

He will begin to show an interest in other children but will not understand how to share or join in a game but will happily play alongside them.

He will imitate others by using his toys, e.g., his telephone for a chat or his kitchen appliances to prepare meals and will talk to dolls and put them to bed or take them out in their pram.

With your help he will enjoy doing simple jigsaw puzzles and his skills with crayons on paper will improve.

He is now aware that he is a completely separate person and will need lots of reassurance to cope with this fact, spending time with him and letting him play repetitive games with other family members or familiar adults will encourage his independence and confidence.

Allowing him time to explore things for himself is important but offer him plenty of toys with knobs or buttons so that he is not tempted to use household appliances instead and giving him other toys which he can take apart or construct will help to keep him occupied and entertained.

Helpful Tips to Encourage Healthy Child Development

Play games naming body parts or other objects Encourage him to explore new things Talk to him as much as you can to help him develop his speech techniques. Take him out to experience day to day things, such as, a ride on a bus or train, a visit to the park, or a farm to see the animals. Read to him and let him turn over the pages of the book. Give him toys he can build with or take apart. Show him how to do simple jigsaw puzzles. Encourage him to mix with other children.

Stages of Child Development - 2 to 3 years

Your child will have developed into a person now with his own likes and dislikes, he will demand your attention and become most upset if you fail to give it at that precise moment. He cannot understand reasoning and his response to any given situation is entirely beyond his control, therefore, if he throws himself to the ground and screams and cries he is not being badly behaved he is being a baby – which is what he still is.

He is learning all of the time and can sometimes become confused or bewildered with the choices he has to make, he may feel unable to cope and become more than usually clingy around you. At other times he will show his frustration or anger with you or with another child in a physically aggressive manner, however, whilst worrying to parents when they witness their beloved hitting or biting another child this is merely a natural stage of child development and will occur less and less often as his verbal skills and understanding grow. Again, at times, that same angry and aggressive little boy will also become very affectionate particularly if he feels that someone has been hurt or upset, wanting to give them comfort.

During play he will be capable of putting together or pulling apart various building or construction toys; he will be able to pour sand or water from containers, and will use objects imaginatively during make believe games; he will begin to understand that he should share his toys but will not always do so and will play alongside other children although this may be in an independent way rather than as part of the group.

He will be happy to help you with simple chores and will extend this activity to be included in games he may play whilst on his own or with other children. At the end of play he should be happy to help tidy away his toys and can, given time, work out where an item has landed after it was thrown or dropped.

During these stages of child development you will see his confidence grow ten-fold as far as movement is concerned. He will walk up and down stairs, jumping off the bottom step; he will run and jump or hop and will kick a ball and ride and steer a small trike and probably enjoy a gentle swing or other playground activities. He will be able to open doors using doorknobs, undo zips and climb on chairs – a constant eye on his activities is now paramount!!

His vocabulary will now include short sentences although he will continue to say ‘me’ rather than ‘I’ and various words will be mispronounced. He will definitely understand far more than he can say but will not have any problem using the word ‘no’ however he may find it very difficult, if not impossible, to obey this word if it does not suit his mood!!

Helpful Tips to Encourage Healthy Child Development

Have special times when you can read to him and encourage him if he pretends to read the story as well. Talk to him all of the time and ask him questions, be patient whilst he sorts out the answer. Continue with rhymes and songs and activity games. Give him toys he can stack or pull apart. Simple jigsaws or puzzles he can work out for himself. Let him play with dolls and prams if they are around. Take him to a playground so he can experience slides and roundabouts and swings. Make him a sandpit in the garden.

Stages of Child Development – 3 to 4 years

At this stage of child development your toddler will be full of enthusiasm and put all of his energy into physical activities however he will not be aware that he is getting tired, or hungry, and may suddenly become very cranky or sulky and possibly show signs of a tantrum over a very minor upset. As an alternative ‘quiet’ pastime take him to your local library and nurture his enjoyment and appreciation of books.

Do encourage him to play with other children as this will help him to understand about sharing and imaginative role play, perhaps using dressing up clothes.

He will also enjoy creative play, making pictures, using crayons, stickers, glue etc., and he will be quite capable of using safety scissors, although he will not necessarily realise he cannot go around the house cutting anything and everything.

He will be very pleased with anything he has created and will respond, and look for, lots of praise.

Should an incident occur whilst he is playing with friends then do expect tales to be told and fingers pointed – he is not telling fibs just bending the truth slightly. He will now have developed a good sense of humour and will giggle and laugh without constraint over the silliest things.

His vocabulary will now include some 1200 words and he will be able to count up to 20. His speech will consist mainly of questions, what; where and particularly, why, his thirst for knowledge unquenchable. He will also understand the concept of size so will be able to sort out what is the tallest, smallest, shortest, etc.

Discipline must now be clear and consistent so he can understand when it is unsafe to go near a road or water, etc.

At the end of each day remember he is still a baby and needs your constant love and approval and will continue to look to you for comfort should he hurt himself or have a bad dream or be upset in any way. You will be the centre of his life for many years, enjoy.

For more information on stages of growth from birth to adulthood visit

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