Nothing beats the incredible feeling of bringing your baby home from the hospital. However, many parents find themselves questioning everything they thought they once knew soon after settling in. (After all, why can’t babies come with a manual?!) Child development is a crucial field of study, yet so many are unaware of it until they become parents themselves, which is completely understandable.

Major Developmental Areas of Early Childhood

There are a few major areas of child development under which all of your child’s impending milestones fall. These developmental areas are the pillars of child development, and they include physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development.

Physical: Physical development refers to the growth and progression of a child’s body and the advancement of their motor skills, both fine and gross motor.

Cognitive: Cognitive development encompasses a child’s ability to reason, think, solve, and understand their world.

Language: Language development is the process of obtaining and expanding a child’s vocabulary.

Social-Emotional: Social-emotional development refers to a child’s ability to interact appropriately in group situations, as well as regulate their own emotions.

Early Childhood Stages with Corresponding Developmental Milestones

In a child’s first few years of life, they are growing and changing extremely rapidly. In the first year of life, they go from fully depending on their parents for every need, minimally interacting with people and environmental stimuli, to walking, talking, and eating solid food around their first birthday.

The rapid rate at which they grow in the infant and toddler years is truly remarkable and makes time feel like it’s ticking on even faster. Each age range in early childhood–infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool age–has common, notable benchmarks for accurately assessing a child’s growth and development.

INFANCY

Infancy consists of ages 0 to 12 months. During this time, your child will be seemingly changing overnight, as they develop so many new skills throughout the first year. We have mapped out the major milestone events to look for in each developmental area for the infancy stage. It’s important to remember as you read that there are many notable milestones in each area for each age, and these listed below are just the major milestones for this age group.

The major physical milestones in infancy include lifting their head, rolling over, walking, and manipulating eating and writing utensils. Major cognitive milestones in infancy include recognizing familiar faces, tracking movement with their eyes, exploring their environment and objects with their hands (and mouth!), mimicking the actions and sounds of others, and beginning to understand cause and effect (such as shaking a rattle to make a sound) and problem-solving (ex: how to reach for and grab a toy.)

The major language and literacy milestones in the first year include beginning to “find their voice” (such as cooing and trying to mimic the simple sounds of others) and eventually responding to simple words (“no”) and their own name. A child’s first words are likely to be spoken towards the end of the first year. How exciting!

Some of the major social-emotional milestones occurring in infancy include intentionally smiling at familiar people, being responsive to others around them, showing separation anxiety when separated from parents and trusted caregivers, and interacting in simple age-appropriate games (such as “patty cake.”) During their first year of life, infants begin to realize who they can trust and they form meaningful attachments to parents and caregivers. Throughout the first 12 months, you watch them recognize and connect with their people and it’s truly such a special time.

TODDLERHOOD

Toddlerhood is defined as the period encompassing the ages of one to three years old. Some of the major physical development milestones during this time include walking independently, climbing play structures and stairs with assistance, running, kicking, beginning to pedal a tricycle, balancing, using their hands to manipulate eating utensils and jumping with both feet.

Cognitively, toddlers are working on exploring materials in new and exciting ways (such as shaking, throwing, catching, and banging), introductory problem-solving skills, beginning to engage in dramatic play (otherwise known as “playing pretend,”) following simple verbal instructions from adults, and recognizing basic shapes and some colors.

During toddlerhood, a child’s vocabulary explodes! One day, they may be unable to verbalize certain words, but by the next day, they’re saying things you never knew they understood. It’s such a fun time for the family as you begin to get to know your child on an even deeper level through conversing with them. Toddlers start by saying and understanding simple words, and eventually, they put two or more words together, stringing words along to create sentences and ask questions.

It’s never too early to begin exposing your child to literary concepts. The more you do this, they will be better equipped as they begin to identify letters and, eventually, letter sounds. The key is to make it feel like play and bring the fun! Here at T is for Tot, we provide many toddler learning materials for parents to help support their children’s development. Our easy print & learn Toddler ABCs Curriculum helps toddlers practice their emergent writing skills and provides a simple and fun way for them to interact with the alphabet.

Some of the major social-emotional milestones in toddlerhood include experiencing separation anxiety as they temporarily depart from parents or caregivers, becoming attached to parents and caregivers, expressing a variety of emotions from frustration to happiness, taking turns with others and engaging in parallel play (playing in proximity with other children.)

You may begin to observe your child throwing temper tantrums during toddlerhood, and this is developmentally appropriate behavior for them during this time as they learn what emotions feel like and how to manage them. It’s all a part of the process. Hang in there, parents! It can be overwhelming to deal with, but remember that you are their safe place as they navigate this.

PRESCHOOL

The preschool years are made up of children aged three through age five. By the time a child reaches preschool age, they are able to run, jump, walk, skip, and climb relatively effortlessly. They can cut with scissors and begin emergent writing through drawing and practicing writing letters. They can also throw and catch balls. You will find that preschoolers particularly enjoy getting that gross motor skill development in! They love to move around.

Cognitively, preschoolers begin working on their counting, as well as recognizing many colors and shapes. They also can recall and retell stories, follow multi-step directions, and create and engage in more detailed imaginative play. A few of the major language milestones in preschool-aged children include speaking clearly, asking questions, retelling stories, talking in more complete sentences, and engaging in more detailed conversations. It’s such a fun age, thanks to the many amusing conversations you’re bound to have with them!

Some of the major social-emotional milestones for preschoolers include playing fairly and collaboratively with others, sharing, showing empathy for their peers, following the rules, increasing understanding of emotions, forming meaningful friendships, and increasing their independence.

T is for Tot is full of amazing and helpful resources for parents as you support and enrich your child’s development in the early childhood years. We aim to partner with parents during the toddler and preschool years to make learning feel like play! This will cultivate a child’s lifelong love of learning. Learning should be educational, yes, but it should also be fun! Our play kits and learning materials are designed to accomplish this while also simplifying the process for you, the parent.

Make sure to keep a log or journal of anything you notice that you’re curious or concerned about. This will help you remember the timeline and specific actions that are occurring. Share your observations with your child’s pediatrician. They will evaluate your child’s growth, behavior, and timeline of milestones, and can help you proceed with the next steps if any are needed.

There are developmental screening tools that can be used to help identify any delays or issues as your child grows and develops. Catching delays early is key in getting your child the assistance they need to be able to catch up, develop the skills they need, and, ultimately, thrive.

If you need to utilize early intervention tools or programs for your child, do not worry. These programs exist for a reason; they’re incredibly helpful and enriching for your child’s development. Early intervention programs and therapies, such as speech, occupational, and physical therapies, are available for those who would benefit from some extra practice and guidance. Many schools offer early intervention programs, even for toddler and preschool-age children.

Trust your parental instincts. This can be easier said than done, especially for brand new parents, but parental instincts are nature’s way of informing us and helping us be intuitive to our child’s needs. You are more capable than you may realize! If you’re unsure or even just wondering about a developmental aspect you notice, do not hesitate to talk to your child’s medical provider. If you have concerns or if developmental delays do arise, collaborate with your child’s pediatrician (and their teachers) to develop a treatment and learning plan.

Joy in the Journey

It's very normal for parents to feel concerned about their child's development, and it’s definitely a great, proactive thing to be on top of monitoring their milestone progress. However, make sure to remember that each child grows and develops at their own pace. Milestones are more of a generalized average, not an exact perfect timeline. Most children eventually catch up. Milestones are more of a ballpark than an exact measurement.

In the midst of all of this, make sure to remember to celebrate all the victories along the way: big and small. Parenting and childhood are incredible journeys and it’s a blessing for you and your child to walk through this and experience life together. Your child has their own unique journey, and you get to have the front-row seat to this adventure. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride!