When newborn babies first arrive, they have a lot to learn. They must be cared for completely in every aspect of their daily lives. Fortunately, infants are excellent learners and acquire new skills at a rapid pace. Before long, they pick up new talents and abilities as they progress through childhood developmental stages. As a new parent, your job is to guide your child through the stages of childhood, which will eventually lead to a toddler, a teenager, and a full-fledged adult.
Child developmental stages can be broken down by age and into different types: social and emotional, language and communication, cognitive, and physical. Despite the various ways babies come into and experience the world, most children hit the same milestones at roughly the same ages. A milestone is considered typical when 75% of children, or more, can achieve them by a certain age. Of course, there is some wiggle room; some kids pick up certain things earlier or later than others.
The first major milestones most parents look forward to, your baby’s first words and their first steps, typically happen when a child is about a year old, give or take a few months. But that doesn’t mean nothing happens between a baby’s first day and their first birthday. There are plenty of exciting developmental milestones to look out for and celebrate in the first year of a child’s life.
Developmental Milestones for 2-Month-Olds
At two months old, your baby is just learning to engage with their surroundings and communicate with caregivers. You can facilitate development by interacting positively with your baby, expressing excitement, and smiling when you talk with them. Read, sing, cuddle, and hold your baby as much as possible to help facilitate social development in infancy.
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Calms down when picked up or spoken to
- Looks at your face when spoken to
- Expresses happiness when you approach
- Smiles when spoken to, held, or played with
Language and Communication Milestones
- Starts making new sounds other than crying
- Reacts to loud sounds
Cognitive Milestones
- Follows you with their eyes when you move
- Looks at toys or other visually engaging objects for several seconds
Physical Milestones
- Capable of holding up head when lying on their stomach
- Moves arms and legs
- Opens and closes hands
Developmental Milestones for 4-Month-Olds
At four months old, your baby has improved command of their physical moments and a growing understanding of the world. Interact with them positively and verbally respond when they make sounds. That helps babies learn back-and-forth communication. Provide opportunities for your little one to reach for nearby toys safely. At this age, babies like to explore orally. Make sure toys aren’t sharp or small enough to choke on.
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Smiles on their own
- Chuckles (not a full laugh) when amused
- Looks at you, moves, or makes sounds to get your attention
Language and Communication Milestones
- Starts cooing (“ooo” and “aaa” sounds)
- Makes sounds back at you when you talk to them
- Turns toward the sound of your voice
Cognitive Milestones
- Opens mouth when presented with food (breast or bottle)
- Studies their own hands, with interest
Physical Milestones
- Holds head steady on their own
- Can hold a toy in hand
- Can move hand to mouth
- Pushes themselves onto their elbows when lying on their stomach
Developmental Milestones for 6-Month-Olds
By 6 months, your baby is learning to control their body better, navigate their environment, and make new vocalizations. Mirror what your baby does to encourage them. When they talk, talk back. When they smile, smile back. Read colorful baby books and give your little one opportunities to “read” along with you. Point out objects in the world and name them to help your baby associate sounds with meaning.
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Recognizes familiar faces
- Enjoys looking at themselves in the mirror
- Laughs when amused
Language and Communication Milestones
- Responds vocally when you talk to them
- Makes new sounds, including squealing and raspberries
Cognitive Milestones
- Puts toys (and anything else) into their mouths
- Reaches for out-of-reach toys
- Closes mouth to refuse food when not hungry
Physical Milestones
- Rolls from stomach to back
- Uses arms to push up onto their stomach
- Uses arms to support themselves when sitting up
Developmental Milestones for 9-Month-Olds
You can support your 9-month-old’s development by repeating their babbling back to them and connecting them to actual words. If your baby says “da,” you can connect that to “dog,” etc. Teach nonverbal communication by shaking your head to say “no” and waving to say “goodbye.” Babies can also learn simple sign language to communicate their wants and needs at this age.
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Becomes shy, clingy, or fearful when around strangers
- Can perform various facial expressions
- Looks at you when you call their name
- Looks for you when you are away
- Smiles or laughs when playing games
Language and Communication Milestones
- Lifts arms to be picked up
- Increased vocalization, including babbling sounds like “mama” or “baba”
Cognitive Milestones
- Looks for dropped objects
- Bangs toys or other objects together
Physical Milestones
- Passes toys or other objects from hand to hand
- Rakes food with fingers
- Sits with support
Developmental Milestones for 1-Year-Olds
When your baby is a year old, they begin learning complex behaviors. You can help them by demonstrating how to behave correctly and reinforcing with positive words, hugs, and cuddles. Talk and sing to your baby; communicate what you are doing, even if you’re just loading the dishes. Build on your baby’s attempts to communicate. If your baby says a partial word, help them complete it. If they successfully say a whole word, add detail to help them build communication skills.
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Plays games like peek-a-boo
Language and Communication Milestones
- Waves “bye” to people
- Calls parents “mama,” “dada,” or equivalent pet name
- Understands the meaning of “no”
Cognitive Milestones
- Looks for toys and other objects when they are out of sight
- Puts objects into containers, like toys in a box
Physical Milestones
- Can pull themselves into a standing position
- Walks when holding onto furniture
- Can drink from a cup with help
- Picks up small objects with thumb and finger
Milestones provide a roadmap of reliable landmarks to help guide you and your baby through the stages of development, but they are just guidelines. You know your child better than anyone else and will have a better sense of how your little one is doing than any checklist can provide. If you have concerns about your baby’s development, your pediatrician is here to help!
