Child Development Stages - Birth to 24 Months

(from Children's Home Society of California)

ü Follow movement and sounds with my eyes and by turning my head.

ü Make eye contact with you.

ü React to loud noises.

ü Like to put objects in my mouth.

ü Make sounds like aah and ooh.

ü Cry to tell you I need something. I may be hungry, hurting, or wet.

ü Look/turn away from you or cry when I need a break from an activity.

ü Lift my head while lying on my stomach.

ü Kick my legs and move my arms.

ü Roll over from my stomach to my back.

ü Move an object from one hand to the other.

ü Smile and laugh.

ü Sleep a lot.

How you can help my development:

ü Move objects slowly in front of me so that I can follow them with my head and eyes.

ü Keep me away from loud noises.

ü Do not throw me in the air or shake me.

ü Stroke my head and skin.

ü Softly talk and sing to me.

ü Show me books with large, colorful pictures and different textures.

ü Keep my head from sliding around. My neck muscles are weak.

ü Give me safe toys like plastic/rubber rings, rattles, or soft objects.

ü Make eye contact with me and smile a lot.

ü Change my diaper as soon as it is wet or dirty.

ü To quiet me down, gently pat my back, hold/rock/walk me, or use a soft voice.

6 to 12 Months

What I may do:

ü Copy sounds and movements that you make.

ü Recognize you from strangers.

ü Repeat actions over and over again to help me learn.

ü Respond to my name.

ü Make vowel sounds like aah-aah or ooh-ooh and other sounds like bbbb, dada, gaga, or mama.

ü Understand what “no” means. (But I may not obey you.)

ü Hold objects with my hands.

ü Reach for objects in front of me.

ü Roll over from my back to my stomach.

ü Keep my head up and sit without support.

ü Move around on my stomach or crawl.

ü Pull myself up onto things.

ü Move objects in/out of a container.

ü Drink from a cup and begin to eat solid floods with your help.

To help my development:

ü Play games with me like "Pat-a-Cake" and "Peek-a-Boo."

ü Give me safe objects/toys that make sounds and feel/look different from each other.

ü Read books with large, colorful pictures and different textures.

ü As I learn to communicate and show you what I like/dislike, respond to the sounds and body movements that I make.

ü Sing or play songs that have a lot of repetition.

ü Give me room to move my arms, body, hands, and legs.

ü Keep objects that I can choke on away from my reach.

ü Give me safe toys that I can bite, bang, shake, or throw like blocks and cups.

ü At night, help me comfort myself with my favorite blanket, music, or stuffed animal.

12 to 18 Months

What I may do:

ü Begin to think of ways to solve problems.

ü Have a short attention span.

ü Remember things that happened hours or a day ago.

ü Follow simple instructions.

ü Say 10-15 words.

ü Respond to a question like "Where is the ball?" by pointing.

ü Cry, hit, or have a tantrum when I am frustrated.

ü Walk without support, but I may crawl sometimes.

ü Stack one object on top of another.

ü Turn a page in a book.

ü Get upset when I am apart from you.

ü Drink from a cup by myself, but I may spill.

ü Do things you told me not to do.

To help my development:

ü Encourage me to practice carrying, climbing, pulling, and pushing.

ü Take walks with me.

ü Speak slowly to me face-to-face.

ü Talk to me about what I feel, hear, see, smell, and taste.

ü Play hide-and-seek and finger games with me like "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

ü Repeat my favorite books, rhymes, songs, and stories.

ü When I am frustrated, encourage me to use words.

ü Praise me with phrases like "Good job!" or "You're working so hard!"

ü Make sure I get enough rest.

ü Offer choices to me.

18 to 24 Months

What I may do:

ü Be able to name and point to body parts.

ü Be able to make sounds that animals make.

ü Say two-word sentences like "Hold me!"

ü Use words that focus on myself like "I, me, and mine."

ü Say 15-50 words and use new words every month.

ü Climb, jump, run, and walk.

ü Walk up and down stairs with your help.

ü Begin to drink with a cup instead of a bottle.

ü Not like to share.

ü Help you with dressing and undressing me.

To help my development:

ü Give me toys that I can play "pretend" with like plastic food and telephones without cords.

ü Read to me and encourage me to find objects in the pictures.

ü Help me put my feelings into words.

ü Talk to me about what I'm doing as I do it. For example: "You're rolling the ball."

ü Provide safe areas indoors and outdoors for me to move around.

ü Give me large crayons to scribble.

ü Give me toys that I can pour, scoop, squeeze, and stack.

ü Keep your eye on me because I may wander away.

ü Help me eat with a spoon and drink with a straw.

Child Development Stages - Birth to 24 Months

Birth to 6 Months

6 to 12 Months

12 to 18 Months

18 to 24 Months

Birth to 6 Months

6 to 12 Months

12 to 18 Months