Child Development

Congratulations! You’re a parent. Watching your child’s development from infancy to adulthood is an extraordinary experience, and a very important part of parenting.

You now have the opportunity to help your child grow, learn, and develop all the skills they will need to become healthy and successful adults

Child development is a complex and rewarding journey that each child takes at their own pace.

It’s important to remember that every child develops differently, but there are certain milestones they should reach by age-related markers.

Ages and Stages

To help you better understand your child’s development, we’ve outlined the ages and stages of children:

Babies (0-12 months): During the first year of life, babies learn to recognize familiar faces and sounds. They will begin to coo, babble, and eventually say single words such as “mama” or “dada” They also start to move their body in time with music and explore objects by touching them.

Toddlers (1-3 years): Toddlers are often very active and curious. They begin to walk, talk, use two-word sentences, and express themselves clearly. By the end of this age range, they can usually name colors, count to three or four and follow simple instructions.

Preschoolers (3-5 years): Preschoolers are full of energy, questions, and stories. They learn quickly and use their growing language skills to ask many questions. They can usually count to 10 or higher and complete simple puzzles.

School Age (6-12 years): During this stage, kids develop socially as they make friends and learn about teamwork. Their verbal skills quickly improve during this time, and they can usually read simple books, write complete sentences, clearly articulate their thoughts, and develop hobbies.

Tweens (12-15): Tweens are in an exciting transition period. They are becoming more independent yet still learning to manage their emotions and reactions. Tweens also become more interested in their peers, schoolwork, and extracurricular activities. They can usually read proficiently, understand abstract concepts, think about future plans for themselves, and start to think more critically.

Teens (15-18): Teens are busy establishing a sense of independence and identity. They often try out different activities, hobbies, jobs, and relationships as they find their place in the world. They can usually read complex materials, make well-informed decisions, think abstractly, understand the consequences of their actions, form long-term goals, and take on more complex tasks.

Multiples (0-18): Raising multiple children at the same time can be both hectic and rewarding. Child development in multiples is often unpredictable, as each child develops differently due to personality and other factors. It’s important to give each of your children individual attention, despite the challenges of having multiple children.

Young Adults (18-21): Young adulthood is exciting as your child transitions into a self-sufficient adult. They can think more abstractly and plan for the future. They can usually read complex materials, set long-term goals, take responsibility for their actions, and make mature decisions.

Areas of Child Development

Child development is a complex process that involves motor, language, cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and spiritual growth.

Each of these areas develops differently in each child, but there are certain milestones they should reach by age-related markers.

Gross Motor Skills: Gross motor skills involve controlling and coordinating large muscles, such as those used for walking, jumping, and running.

Fine Motor Skills: Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscle movements involving hands, wrists, and fingers.

Language and Speech Development: Language development includes speaking, understanding language, using grammar correctly, and expressing thoughts clearly.

Cognitive Development: Cognitive development involves problem-solving, understanding concepts, and making connections between ideas.

Social and Emotional Development: Social and emotional development involves forming relationships with peers, expressing emotions appropriately, developing self-awareness, and managing anxiety and stress.

Moral Development: Moral development involves understanding right from wrong, developing a sense of justice and fairness, setting boundaries, and making informed decisions.

Spiritual Development: Spiritual development involves understanding the world and our place in it. It also involves exploring values, beliefs, and meaning in life.

Helping Child Development

Helping your child reach their developmental milestones is an important part of parenting. Here are some tips for helping your child’s development:

Play: Child-led play provides a significant opportunity for children to learn and develop. Through play, children can explore the world around them, practice language, build relationships with others, express emotions safely, and use their imagination. Child-led play also helps build resilience and encourages independent thinking.

Connect: Ensuring your child has a solid connection to family, friends, and the community is essential for their wellbeing. It can help them learn social skills like cooperation, communication, and negotiation. In addition, regularly scheduled time with family and friends allows children to strengthen those relationships and feel supported in their development.

Read: Reading to your baby is very important for their development. As babies get older, reading helps them learn new words and understand more about the world around them. As they grow, reading books with them can help build their imagination and teach them to understand stories and characters. Reading also helps children develop a strong vocabulary and encourages critical thinking skills. Reading with your child is also special time spent together that will help create lasting memories.

Learn: Babies are born ready to learn. They discover new things all the time just by looking around and interacting with their environment. Babies learn naturally by using their senses to explore, play with different objects, and watch what others do.

Music: Music is an excellent way for babies and children to learn, explore, and have fun. Listening to music can help stimulate imagination, creativity, and language development. Singing songs or playing instruments with your child can also help them develop social skills like cooperation and teamwork.

Exercise: Movement helps children grow strong and healthy, and it can help them learn new skills by giving their body and mind a chance to practice. Exercise can also help with coordination, balance, strength, and problem-solving. Plus, it’s fun!

Structure: Structure and routine give children a sense of security. Having regular times for meals, play, and rest can help your child understand what to expect throughout the day and helps them learn essential skills like organization and self-discipline.