“I think my child has a speech issue,” a new mother confided in me last year. Parenting a child can be particularly taxing and overwhelming, especially if it’s your first kid. As new parents, we are often unaware of what behaviors a kid shows at what age, aka “child development milestones.” She was thinking of taking her kid to a child behavior specialist. On being asked how old her child was, she revealed that he was only 8 months old. She was surprised when I told her that most kids start speaking only after they are a year old.

If we aren’t familiar with the developmental milestones of a child, we might assume or miss any signs of developmental issues our kid might be suffering from. My friend is probably not the only one who is confused regarding these milestones.

If you are new to parenting, below are the key developmental milestones from age 0 months to 3 years old that you can refer to.

Understanding your child’s growth and development

Every parent should be aware of what to expect from their child at each stage of development. Usually, development milestones have a typical age range. For instance, babies start walking anywhere from 8 months to 18 months. Some may even walk a bit sooner or a bit later, which is perfectly fine. But if your baby is past a certain age and still not meeting developmental milestones, it’s time to step in. Having said that, it’s crucial to know that achieving a milestone early is neither good nor bad. It simply means your baby is ready for the next milestone in child development.

What are the 3 biggest milestones for a newborn?

Being a parent, you already know that your baby’s first year is full of child development milestones. Rolling over, crawling or walking, and talking, or attempting to talk, or babbling are the three most important milestones for a newborn. No matter how big or small, each milestone of child development is a proud moment for parents and paves the way for your baby’s next milestone in child development.

What are the milestones for 0 to 3 month old baby?

The first few months of having a baby can be one of the most challenging periods for new parents. Since these babies haven’t learned much yet, the only way for them to tell you they are unhappy or uncomfortable is to cry. So, expect a lot of screams and tears.

Emotional and communication milestones

Babies aged one week to 12 weeks show only a little emotional development. They are able to hold eye contact and recognize familiar faces. They can look at the source of sudden noises (be careful not to scare them) or familiar voices to figure out what they are. Towards the end of the three months, a child will often make high-pitched noises or babble away on their own.

Motor development

You must have seen it in advertisements and movies when a child tries to hold a parent’s finger with a loose grip. A month-old child can clasp his fingers to grip clothes and toys loosely. They can also move their heads from side to side.

What are the milestones from 4 to 12 months?

milestones from 4 to 12 months

Emotional and communication milestones

Between 4 and 12 months, babies change quickly and respond to different stimulations. A 5-month-old baby can recognize its parents and will cry if you are not around them. A 5-month-old baby will try to respond to voices calling his name. Your baby will also be able to recognize words when he is around 11 or 12 months old. You can start teaching him what the names of various objects are and asking him to identify them by pointing.

Motor development

Their grip will be much stronger now, and they will be able to swing and move toys. In between 4 and 5 months, your child will be able to pick up objects or roll back on the stomach. After 6-7 months of age, a baby can sit with the support of cushions and also try crawling by dragging his torso. The best thing? They can now wave hello and goodbye every morning!

What are the milestones from 0 to 12 months?

If you are wondering about milestones of child development from 0 to 12 months of age, then read on.

1 Month

Lifts head during tummy time
Reacts to voices and sounds
Focuses on faces
When feeding, stares at the mother
Follows items with the eyes
Uses ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when speaking
Can detect patterns in black and white

2 Months

Coos and Gurgles
Follows objects as they move across their range of view
Attempts to put hands in their mouth
Able to briefly support their head up
Grins and giggles
Holds the head at a 45° angle.
Makes smoother motions/ lesser jerky movements

3 months

Recognises parents by face and smell
Holds the head still
Eyes purposefully track moving objects
Intentionally starts gurgling and cooing
Blows bubbles
Identifies the mother’s voice
Perform mini push ups

4 Months

Grins and laughs
Able to hold weight when standing on legs
Coos when addressed
Able to hold a rattle or toy
Rolls from the stomach to the back

5 Months

Distinguishes between vibrant colours
Plays with feet and hands
Knows their own name
Turns to face new noises
Rolls over either ways

6 months

Turns to face the noises and voices
Mimics the noises
Rolls over either ways
Able to eat solid food
Can sit without support
Passes objects from hand to hand

7 months

Sits unaided and independently
Drags items in their direction
Leaps forward or starts crawling
Jabbers with syllables

Starts feeling anxious around strangers

8 months

Addresses parents as “Mama” and “Dada” ( non-specific)
Passes items from hand to hand
Stands with support
Crawls
Points at things
Looks for hidden objects

9 months

Stands while holding onto something
Blends syllables to create word-like sounds
Object permanence
Cruise around furniture
Bangs objects
Eats finger food

10 months

Waves goodbye
Uses index finger and thumb to pick things up
Crawls with belly off the ground
Says “mama” and “dada” to the appropriate parent
Indicates with gestures

11 months

Claps and plays peek-a-boo
Stands still for a few moments
Understands “No” and other easy commands
Places items in containers

12 months

Imitates others
Indicates with gestures
Makes easy movements
Utters a single word other than “mama” or “dada”

What are the milestones for 1 to 2 year olds?

Emotional and communication milestones

By the age of 1 year, a kid starts transitioning from an infant to a toddler. They have finally gotten to know people close to them and can be shy and clingy when they meet new people. Don’t be surprised if your baby turns his head away from seeing a new person! They might also cry when you put away their toys or refuse to play with them. Speech development differs from one child to the next. However, most kids start uttering broken sounds and imitating words spoken to them when they are over a year old. You might be surprised if they unexpectedly call out Mom or Dad!

Motor development

By 12 months, a baby can properly sit without the help of cushions and crawl when they want to. During this period, kids are prone to trying to stand up, so keep an eye out for them. They also learn to use force and throw away things they don’t like.

What are the milestones for 2 to 3 year olds?

milestones for 2 to 3 year olds

Emotional and communication milestones

Your baby will be able to say words aloud when they are 2–3 years old. While some kids use only words, other kids can form broken sentences consisting of 3–4 words. A 3-year-old toddler openly repeats behaviour shown to him, including affection. Did you know there is a psychological behaviour where toddlers react depending on the faces of their parents? If you fuss when they fall, they are more likely to cry than if you pretend nothing happened. A 3-year-old baby can also speak in complete sentences and recite their name and age when prompted.

Motor development

Motor development peaks between the ages of 2-3 years. Not only do they learn how to walk by this time, but they will also learn how to run. Toddlers also learn how to write, paint, and play with building blocks by the age of 3.

A child is a blank slate, and thus, their behaviour reflects the parenting they are exposed to. Tracking development milestones not only gives you a glimpse of how quickly your child is growing but also serves as an indicator of any developmental or learning disabilities. For more parenting guides, you can visit our website.

Checklist for Child Development Milestones

Below is a checklist consisting of all the typical child development milestones across various faculties from ages 0–3 years.

Speech and Language

Birth to 3 Months

Responds to loud noises
Smiles or relaxes while you talk to them and calms down while crying when they hear your voice
Responds to sound by sucking or stopping during feeding
Coos and makes happy sounds
Cries differently for various requirements
Smiles when they see you

4 to 6 Months

Follows the source of sound with eyes
Reacts to change in your voice
Notices toys with sounds such as rattles
Observe music
Uses a variety of noises, including those that start with p, b, and m, and babbles in a speech like manner
Laughs and babbles when joyful or upset
Makes gurgling noises when playing with others or alone

7 Months to 1 Year

plays games such as peek-a-boo and pat -a-cake
Turns to face the sound
Understands terms for everyday objects like “cup,” “shoe,” or “juice”
Responds to commands such as “Come here”
Babbles using lengthy and short sets of sounds (“baba, tata, mama”)
Babbles to get and hold your attention
Uses hand movements to communicate, such as waving or raising an arm
Mimics various speaking sounds
By the age of one, speaks one or two words (such as “hi,” “dog,” “dada,” or “mama”)

1 to 2 Years

Recognises some parts of the body and names when requested
Understands and follows simple instructions like “Roll the ball,” “Where’s your shoe?”
Likes listening to nursery rhymes, short stories, and music
Points to images in books when they are mentioned
Often picks up new words
Uses a few one- or two-word inquiries (for instance, “Where puppy?”
Combines two words “More banana”
Uses variety of consonant sounds to start words

2 to 3 Years

Acquires a name for nearly everything
Uses two- or three-word sentences to describe and request things
Uses the sounds k, g, f, t, d, and n
Speaks in a manner that family members understand
Identifies things so that you can ask for them or draw attention to them

Dressing Skills

One year old

Pushes arms through sleeves and legs through pant openings to assist in dressing
Take off or put on a loose fitting cap
Removes socks

Two years old

Puts simple clothes like front open shirts or jackets without buttoning or zipping
Unbuttons a big button
Tries to put on socks
Once a shirt is over their head, they can find and push their arms through the shirt opening
Removes easy clothes such as pulling socks or pushing down pants
Removes shoes

Three years old

Unzips or zips a jacket when shank is connected
Buttons big front buttons
Pulls simple clothing with elastic bands independently
Put on socks with a little assistance to ensure correct heel orientation
Puts on shoes with or without proper orientations
Puts on a t-shirt with little assistance

Fine Motor and Visual Motor Skills

0-6 months

Extends a hand to grab an item
Masters controlled reach
Exhibits reflexive grasp when an item is placed in the hand
Holds an item in one or both palms
Recovers a fallen item by hearing, feeling, or reaching out to get it

6-12 months

Reaches out and grabs things to mouth
Demonstrates controlled discharge of items
Uses thumb and one other finger to pick up small items
Moves things from one hand to the other
Bangs two cubes held in hand from mid-body
Uses the index finger to prod and point
Recovers a fallen item by hearing, feeling, or reaching out to get it

1-2 years

Constructs a skyscraper 3 blocks tall
Puts rings on a stick
Turns 2-3 pages of a book at a time
Turns knobs
Deploys full arm movements to create painting strokes
Eats with little help
Uses gestures to communicate
Puts spoon in the mouth
Holds cup and sips from it
Uses thumb and a finger to pick up small items
Inserts forms into a shape sorter without assistance

2-3 years

Turns individual book pages
Cuts with scissors
Completes insert puzzles
Uses thumb and fingers to hold a crayon
Uses one hand exclusively for the majority of tasks
Mimics circular, vertical, and horizontal motions
Eats independently
Constructs a three to five-block tall skyscraper
Uses the thumb and one finger to grasp small items
Replicates a straight line of coloured blocks stacked in a tower
Strings 3 to 4 big beads

Visual motor skills

0-5 Months

Locates a rattle when lying on the back
Follows a moving object with eyes, starting at the midline and moving in either direction
Follows things in a circular motion with eyes
Tries to each for an item after looking at it (visually directed reaching)
Touches fingers together
Begins reaching out with both hands simultaneously
Looks at their hands
Follows a ball as it moves right to left and vice versa
Rolls over on their back and follows a rattle from side to side
Touches both hands at once while lying on the back
Reaches to the midline for a toy or item while lying on the back

6-11 months

Stretches out the hands while lying on the back to grab a toy
Eyes your mouth when you speak
Uses either hand to grasp anything
Uses a raking grasp to pick up little things involving all the fingers simultaneously
Shakes the rattle
Moves items from one hand to the other
Initiates eye contact
Plays peek-a-boo games
Grabs a block or toy with both hands while supported on an adult’s lap
Picks up little things with inferior pincer grasp
Improves hand-eye coordination by crawling
Claps hand
Gives an object when requested
Takes out big pegs out of a pegboard
Finds a small item after watching it get hidden
Follows a dropping item with eyes
Eats finger foods by self

12-17 months

Assesses distance to throw an object
Starts scribbling with a crayon on paper
Puts items in a large or medium box
Takes off the socks
Turns pages of a board book
Mimics spoon-stirring motions
Looks where the ball is rolled
Takes something out of a container or throws it out
Points at things with a finger
Puts small items in a small container
Recognises a body part on self
Imitates a 2-3 blocks high tower
Mimics vertical lines or scribbles
Touches or pats pictures

18-23 months

Builds 4-6 blocks high tower
Draws circles on paper
Creates seemingly vertical line
Drops, drags or pushes things
Flips pages of a few books with heavier covers
Pours, pulls, or pushes stuff out
Turns an upside-down picture the right way
Identifies 3 body parts on self
Compares actual items to their photographs
Steps into the ball or swings their leg at it in an attempt to kick it (they may miss the ball)
Throws a small ball a short distance while standing
Uses a scoop to transport food between containers
Feeds self without spilling much

24-29 months

Removes a twist-and-screw cover
Looks at a book and turn one page at a time
Erects towers of up to 8 blocks
Wraps a length of thread around four huge beads
Classifies items with different colours when provided an example
Mimics the horizontal lines on paper
Mimics a train with chimney of 2-4 blocks
Starts mimicking one circle
Identifies 4 body parts
Relates images of actual items
Turns anything upside-down
Kicks a ball forward alone with one foot
Hurls a big ball.
Dress themselves without assistance except for zippers and pullover garments

30-36 months

Mimics the form of a single circle
Uses child-safe scissors to cut paper
Constructs a 10 blocks tall structure
Uses child-safe scissors to cut paper in two
Matches items’ colours by blue, red, and yellow
Matches basic, identical photos
Assembles a three-piece puzzle
Grabs a huge ball that has been tossed close to them
Uses scissors to cut tiny, straight lines
Dresses with assistance for fasteners

Grooming Skills

1 -2 years

Allows nose-wiping
Tries to bring a comb to hair
Attempts to blow nose
Holds a toothbrush
Permits tooth brushing

2 -3 years

Brushes hair
Wipes nose when requested
Brushes teeth improperly

What are normal milestones for babies?

Normal development milestones for babies are those milestones that are achieved in the normal or typical age range by your baby. As mentioned above, there are several milestones in child development and you must keep track of your baby’s growth and development milestones. Make sure to use the above-mentioned child development milestones checklist.

Key Child Development Milestones: Ages 1 to 5