When you become a parent, it is one large learning curve. It is crazy to think about all that being a parent entails. It is also crazy to think about how much little ones learn and take things in. Even in their first few weeks, they are still developing at a fast rate and learning so much. We don’t get a manual when it comes to raising a baby, though. So sometimes we are just playing it by ear or learning from people around us. We are all in this crazy life called parenting at the same time. So we can help each other out a little, right?
So here are some milestones to look out for and when your baby could be doing them by. There are always exceptions to the rule, though, with babies doing them much earlier, as well as much later. So it is just a guideline. Hope you find it helpful!
From Birth to Six Months
From the time your baby is born, and for the first six months of life, they will be developing an awful lot. They will be learning to see and remember faces. They will be hearing sounds and will learn to recognize voices and words. They might even say their first word by the time the six-month mark is reached. But they will certainly be babbling, cooing, and making sounds like dada. They will be sitting up and grabbing everything in sight and trying to put it in their mouth. So watch out for that!
From Six Months to One Year
During this period, they are still developing at a fast rate. The most likely thing to happen during this time is that they will be crawling and learning to say more and more words. They will be much more able to see the cause and effect of things, such as music, and noise, and if they push over a tower of blocks, for instance. They will respond to their name by now and will be able to play things like peek-a-boo and patty-cake. They should be giving clear instructions like ‘no’ and ‘yes’ as they head towards their first year. If you are finding that they aren’t saying much by the time they hit twelve months. They could advise you on things you could be doing, and advise further if something like speech therapy might be needed later on.
From One To Two Years
Now is a busy time, as usually just after one year of age, you will start to have a toddler, as they’ll learn to walk. You’ll need to babyproof your home even more so now, as they will be at a whole different height, so that is something to bear in mind. Your toddler will obey commands at this point, such as putting something in the trash can. They will also let you know when they aren’t happy about something! You might find there is some separation anxiety that kicks in at around eighteen months, but it does pass.