Empower your parenting journey with insights from the Primrose Schools: first-year developmental milestones and physical development.
A child’s first five years are a crucial period in their development. During this time, they’re learning and growing by leaps and bounds, and we can see that progress right before our eyes every day. Take physical development, for example. From the moment they’re born, children work on their motor skills, from big body movements, which we call gross motor skills, to smaller ones, called fine motor skills.
A great way to support your child during this important time is by paying attention to developmental milestones. These are skills that most children are able to perform by a certain age. Physical development includes things like sitting on their own, drinking from a cup, or pulling on furniture to stand up. It’ll take your baby time to reach these big milestones, but they’re laying the groundwork as they play, crawl, and watch those around them.
Now, when it comes to developmental milestones, I always like to include a caveat. Every child develops at their own pace. Your child may reach a milestone earlier or later than the average.
If we look at the example of a child’s first steps, they tend to happen any time between 8 and 15 months. That’s a wide range, but by comparing average milestones to an individual child’s development, parents can meet their child where they are and provide extra support when needed. If you are concerned about your child’s development, speak with your pediatrician.
Let’s look at a few motor skill milestones you can expect and support in your child’s first year.
2 Months
At this age, babies typically move both arms and legs, open their hands, and hold up their heads when on their stomachs. Tummy time is a great way to start building their strength, and giving your child toys encourages them to open their hands. Some children are not fans of tummy time, but it’s important to build in a short time for it — just a couple of minutes here and there — every day.
4 Months
You’ll likely see a lot of progress in your child’s 2-month skills, like holding their head much steadier without support, using their arms to reach for toys, holding items, and even pushing up onto their elbows and forearms during tummy time. Look for ways to reinforce these movements by placing desired toys in spots that encourage turning or reaching.
6 months
Your baby is getting stronger every day, and at this point, they might be rolling from their tummy to their back and using their hands to support themselves while sitting. Putting on some music is a great way to encourage all the wiggles as your child explores the world around them by moving their whole body.
9 months
At this age, children are often able to get to a sitting position by themselves and sit without support. They also begin to move toys and items from one hand to the other. Try rolling a ball around with your child, making sure to support their body as needed. This helps balance and hand-eye coordination as they reach for the ball and move it around.
12 months
By this point, you’ve seen your little one achieve some pretty big things, but there is plenty more to come. Pulling up on furniture to stand and then walking along the furniture is common by 1-year-old. Your child may also drink from a cup without a lid as you hold it and pick things up between their thumb and pointer finger, known as the pincer grasp, which is an important fine motor skill that lays the foundation for a good pencil grip in school. Encourage your child to take steps with you close by for support and use items like stacking blocks to further develop fine motor skills. It’s okay if they’d rather just knock down the blocks — that takes coordination, too!
Your child’s first year will be full of tiny triumphs and major milestones, so enjoy all the moments, big and small. Remember that the milestones above are just a guide. Every child is different, and awareness of these milestones is the first step in helping your child develop at their own pace.
To learn about Primrose Schools and to access parenting guidance and resources for a child’s first five years, please visit our stories and resources page at PrimroseSchools.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Amy Jackson is an experienced business leader and educator who has dedicated her career to ensuring children have access to high-quality learning experiences and care. As Chief Early Learning Strategy Officer at Primrose Schools, she leads the strategic development of the proprietary Balanced Learning® curriculum and innovation of education services and research across the franchise system.
Jackson began her career as an elementary teacher. Her experience also includes service as an educational consultant supporting instructional effectiveness and school turnaround and as an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, teaching masters-level courses in education. Amy holds a doctorate in instructional leadership, a master’s in curriculum, a bachelor’s in early childhood education, and an MBA.
Cover Image by MART PRODUCTION
