Baby Care Basics - Developmental Progress by Stage (Ages 0-2)
2020.12.28
Baby Care Basics by Age
0-3 months
Babies begin learning to control their head movements, including lifting the head, keeping it at the midline of the body, and turning it freely left and right. Newborns are not yet able to control the head and cannot lift it. A reflex turn of the head appears only when a towel or blanket covers the face, which helps avoid the danger of suffocation.From 3 months
As the arms mature, a baby on their tummy can prop up on their forearms, lift the head, look straight ahead, and turn the head to follow objects and find where sounds come from. Parents can use sounds, moving toys or pictures, or hold the baby upright to give more chances to practice head control. Newborns are still adjusting to their body's needs and reacting to outside stimulation, and mostly express their feelings by crying.Around 4 months
Your little one sits more steadily, turns the head nimbly to look around, and tries to reach for things in front of them.At 6 months
On their tummy, your baby can push up on their palms, start kicking their legs, and may shift forward, backward, or around in circles without meaning to, and roll over. At this stage babies begin to watch the people around them and respond to others' tone and expressions. They also start making sounds for fun and will repeat an action after family members copy it.From 7 months
Balance improves, and in a sitting position your baby can take their hands away to do other things, such as reaching for something in front of them. They can start practicing with a training cup. It is also a good time to introduce solid foods; remember to feed with a spoon so your baby can practice chewing and swallowing.At 9 months
At this stage babies can smoothly change from lying on their back or tummy to sitting, and once they can sit steadily on their own, they enjoy sitting to play.At 1 year
With support from a person or a piece of furniture, your child can begin taking small steps forward. At this stage toddlers will reach out to be held by familiar family members and respond differently to friendly or unfriendly tones. From around age 1, the words children learn to say are related to everyday objects and toys. Rice starts to become the main food, and milk gradually shifts to a supplementary role.1 year 3 months
Your toddler changes positions more steadily, so they can squat to pick things up and stand back up, and walk around safely. With more mature hand-eye coordination, they can hold a toy in one hand and bang with an object in the other. Now you can use shape blocks to practice matching shapes with the same-shaped holes.After 1.5 years
As your child learns to walk, they also develop a sense of balance that helps prevent falls. This is a self-centered stage: toddlers can play simple interactive games with parents but have little interest in playing with others, and prefer to play alone and enjoy it. Language comprehension and expression also improve. They start trying different utensils, such as drinking through a straw or from a cup, and can bite and chew more solid foods. For toilet training, toddlers can use facial expressions, sounds, and simple words to show they need to go or have already gone, so parents can use a little potty to start practicing.Mang Mang Featured Articles: