"Is that normal?" A Simple Guide to Your Child's Developmental Milestones

Watching your little one grow can be bitter sweet, can’t it? With each new month, kids (especially babies and toddlers) develop a host of new abilities and ways of engaging with the world around them. But, in the highly comparison-driven world we live in, it’s easy to often wonder, “Is my child actually on track?” That's where the Milestone Table comes in. 

This handy tool, designed with parents and physicians in mind, organizes common developmental milestones into easy-to-follow age categories, providing a quick and reassuring way to measure your child's progress and identify any areas where they might need a little extra support.

Measuring for Health

Don't just wonder, know. The Milestone Table empowers parents to understand their child's development and advocate for their needs.

While the Milestone Table can feel overwhelming (especially for a first time parent), the chart is a handy tool designed to help meet a childs’ needs. While everyone moves at their own pace in life, the earlier pediatricians catch significant developmental delays, the earlier they can work to integrate therapies and set your child on the path to his or her own success. Hand in hand with the Milestone Table, a separate chart outlining appropriate protocols for intervention and management assists both the physician and parent in getting the right support and caring for the needs of each individual child. As a parent, one of the most helpful things you can do is know where a few milestones are on the chart and take note of when and how your child is meeting them.

To give you an idea of some of the milestones, here’s a broad (incomplete) overview of the developmental milestones. If you’re interested in doing a deeper dive for yourself, you can check out the Full Chart Here.

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Developmental Milestones

Newborn (0-1 month)

• Has flexed posture and basic reflexes

• Responds to voices with smiles

• Can focus on objects about 10 inches away

• Prefers human faces and high-pitched voices

4 Months

• Lifts chest when lying on stomach

• Brings hands together and reaches for objects

• Shows emotions (joy, anger, sadness, surprise)

• Makes cooing sounds

• Can self-soothe to sleep
  

6 Months

• Can sit with support (tripod sitting)

• Grasps and shakes toys

• Laughs and vocalizes to respond

• Looks for dropped objects

• Shows preference for familiar people

9-12 Months

• Crawls, pulls to stand

• Uses pincer grasp (thumb and index finger)

• Understands simple commands, babbles

• Plays games like peek-a-boo

• Searches for hidden toys

18 Months

• Walks alone

• Stacks 2-3 blocks, scribbles

• Uses about 15 words

• May have temper tantrums

• Begins self-feeding with fingers

2 Years

• Runs and jumps

• Uses 50 words, forms two-word phrases

• Engages in parallel play

• Uses spoon, helps with dressing

• Speech about 50% intelligible to strangers

3 Years

• Pedals tricycle

• Uses 3-4 word sentences

• Can play with others, understands rules

• Uses utensils well, helps with dressing

• Names colors, counts objects

4-5 Years

• Hops, skips, catches ball

• Draws person with 2-4 body parts (age 4) to 10 parts (age 5)

• Uses complex sentences, tells stories

• Has preferred friends, plays imaginatively

• Understands time concepts, counts to 10

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Guidelines, Not Rules

It’s important to remember that these are general guidelines, not strict rules. Every child develops at their own pace! The takeaway here is to have a general framework for you to refer to when you have the thought, “Is it normal that my child does (or doesn’t do) this?” 

Don't miss regular pediatric check-ups, and voice what you notice about your child's development. With the support of a caring pediatrician and The Milestone Table as your guide, you can navigate your child's developmental journey with confidence and care. 

Put It Into Practice

If you have a new baby…

Having a new baby can be thrilling and exhausting all at once. There are so many “firsts” you and your baby are both learning and getting used to. Try to take time every week or two to jot down some of your baby’s developments…routine changes, new skills, and new preferences. These notes will be helpful for doctor’s visits, but they’ll also be sweet keepsakes to tuck away in a baby book or photo box. 

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