Watching your child grow and learn new skills is exciting!  As parents and caregivers, your role in his development is critical.  Research has shown that the first six years affect the rest of your child’s life and shapes the person he will become.  These early years are key to brain development and learning!

Three important stages of development are noted below, with examples of milestones you can expect to see in your child.

By 6-9 months:

• Your baby is learning to sit alone.  He can stand on your lap or on the floor by using a chair or couch for support.
• Your baby may start to crawl or creep along the floor.
• She is now able to pass objects from one hand to the other.  She likes to bang, grab and reach for different toys.  Your baby will love to splash during bath time.
• He will make many sounds like ba-ba, da, and use tongue clicks like dugu-dugu. 
• Your baby will start to recognize simple instructions like wave bye-bye and clap hands.

By 9-12 months:

• He can pull himself to a standing position, walk along furniture or with you while you hold both of his hands.
• She will start to learn to feed herself table foods and drink from a cup.
• She will learn to put a toy in a container and take it out.
• Your baby will have a large range of emotions such as anger, joy or fear.  He may get easily frustrated when unable to do a certain skill.
• Your baby will continue to babble and may say ma-ma and da-da.

By 18-36 months:

• He will learn to run, jump, kick, ride a tricycle and throw a ball forward.
• She will love to show you how she can draw lines, do simple puzzles, build block towers and play shape-sorting games.
• Your child may start to play with friends cooperatively and follow your requests half of the time.
• Usually between the ages of two and three years your child will show signs of readiness for toilet learning.
• Your child may have temper tantrums when angry, tired and frustrated.
• He will understand more words than he can say.  His vocabulary will increase every day and his speech will become clearer.  He will eventually learn to link words together to form sentences.

If you would like more detailed information or have concerns, please call us at 519-258-2146 ext. 1350.  Ask about the Nipissing District Developmental Screens.  These screens are easy to complete with your child at 13 different age stages.  They offer suggestions of activities to do with your child to help with learning.  Remember to play and spend time teaching your child everyday!

Helpful Links: 

• Nipissing District Developmental Screen: www.ndds.ca 
• Invest in Kids Foundation: www.investinkids.ca
• Ontario Early Years Centres: www.ontarioearlyyears.ca
• Canadian Pediatric Society: www.caringforkids.cps.ca
•  Dr. Paul’s Child Health and Wellness Information Site: www.drpaul.com