Guide to child development

Basic child development guide on what your baby may be doing in their first twelve months.

At four weeks your baby may be able to lift their head briefly and focus on your face and most importantly smile. You may be surprised at how much your baby sleeps during the day. They say when babies are sleeping it is the time when they are growing.
At eight weeks onwards a baby can usually smile in response to yours, make cooing noises, lift their head and hold it steady -ish. Some babies can laugh or make a similar noise of joy, which is the most amazing feeling ever.
At twelve plus weeks or three months, your baby will be able to hold their head up. Laugh, smile and squeal. Some babies are able to roll over and follow a toy around if held a short distance from their face.
Four months / sixteen weeks you have to start moving things out of reach of the little one, your baby may start to try to reach out for something. Will hold their own head with more stability; turn in the direction of your voice. If laid on their stomach they may be able to raise their chest. Raspberry blowing might start now of which can be a delight.
At five months your baby may be able to sit without support but please do make sure they either have triangular pillow behind them or some cushions as it doesn’t take much for little ones to learn to throw themselves back for fun. With your help your baby may be able to stand when held upright for a short time. Babies often can start to roll over one way now, blow raspberries, and pass a toy from one hand to another. They will also turn in the direction of a voice.
At six months not all but some babies can stand holding onto something. They may try hard to grasp and reach out at a toy. Look for something when taken away like if you play peek-a-boo behind them they will turn to see where you are. They begin to say words like mama or dada.
At seven months a baby may start to try to crawl but not very far, they may be able to hold their weight when holding onto something, and say mama or dada but don;t worry if your child is not doing some of this as all children develop at different times. Babies will begin to Feed themselves a rice cake or Rusk and they will babble away incoherently. Their social skills will be begin to develop, they will smile and interact with you blowing raspberries, babbling, smiling and laughing.
At eight months your baby should start to be able to pull themselves up to stand holding onto something and may start to move along! So definitely move objects that your baby might try to eat, keep floor free from obstructions. Babies have eagle eyesight and will find and try to eat the smallest speck of anything so beware. Peek-a-boo will be their favourite game and they will be able to laugh and babble in excitement. Their vocabulary will still consist of mama or dada.
By nine months baby will start to clap their hands, play pat a cake, wave good bye, crawl, and get into a sitting position from stomach. Baby will enjoy sitting up and exploring more exploratory toys.
By ten months life gets more interesting your baby may be able to roll a ball back to you, pull themselves up on furniture, stand alone well, give something to you if asked, drink from a cup, understand when you say no but more than likely carry on what they were doing whilst keeping their eye on you to see your reaction!
Eleven months  as before there won’t be much change but they will be honing their skills standing confidently, cruising along furniture, more than likely they will still crawl, whatever they feel happiest doing. They will wave to say hello and goodbye copying your gestures.
Twelve months everything has to go up a level you will need to become a health and safety expert constantly thinking can they reach up and pull something over on top of them. Can they put their hands in it; everything still goes straight in the mouth.
Your baby’s vocabulary will be growing they will say a few more words by now, drink from a cup on their own respond to a command such as give it to mummy / daddy, No and wave bye bye etc.
Hopefully these little milestones may help you to gage where your child may be in their development. But do not worry if your child isn’t doing the things as every child is different and develops at their own rate. Listen to your health visitor and make sure you talk to them about any concerns you make have. No child is the same they all develop at a different rate.