The First Three Years: From Newborn to Toddler Timeline

The First Three Years: From Newborn to Toddler 39

Month 0 Birth Child development The first breath. The lungs fill with air and the circulation switches from placenta to lungs within minutes.
Month 0 Recognises the mother's voice Child development Newborns prefer the voice they heard in the womb. They see best at 20–30 cm, the distance to a face while feeding.
Week 2 Back to birth weight Child development Babies lose some weight in the first days and are usually back at their birth weight by two weeks.
Month 1–2 First social smile Child development A real smile in response to a face or voice, usually at six to eight weeks.
Month 2 Cooing Child development Soft vowel sounds, the first sounds made for the sake of it.
Month 2 Holds the head up Child development Lying on the tummy, the baby lifts its head and holds it there.
Month 3 Grasps a toy Child development The grasp reflex fades and the hands start to reach and hold on purpose.
Month 4 Laughs out loud Child development The first real laughter, often at games like peekaboo a little later.
Month 4 Rolls over Child development From tummy to back first, back to tummy a little later.
Month 4 Full colour vision Child development Colour vision is close to adult level and the baby starts to judge depth.
Month 5 Birth weight doubled Child development Around five months the baby weighs twice what it did at birth.
Month 6 First tooth Child development Usually a lower front tooth, anywhere between 6 and 10 months.
Month 6 Sits without support Child development Sitting frees both hands for play.
Month 6 Babbling: ba-ba, da-da Child development Repeated syllables. Babies start to lose the ability to hear sounds their own language does not use.
Month 6 Passes things from hand to hand Child development Both hands now work together.
Month 8 Stranger anxiety Child development The baby clings to familiar people and becomes wary of strangers, a sign of attachment.
Month 8 Object permanence Child development The baby looks for a toy hidden under a cloth: things still exist when out of sight.
Month 9 Crawls and pulls up to stand Child development Crawling, shuffling or bottom-scooting, then pulling up on furniture.
Month 9 Pincer grip Child development Thumb and forefinger pick up small things like a crumb or a pea.
Month 12 First steps Child development Most children walk alone between 9 and 18 months, around one year on average.
Month 12 First words Child development Mama, dada, or a name for something they want. Understanding runs well ahead of speaking.
Month 12 Points and waves bye-bye Child development Pointing to share attention is one of the key steps towards language.
Month 12 Birth weight tripled Child development About three times the birth weight and half as long again as at birth.
Month 13 First molars Child development The first back teeth come through, between 13 and 19 months.
Month 15 Stacks two blocks Child development Hand and eye coordination good enough to build.
Month 18 Vocabulary spurt Child development After about 50 words, new words arrive fast, sometimes several a day.
Month 18 Pretend play Child development Feeding a doll or talking on a toy phone: things can stand for other things.
Month 18 Fontanelle closes Child development The soft spot on top of the skull closes, usually between 12 and 18 months.
Month 18 Scribbles with a crayon Child development Marks on paper made on purpose, the start of drawing.
Month 18 Canine teeth Child development The pointed eye teeth come through, between 16 and 23 months.
Month 18–24 Recognises itself in the mirror Child development A mark on the nose gets touched on the child's own face, not the mirror.
Month 24 Two-word sentences Child development More milk. Daddy gone. Grammar begins.
Month 24 Runs and kicks a ball Child development Walking has become running, climbing and kicking.
Month 24 Half of adult height Child development A two-year-old is roughly half as tall as it will be as an adult.
Month 30 Jumps with both feet Child development Both feet leave the ground together.
Month 33 All 20 milk teeth Child development The second molars complete the set, usually by 33 months.
Month 36 Talks in short sentences Child development Several hundred words. Strangers understand most of what the child says.
Month 36 Pedals a tricycle Child development Legs, balance and steering work together.
Month 36 Copies a circle Child development Holds a pencil well enough to copy a simple shape.