Understanding Child Development

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At four months old babies communicate by:

• Chuckling softly.
• Smiling or getting excited when they see you after you have been out of sight.
• Being comforted when hearing people’s voices. This might be seen if they stop crying when she hears voices.
• Making high-pitched squeals.
• Making sounds when looking at toys and people.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At four months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Move their head from side to side while on their back.
• Can lay their head down on the floor rather than letting it drop or fall forward.
• Can hold their heads up so that their chin is about 3 inches from the floor for at least 15 seconds during tummy time.
• Hold their head straight up, looking around, while doing tummy time.
• Can hold their head steady when you hold them in a sitting position.
• Bring their hands together over their chest touching her fingers while they are on their back.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At four months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Hold their hands open or partly open when they are awake rather than in fists like they did when they were a newborn.
• Wave a toy about after you place it in their hands, at least briefly.
• Grabs and scratches at their clothes and on surfaces in front of them.
• Holds onto a toy you place in their hand for about 1 minute while looking at it, waving it about, or trying to chew it.
• Reach for a toy even when it is out of their reach while in the seating position.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At four months old, babies generally can:

• Follow a toy that is 10 inches or less away when it is moved up and down and side to side in front of their face.
• Look at a toy the size of a cup or rattle that is sat in front of them when in the sitting position.
• Hold a toy, look at it, and put it in their mouth.
• Sees a toy and reaches for it.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At four months old, babies generally:

• Watch their hands.
• When they see mom’s breasts or bottles, they seem to know they are about to be fed.
• Play with their fingers when they have their hands together
• Help to hold the bottle with both hands at once, or when nursing, they hold the breast with their free hand.
• Smiles at you even before you smile or talk to them.
• Smiles or coos at their reflections in a mirror.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  At this time your baby’s food should consist of only breastmilk, formula, or a combination of the two. Tummy Time is your baby’s exercise, and sleep is very important because it supports their rapid mental and physical development

At four months old, Babies generally:

• Are eating 4-6 ounces (120—180 milliliters) at each feeding, depending on the frequency of feeding and their size.
• Need 16-20 hours of sleep in 24 hours.
• Aim for 20 min of Tummy Time a day.

Safety Notes:

• Be careful not to overfeed your baby. It is easy to do when using a bottle. Make sure the hole on the bottle’s nipple is the right size. The liquid should drip slowly from the hole, not pour out.
• Never prop a bottle. This can cause chocking and increase your baby’s chances of getting ear infections and tooth decay.
• Spitting up less than an ounce within an hour of feeding is not a concern as long as it does not bother your baby.
• You can help your baby avoid spitting up by: feeding your baby before he gets very hungry, keeping your baby in a semi-upright position during the feeding and for an hour after the feeding, burping your baby regularly, avoiding overfeeding, and not jostling or playing vigorously with your baby right after feeding.
• Never leave babies unattended during tummy time.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At six months old babies communicate by:

• Making high-pitched squeals.
• Making grunting, growling, or other deep-toned sounds.
• Looking in the direction of your voice when you are out of sight or a loud noise that occurs.
• Making sounds like “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba”.
• Repeats the sounds “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba” when you say them or other sounds they are capable of making.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At six months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Lift their legs high enough to see their feet while they are on their backs.
• Straighten both arms and push their whole chest off the floor during tummy time.
• Roll from their back to their tummy, getting both arms out from under them.
• Can sit using their hands for support.
• Can support their own weight while standing if you hold both hands for balance.
• Can get into a crawling position by getting up on their hands and knees.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At six months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Grab a toy you offer and look at it, wave it about, or chew on it for about 1 minute.
• Reaches or grabs a toy using both hands at once.
• Pick up a small toy, holds it in the center of their hand with their fingers around it.
• Pick up small objects like cheerios using their thumbs and all of their fingers in a raking motion, even if they are not able to pick it up.
• Pick up a small toy with one hand.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At six months old, babies generally can:

• Reach for toys with both hands.
• Turn their head to look for a toy they drop when they are on their backs, and if they can see the toy try to get it.
• Picks up toys and puts them in their mouth.
• Pass toys from one hand to the other.
• Bangs toys up and down on a table or the floor.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At six months old, babies generally:

• Smiles, coos, and reaches out to pat their reflections in a mirror.
• Acts differently towards strangers than they do with parents and other familiar people. For example, they may stare, frown, withdraw, or cry.
• Grabs their feet and puts them in their mouth while on their backs.
• Tries to get toys that are out of reach, maybe by rolling, pivoting, scooting, or crawling, etc.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  At this time, your baby’s food consists primarily breastmilk, formula, or a combination of the two. Tummy Time and play are your baby’s exercise and learning activities, and sleep is very important because it supports their rapid mental and physical development

At six months old, babies generally:

• Will be taking 6-8 ounces (180-230 milliliters) every 4 to 5 hours. This also depends on whether they are eating any baby food or other solid foods.
• Start showing interest in food by staring and grabbing for your food. It might be time to talk to their doctor to see about introducing solid foods.
• Start trying to use cups or ‘sippy cups’. Spill-proof cups that have spouts designed just for babies (“sippy cups”) can help ease the move from the bottle. Dentists recommend sippy cups with a hard spout or a straw, rather than ones with soft spouts.
• Need 14-15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day.
• Prefers being on their stomach because this allows them to play, move, and explore easily.

Safety Notes:

• Do not provide regular cow’s milk to your baby until he turns one. It does not provide the nutrients your baby needs.
• Do not give honey to your infant until after his first birthday. It can contain spores that are harmless to adults but can cause botulism in babies.
• Have your baby try one food at a time. Wait a couple of days before introducing another food. This will allow you time to watch for signs of a food allergy or allergic reaction such as a rash, diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, or an increase in gassiness.
• For severe allergic reactions, like hives or breathing difficulty, get medical attention right away. If your child has any type of reaction to a food, do not serve it again until you talk to a doctor.
• Never leave your baby unattended while eating. Don’t serve foods that your baby could choke on, such as whole grapes, raw vegetables, hard fruits, raisins, white bread, and pieces of hard cheese, hot dogs, popcorn, and hard candies.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At eight months old babies communicate by:

•  Looking in the direction of your voice when you are out of sight or a loud noise that occurs.
• Making sounds like “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba”.
• Repeats the sounds “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba” when you say them or other sounds they are capable of making.
• Responding to the tone of your voice and stopping their activity at least briefly when you say “no-no” to them.
• Making two similar sounds like “ba-ba,” “da-da,” or “ga-ga”. These sounds may not actually mean anything.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At eight months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Roll from their back to their tummy, getting both arms out from under them.
• Can support their own weight while standing if you hold both hands for balance.
• Can get into a crawling position by getting up on their hands and knees.
• Can sit up straight on the floor for several minutes without using their hands for support.
• Can stand next to furniture or the crib rail without leaning their chest against the furniture.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At eight months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Pick up a small toy, holds it in the center of their hand with their fingers around it.
• Can successfully pick up small objects like cheerios using their thumbs and all of their fingers in a raking motion.
• Pick up a small toy with the tips of their thumb and finger. You should see a space between the toy and their palm.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At eight months old, babies generally can:

• Turn their head to look for a toy they drop when they are on their backs, and if they can see the toy try to get it.
• Pick up toys and puts them in their mouth.
• Pass toys from one hand to the other.
• Pick up two small toys, one in each hand, and hold onto them for about 1 minute.
• Bangs toys up and down against another toy a table or the floor.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At eight months old, babies generally:

• Pats the mirror when they see their reflections.
• Grabs their feet and puts them in their mouth while on their backs.
• Tries to get toys that are out of reach by rolling, pivoting, scooting, or crawling, etc.
• Drinks water, juice, formula, or breastmilk from a cup while you hold it.
• Feed themselves a cracker or a cookie.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  At this time, your baby’s food consists primarily breastmilk, formula, or a combination of the two with some solid foods. Tummy Time and play are your baby’s exercise and learning activities, and sleep is very important because it supports their rapid mental and physical development

At eight months, babies generally

• Get important nutrients from formula and breast milk. They will start to drink less as they reach their first birthday because of the variety of foods they have learned to eat.
• Will tell you when they are full when they suck with less enthusiasm, stop, or turn away from the breast or bottle. With solid foods, they may turn away, refuse to open their mouth, or spit the food out.
• Will continue to practice using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle.
• Will feed themselves with their fingers or hold a spoon while you feed them, which prepares them for feeding themselves.
• Thrives on a feeding schedule.
• Need 14-15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day.

Safety:

• Never leave your baby unattended while eating. Don’t serve foods that your baby could choke on, such as whole grapes, raw vegetables, hard fruits, raisins, white bread, pieces of hard cheese, hot dogs, popcorn, and hard candies.
• Do not provide regular cow’s milk to your baby until he turns one. It does not provide the nutrients your baby needs.
• Do not give honey to your infant until after his first birthday. It can contain spores that are harmless to adults but can cause botulism in babies.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At nine months old babies communicate by:

• Making sounds like “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba”.
• Repeats the sounds “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba” when you say them or other sounds they are capable of making.
• Making two similar sounds like “ba-ba,” “da-da,” or “ga-ga”. These sounds may not actually mean anything.
• Playing one nursery game, when asked, even if you don’t show them the activity such as “bye-bye,” “Peeka-boo,” “clap your hands,” or “So Big”.
• Following simple commands such as “Come here,” “Give it to me,” or “Put it back”.
• Saying three words such as “Mama,” “Dada,” or “Baba”. A word is defined as a sound or sounds your baby says consistently to mean someone or something.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At nine months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can support their own weight while standing if you hold both of their hands for balance.
• Can sit up straight on the floor for several minutes without using their hands for support.
• Can stand next to furniture or the crib rail without leaning their chest against the furniture.
• Can bend down to pick up a toy from the floor while holding onto furniture, and return to a standing position.
• Can lower themselves, while holding onto furniture, with control without falling or flopping down.
• Can walk beside furniture while holding on with only one hand.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At nine months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Pick up a small toy with only one hand.
• Can successfully pick up small objects like cheerios using their thumbs and all of their fingers either in a raking motion or with their arm rested on the counter.
• Pick up a small toys with the tips of their thumb and finger. You should see a space between the toy and her palm.
• Can pick up a piece of string with their first finger and thumb even if it takes a couple of tires. The string may be attached to a toy.
• Can put a small toy down, without dropping it, and then take their hand off the toy.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At nine months old, babies generally can:

• Pass toys from one hand to the other.
• Pick up two small toys, one in each hand, and hold onto them for about 1 minute.
• Holds one toy in each hand and claps them together.
• Bangs toys up and down against another toy a table or the floor.
• Pokes at or tries to get a small object like a cheerio that is inside a clear container.
• Can find objects that they see you hide under a piece of a paper or cloth.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At nine months old, babies generally:

• Grabs their feet and puts them in their mouth while on their backs.
• Drinks water, juice, formula, or breastmilk from a cup while you hold it.
• Feed himself or herself a cracker or a cookie.
• Offer their toy to you when asked, even if they do not let go of it.
• Can push their arm through a sleeve once their arm is started in the hole of the sleeve.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  At this time, your baby’s food consists primarily breastmilk, formula, or a combination of the two with some solid foods. Tummy Time and play are your baby’s exercise and learning activities, and sleep is very important because it supports their rapid mental and physical development

At nine months, babies generally:

• Get important nutrients from formula and breast milk. They will start to drink less as they reach their first birthday because of the variety of foods they have learned to eat.
• Will tell you when they are full when they suck with less enthusiasm, stop, or turn away from the breast or bottle. With solid foods, they may turn away, refuse to open their mouth, or spit the food out.
• Will continue to practice using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle.
• Will feed themselves with their fingers or hold a spoon while you feed them, which prepares them for feeding themselves.
• Thrives on a feeding schedule.
• Need 14-15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day.

Safety:

• Never leave your baby unattended while eating. Don’t serve foods that your baby could choke on, such as whole grapes, raw vegetables, hard fruits, raisins, white bread, and pieces of hard cheese, hot dogs, popcorn, and hard candies.
• Do not provide regular cow’s milk to your baby until he turns one. It does not provide the nutrients your baby needs.
• Do not give honey to your infant until after his first birthday. It can contain spores that are harmless to adults but can cause botulism in babies.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At ten months old babies communicate by:

• Making sounds like “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba”.
• Repeats the sounds “da,” “ga,” “ka,” and “ba” when you say them or other sounds they are capable of making.
• Making two similar sounds like “ba-ba,” “da-da,” or “ga-ga”. These sounds may not actually mean anything.
• Playing one nursery game, when asked, even if you don’t show them the activity such as “bye-bye,” “Peeka-boo,” “clap your hands,” or “So Big”.
• Following simple commands such as “Come here,” “Give it to me,” or “Put it back”.
• Saying three words such as “Mama,” “Dada,” or “Baba”. A word is defined as a sound or sounds your baby says consistently to mean someone or something.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At ten months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can support their own weight while standing if you hold both hands for balance.
• Can sit up straight on the floor for several minutes without using their hands for support.
• Can stand next to furniture or the crib rail without leaning their chest against the furniture.
• Can bend down to pick up a toy from the floor while holding onto furniture, and return to a standing position.
• Can lower themselves, while holding onto furniture, with control without falling or flopping down.
• Can walk beside furniture while holding on with only one hand.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At ten months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Pick up a small toy with only one hand.
• Can successfully pick up small objects like cheerios using their thumbs and all of their fingers either in a raking motion or with their arm rested on the counter.
• Pick up a small toys with the tips of their thumb and finger. You should see a space between the toy and her palm.
• Can pick up a piece of string with her first finger and thumb even if it takes a couple of tires. The string may be attached to a toy.
• Can put a small toy down, without dropping it, and then take her hand off the toy.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At ten months old, babies generally can:

• Pass toys from one hand to the other.
• Pick up two small toys, one in each hand, and hold onto them for about 1 minute.
• Holds one toy in each hand and claps them together.
• Bangs toys up and down against another toy a table or the floor.
• Pokes at or tries to get a small object like a Cheerio that is inside a clear container.
• Can find objects that they see you hide under a piece of a paper or cloth.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At ten months old, babies generally:

• Grabs their feet and puts them in their mouth while on their backs.
• Drinks water, juice, formula, or breastmilk from a cup while you hold it.
• Feed themselves a cracker or a cookie.
• Offer their toy to you when asked, even if they do not let go of it.
• Can push their arm through a sleeve once their arm is started in the hole of the sleeve.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  At this time, your baby’s food consists primarily breastmilk, formula, or a combination of the two with some solid foods. Tummy Time and play are your baby’s exercise and learning activities, and sleep is very important because it supports their rapid mental and physical development.

At ten months, babies generally:

• Get important nutrients from formula and breast milk. They will start to drink less as they reach their first birthday because of the variety of foods they have learned to eat.

• Will tell you when they are full when they suck with less enthusiasm, stop, or turn away from the breast or bottle. With solid foods, they may turn away, refuse to open their mouth, or spit the food out.
• Will continue to practice using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle.
• Will feed themselves with their fingers or hold a spoon while you feed them, which prepares them for feeding themselves.
• Need 14-15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day

Safety:

• Never leave your baby unattended while eating. Don’t serve foods that your baby could choke on, such as whole grapes, raw vegetables, hard fruits, raisins, white bread, and pieces of hard cheese, hot dogs, popcorn, and hard candies.
• Do not provide regular cow’s milk to your baby until he turns one. It does not provide the nutrients your baby needs.
• Do not give honey to your infant until after his first birthday. It can contain spores that are harmless to adults but can cause botulism in babies.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At twelve months old babies communicate by:

• Making two similar sounds like “ba-ba,” “da-da,” or “ga-ga”. These sounds may not actually mean anything.
• Playing one nursery game, when asked, even if you don’t show them the activity such as “bye-bye,” “Peeka-boo,” “clap your hands,” or “So Big”.
• Following simple commands, even when they are given without gestures, such as “Come here,” “Give it to me,” or “Put it back”.
• Saying three words such as “Mama,” “Dada,” or “Baba”. A word is defined as a sound or sounds your baby says consistently to mean someone or something.
• Looking at an object like a ball, hat, shoes, etc after you ask, “Where is the object?”
• Points at objects that they want.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At twelve months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can support their own weight while standing if you hold both of their hands for balance.
• Can bend down to pick up a toy from the floor while holding onto furniture, and return to a standing position.
• Can lower themselves, while holding onto furniture, with control without falling or flopping down.
• Can walk beside furniture while holding on with only one hand.
• Can take several steps forward when you hold their hand for balance.
• Can stand up in the middle of the floor by himself and takes several steps forward.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At twelve months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Can successfully pick up small objects like cheerios using their thumb and a finger.
• Can pick up a piece of string with her first finger and thumb even if it takes a couple of tries. The string may be attached to a toy.
• Can put a small toy down, without dropping it, and then take her hand off the toy.
• Can throw a small ball with a forward arm motion.
• Helps turn the pages of a book even if you lift a page for him to grasp.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At twelve months old, babies generally can:

• Holds one toy in each hand and claps them together.
• Bangs toys up and down against another toy a table or the floor.
• Pokes at or tries to get a small object like a Cheerio that is inside a clear container.
• Can find objects that they see you hide under a piece of a paper or cloth.
• Can drop two small toys, one after the other, into a container like a bowl or a box. You can show them how to do it first.
• Can scribble back and forth after seeing you do it.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At twelve months old, babies generally:

• Can push their arm through a sleeve once their arm is started in the hole of the sleeve.
• Places their toy in your hand when asked for it.
• Can lift their foot for their shoe, sock, or pant leg when getting dressed.
• Rolls or throws a ball back to you so that you can return it to them.
• Plays with a doll or stuffed animal by hugging it.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts, lungs, stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At twelve months, toddlers generally:

• Are ready to go from formula to cow’s milk. However, their milk intake should be limited to 16–24 ounces a day (2 to 3 cups)
• Need to eat high-iron foods like meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, or tofu. You can continue to serve iron-fortified cereal.
• Will continue using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle. You can also start serving milk in a cup.
• Have diets that are transitioning. During this year, you can use the nutrition recommendations for two year olds as a guide, but keep in mind that your toddler may not be eating the recommended amount of food yet, especially at the beginning. Allow your child to tell you when he or she is full.
• Need 10-15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day.

Tips:

If you’re breastfeeding, you can continue beyond your toddler’s first birthday, if desired. If you decide to stop breastfeeding before your child’s first birthday, you give iron-fortified formula. If your baby is over 12 months, you can offer whole milk.

• If your child refuses cow’s milk try mixing it with breastmilk or formula at first. Then, slowly decrease the amount of breastmilk or formula you are using in the mix and increase the amount of cow’s milk.

Safety:

• Never leave your toddler unattended while eating. Don’t serve foods that your toddler could choke on, such as whole grapes, raw vegetables, hard fruits, raisins, white bread, and pieces of hard cheese, hot dogs, popcorn, and hard candies.
• Do not give honey to your infant until after his first birthday. It can contain spores that are harmless to adults but can cause botulism in toddlers.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At fourteen months old babies communicate by:

• Saying three words such as “Mama,” “Dada,” or “Baba”. A word is defined as a sound or sounds your baby says consistently to mean someone or something.
• Pointing at objects that they want.
• Shaking their head appropriately when they mean “no” and “yes”.
• Pointing to, Patting, or trying to pick up pictures in a book.
• Saying four or more words in addition to ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’.
• Going into another room to get a familiar object like a favorite toy or their coat when asked.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At fourteen months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can take several steps forward without tripping or falling why you hold their hands.
• Can stand up in the middle of the floor by themselves and takes several steps forward.
•  Can climb onto furniture or other large objects, such as large climbing blocks.
• Can bend over and squat to pick up an object from the floor and stand up again without support.
• Can walk.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At fourteen months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Can successfully pick up small objects like cheerios using their thumb and a finger.
• Can throw a small ball with a forward arm motion.
• Helps turn the pages of a book even if you lift a page for them to grasp.
• Can make a mark on the paper with the tip of a crayon, pen, or pencil.
• Can stack three small blocks or toys on top of each other by themselves.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At fourteen months old, babies generally can:

• Pokes at or tries to get a small object like a Cheerio that is inside a clear container.
• Can drop two small toys, one after the other, into a container like a bowl or a box. You can show them how to do it first.
• Can scribble back and forth after seeing you do it.
• Can drop a small object like a crumb or cheerio in a small clear container.
• Try to get a small toy that is slightly out of reach by using a spoon, stick, or similar tool, after you have shown them how.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At fourteen month old, babies generally:

• Can lift their foot for their shoe, sock, or pant leg when getting dressed.
• Rolls or throws a ball back to you so that you can return it to them.
• Plays with a doll or stuffed animal by hugging it.
• Can feed themselves with a spoon, even if they spill some of it.
• Help undress themselves by taking off their own socks, hat, shoes, or mittens.
• Pulls on your hand or clothes when they want your attention.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At fourteen months, toddlers generally:

• Need to eat high-iron foods like meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, or tofu. You can continue to serve iron-fortified cereal.
• Will continue using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle. You can also start serving milk in a cup.
• Have diets that are transitioning. During this year, you can use the nutrition recommendations for two year olds as a guide, but keep in mind that your toddler may not be eating the recommended amount of food yet, especially at the beginning. Allow your child to tell you when he or she is full.
• Need 10-15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At sixteen months, old babies communicate by:

• Pointing to, Patting, or trying to pick up pictures in a book.
• Saying eight or more words in addition to ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’.
• Pointing at objects that they want.
• Going into another room to get a familiar object like a favorite toy or their coat when asked.
• Imitating two-word sentences, such as, ‘Mama eat,’ ‘Daddy play,’ ‘Go home,’ or ‘What’s this?”

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At sixteen months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can stand up in the middle of the floor by themselves and takes several steps forward.
•  Can climb onto furniture or other large objects, such as large climbing blocks.
• Can bend over and squat to pick up an object from the floor and stand up again without support.
• Walks well and seldom falls.
• Can climb on an object such as a chair and reaches something they want.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At sixteen months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Help turn the pages of a book.
• Can make a mark on the paper with the tip of a crayon, pen, or pencil.
• Can throw a small ball with a forward arm motion.
• Can stack three small blocks or toys on top of each other by themselves.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At sixteen months old, babies generally can:

• Can drop two small toys, one after the other, into a container like a bowl or a box. You can show them how to do it first.
• Can drop a cheerio in a clear container and then tip it upside down to dump it out.
• Can scribble back and forth without being shown how.
• Try to get a small toy that is slightly out of reach by using a spoon, stick, or similar tool, after you have shown them how.
• Can turn the pages of a book by themselves. They may turn more than one page at a time.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At sixteen months old, babies generally:

• Can feed themselves with a spoon, even if they spill some of it.
• Help undress themselves by taking off their own socks, hat, shoes, or mittens.
• Plays with a doll or stuffed animal by hugging it.
• Pulls on your hand or clothes when they want your attention.
• Approaches you when they need help with such things as winding up a toy or unscrewing a lid from a jar.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts, lungs, stronger bones, and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At sixteen months, toddlers generally:

• Need to eat high-iron foods like meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, or tofu. You can continue to serve iron-fortified cereal.
• Will continue using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle. You can also start serving milk in a cup.
• Have diets that are transitioning. During this year, you can use the nutrition recommendations for two year olds as a guide, but keep in mind that your toddler may not be eating the recommended amount of food yet, especially at the beginning. Allow your child to tell you when he or she is full.
• Need 10-13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At eighteen months old, babies communicate by:

• Saying eight or more words in addition to ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’.
• Pointing at objects that they want.
• Going into another room to get a familiar object like a favorite toy or their coat when asked.
• Imitating two-word sentences, such as, ‘Mama eat,’ ‘Daddy play,’ Go home,’ or ‘What’s this?”
• Points to at least one correct picture when you say, “Show me the kitty,” or ask, “Where is the dog?”
• Says two or three words that represent different ideas together, such as “See dog,” “Mommy come home,” or “Kitty gone”? (Don’t count word combinations that express one idea, such as “bye-bye,” “all gone,” and “What’s that?)

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At eighteen months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can bend over and squat to pick up an object from the floor and stand up again without support.
• Walks well and seldom falls.
• Can climb on an object such as a chair and reaches something they want.
• Can walk down stairs if they are holding your hand, railing, or a wall.
• Tries to kick a large ball by moving his leg forward or by walking into it after you show them how?

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At eighteen months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Help turn the pages of a book.
• Can make a mark on the paper with the tip of a crayon, pen, or pencil.
• Can throw a small ball with a forward arm motion.
• Can stack three small blocks or toys on top of each other by themselves.
• Can get a spoon into their mouth right side up so that the food usually does not spill.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At eighteen months old, babies generally:

• Can drop two small toys, one after the other, into a container like a bowl or a box. You can show them how to do it first.
• Can drop a cheerio in a clear container and then tip it upside down to dump it out.
• Can scribble back and forth without being shown how.
• Try to get a small toy that is slightly out of reach by using a spoon, stick, or similar tool, after you have shown them how.
• Can draw a single line on the paper in any direction with a crayon, pen, or pencil after seeing you draw the same line.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At eighteen months old, babies generally:

• Plays with a doll or stuffed animal by hugging it.
• Pulls on your hand or clothes when they want your attention.
• Approaches you when they need help with such things as winding up a toy or unscrewing a lid from a jar.
• Will offer their reflections in a mirror a toy or other object.
• Can drink from a cup or glass, put it down again with little spilling.
• Will copy the activities you do, such as wipe up a spill, sweep, comb hair, etc.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At eighteen months, toddlers generally:

• Need to eat high-iron foods like meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, or tofu. You can continue to serve iron-fortified cereal.
• Will continue using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle. You can also start serving milk in a cup.
• Have diets that are transitioning. During this year, you can use the nutrition recommendations for two year olds as a guide, but keep in mind that your toddler may not be eating the recommended amount of food yet, especially at the beginning. Allow your child to tell you when he or she is full.
• Need 10-13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At twenty months old, babies communicate by:

• Saying eight or more words in addition to ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’.
• Imitating two-word sentences, such as, ‘Mama eat,’ ‘Daddy play,’ Go home,’ or ‘What’s this?”
• Points to the correct picture when you say, “Show me the kitty,” or ask, “Where is the dog?”
• Can tell you the name of an object, animal, etc that you point to.
• Says two or three words that represent different ideas together, such as “See dog,” “Mommy come home,” or “Kitty gone”? (Don’t count word combinations that express one idea, such as “bye-bye,” “all gone,” and “What’s that?)
• Carrying out at least three of the following or similar directions without being given clues: “Put the toy on the table,” “Close the door,” “Bring me a towel,” “Find your coat,” “Take my hand,” and “Get your book.”

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At twenty months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Walks well and seldom falls.
• Can climb on an object such as a chair and reaches something they want.
• Can walk down stairs if they are holding your hand, railing, or a wall.
• Can run fairly well, stopping without bumping into things or falling.
• Can walk either up or down at least two steps by themselves with only holding onto the railing or wall.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At twenty months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Help turn the pages of a book.
• Can make a mark on the paper with the tip of a crayon, pen, or pencil.
• Can stack six small blocks or toys on top of each other by themselves.
• Can get a spoon into their mouth right side up so that the food usually does not spill.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At twenty months old, babies generally:

• Can drop two small toys, one after the other, into a container like a bowl or a box. You can show them how to do it first.
• Can drop a cheerio in a clear container and then tip it upside down to dump it out.
• Can scribble back and forth without being shown how.
• Try to get a small toy that is slightly out of reach by using a spoon, stick, or similar tool, after you have shown them how.
• Can draw a single line on the paper in any direction with a crayon, pen, or pencil after seeing you draw the same line.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At twenty months old, babies generally:

• Plays with a doll or stuffed animal by hugging it.
• Pulls on your hand or clothes when they want your attention.
• Approaches you when they need help with such things as winding up a toy or unscrewing a lid from a jar.
• Will offer their reflections in a mirror a toy or other object.
• Can drink from a cup or glass, put it down again with little spilling.
• Will copy the activities you do, such as wipe up a spill, sweep, comb hair, etc.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At twenty months, toddlers generally:

• Need to eat high-iron foods like meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, or tofu. You can continue to serve iron-fortified cereal.
• Will continue using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle. You can also start serving milk in a cup.
• Have diets that are transitioning. During this year, you can use the nutrition recommendations for two year olds as a guide, but keep in mind that your toddler may not be eating the recommended amount of food yet, especially at the beginning. Allow your child to tell you when he or she is full.
• Need 10-13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day.

.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At twenty months old, babies communicate by:

• Can correctly identify at least one animal or item you point to in a picture and ask, “What is this?”
• Saying fifteen or more words in addition to ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’.
• Says two or three words that represent different ideas together, such as “See dog,” “Mommy come home,” or “Kitty gone”? (Don’t count word combinations that express one idea, such as “bye-bye,” “all gone,” and “What’s that?)
• Carrying out at least three of the following or similar directions without being given clues: “Put the toy on the table,” “Close the door,” “Bring me a towel,” “Find your coat,” “Take my hand,” and “Get your book.”
• Can point to at least seven different body parts when asked.
• Can correctly use at least two words like “me,” “I,” “mine,” and “you”?

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At twenty months old, you can see babies’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can kick a large ball by moving or swinging his leg forward.
• Can run fairly well, stopping without bumping into things or falling.
• Can walk either up or down at least two steps by themselves while holding onto the railing or wall.
• Can jump with both feet leaving the floor at the same time.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At twenty months old, you can see babies’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Help turn the pages of a book.
• Can stack six small blocks or toys on top of each other by themselves.
• Can get a spoon into their mouth right side up so that the food usually does not spill.
• Can make turning motion with their hands while trying to turn doorknobs, wind-up toys, twist tops, or screw lids on and off jars.
• Can flip switches off and on.
• Can string small items such as beads, macaroni, or pasta onto a string or shoelace.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At twenty months old, babies generally:

• Can scribble back and forth without being shown how.
• Can imitate you, when you line up at least two blocks side by side.
• Pretend objects are something else.
• Can draw a single line on the paper in any direction with a crayon, pen, or pencil after seeing you draw the same line.
• Can turn a bottle with a crumb or cheerio upside down to get it out.
• Can turn an object like a bottle, spoon, or pencil right side up it is handed to them upside down.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At twenty months old, babies generally:

• Can drink from a cup or glass, put it down again with little spilling.
• Will copy the activities you do, such as wipe up a spill, sweep, comb hair, etc.
• Will copy at least one of the following gestures if you do them: open and close your mouth, pull on your earlobe, blink your eyes, pat your cheek.
• Eats with a fork.
• Plays with a stuffed animal or doll by rocking it, feeding it, changing its diapers, putting it to bed, and so forth.
• Pushes a little wagon, stroller, or other toy on wheels, steering it around objects and backing out of corners if they cannot turn.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At twenty months, toddlers generally:

• Need to eat high-iron foods like meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, or tofu. You can continue to serve iron-fortified cereal.
• Will continue using a sippy cup. They should always drink juice in a sippy cup, not a bottle. You can also start serving milk in a cup.
• Have diets that are transitioning. During this year, you can use the nutrition recommendations for two year olds as a guide, but keep in mind that your toddler may not be eating the recommended amount of food yet, especially at the beginning. Allow your child to tell you when he or she is full.
• Need 10-13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour day

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At two years old, children communicate by:

• Can correctly identify at least one animal or item you point to in a picture and ask, “What is this?”
• Can correctly point to the correct picture when you ask them to show you the kitty, dog, or another familiar animal or object.
• Says two or three words that represent different ideas together, such as “See dog,” “Mommy come home,” or “Kitty gone”? (Don’t count word combinations that express one idea, such as “bye-bye,” “all gone,” and “What’s that?)
• Carrying out at least three of the following or similar directions without being given clues: “Put the toy on the table,” “Close the door,” “Bring me a towel,” “Find your coat,” “Take my hand,” and “Get your book.”
• Can correctly use at least two words like “me,” “I,” “mine,” and “you”?
• Can imitate a two-word sentence. For example, “Mama eat,” “Daddy play,” “Go Home,” or “What’s this?”

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At two years old, you can see children’s’ gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can kick a large ball by swinging his leg forward.
• Can run fairly well, stopping without bumping into things or falling.
• Can walk either up or down at least two steps by themselves while holding onto the railing or wall.
• Can jump with both feet leaving the floor at the same time.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At two years old, you can see children’s’ fine motor skills developing when they:

• Can stack seven small blocks or toys on top of each other by themselves.
• Can get a spoon into their mouth right side up so that the food usually does not spill.
• Can make turning motion with their hands while trying to turn doorknobs, wind-up toys, twist tops, or screw lids on and off jars.
• Can flip switches off and on.
• Can string small items such as beads, macaroni, or pasta onto a string or shoelace.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At two years old, children generally:

• Can imitate you, when you line up at least four blocks side by side.
• Pretend objects are something else.
• Can draw a single line on the paper in any direction with a crayon, pen, or pencil after seeing you draw the same line.
• Can turn a bottle with a crumb or cheerio upside down to get it out.
• Get a chair or box to stand on to get something that is out of reach or to help you?
• Can put things away where they belong.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At two years old, children generally:

• Can drink from a cup or glass, put it down again with little spilling.
• Will copy the activities you do, such as wipe up a spill, sweep, comb hair, etc.
• Will copy at least one of the following gestures if you do them: open and close your mouth, pull on your earlobe, blink your eyes, pat your cheek.
• Eats with a fork.
• Plays with a stuffed animal or doll by rocking it, feeding it, changing its diapers, putting it to bed, and so forth.
• Pushes a little wagon, stroller, or other toy on wheels, steering it around objects and backing out of corners if they cannot turn.
• Calls themselves “I” or “me” more often than her own name. For example they will say, “I do it” rather than “Juanita do it”.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help your child to live a healthy life.

At 2 years old:

• Both boys and girls with an average height and weight who are exercising 60 minutes a day should be eating 1,000 calories per day.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no more than 2 hours of screen time a day because watching too much television (TV) and use of other screen media is associated with an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, lower reading scores, and attention problems.
• A minimum of one hour of exercise is recommended.
• Children should have 0 sugary drinks, and the AAP recommends no more than 4–6 ounces of 100% juice per day.
• Children should be getting 10—13 hours of sleep in 24 hours.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At 3 years old, children communicate by:

• Pointing to at least seven body parts.
• Saying three or four word sentences.
• Carrying out the following two directions without help: “put the book on the table” and “put the shoe under the chair.”
• Telling you what is happening or what action is taking place in picture books. For example, “barking,” “running,” “eating,” or “crying.” You may ask, “What is the dog (or character) doing?”
• Consistently moving a zipper up when you say “up” and down when you say “down” after you show them how to move the zipper in each direction.
• Saying their first and last name when asked “What is your name?”

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At three years old, you can see children’s gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can kick a ball by swinging his leg forward without support.
• Can jump with both feet leaving the floor at the same time.
• Can walk up stairs, using only one foot on each stair, they may use the railing or wall for support.
• Can stand on one foot for about one second without holding onto anything.
• Can throw a ball overhand by raising his arm to shoulder height and throwing the ball forward.
• Can jump forward at least six inches with both feet leaving the ground at the same time.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At three years old, you can see children’s fine motor skills developing when they:

• Can watch you draw a line from the top of the paper to the bottom, and then draw their own line from the top of the paper to the bottom.
• Can watch you draw a horizontal line, and then can draw their own horizontal line.
• Can string small items such as beads, macaroni, or pasta onto a string or a shoelace.
• Can watch you draw a circle, and then can draw their own circle.
• Try to cut paper with child-safe scissors.
• Can hold a writing utensil between her fingers and thumb like an adult does.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At 3 years old, children generally:

• Can line up four objects like blocks or cars in a row after seeing you do it.
• Will find a chair or box to stand on to reach for something they cannot reach.
• Can repeat a series of three numbers that you provide. For example, you can ask your child to repeat six, nine, two and your child says “six, nine, two.”
• Can make a pyramid with at least three blocks or boxes after seeing you do it.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At 3 years old, children generally:

• Can use a spoon to feed themselves with little spilling.
• Can push a little wagon, stroller, or toy on wheels, steering it around objects and backing out of corners if they cannot turn.
• Can recognize themselves in a mirror.
• Can put on a coat, jacket, or shirt by themselves.
• Can tell you if they are a girl or boy.
• Takes turns by waiting while another child or adult takes a turn.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help you live and teach your child to live a healthy life.

At 3 years old:

• Girls with an average height and weight who are exercising 60 minutes a day should be eating 1,200 calories per day.
• Boys with an average height and weight who are exercising 60 minutes a day should be eating 1,400 calories per day.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no more than 2 hours of screen time a day because watching too much television (TV) and use of other screen media is associated with an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, lower reading scores, and attention problems.
• A minimum of one hour of exercise is recommended.
• Children should have 0 sugary drinks, and the AAP recommends no more than 4–6 ounces of 100% juice per day.
• Children should be getting 10—13 hours of sleep in a 24 hours

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At four years old, children communicate by:

• Naming at least three items from a common category. For example, if you say to them, “Tell me some things that you can eat,” do they answer with something like “cookies, eggs, and cereal”? Or if you say, “Tell me the names of some animals,” do they answer with something like “cow, dog, cat, and elephant”?
• Answering the following questions: “What do you do when you are hungry?” (Acceptable answers include, “get food,” “eat,” “ask for something to eat,” and “have a snack.”) “What do you do when you are tired?” (Acceptable answers include “take a nap,” “rest,” “go to sleep,” “go to bed,” “lie down,” and “sit down.”)
• Tell you at least two things about common objects? For example, if you say to them, “Tell me about your ball,” do they say something like, “It’s round. I throw it. It’s big”?
• Using endings of words, such as “-s,” “-ed,” and “-ing”? For example, they say things like, “I see two cats,” “I am playing,” or “I kicked the ball”?
• Following three directions that are unrelated to one another without help by your pointing or repeating the directions.
• Using complete sentences, including words like “a,” “the,” “am,” “is,” and “are.”

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At four years old, you can see children’s gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can catch a large ball with both hands after two or three tries.
• Can climb the rungs of a ladder of a playground slide and slide down without help.
• Can throw a ball overhand in the direction of a person standing at least six feet away?
• Can hop up and sown on either the right or left foot at least one time without losing balance or falling.
• Can jump forward a distance of 20 inches from a standing position, starting with his feet together?

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At four years old, you can see children’s fine motor skills developing when they:

• Can put together a five-to-seven piece interlocking puzzle.
• Can cut a paper in half on a more or less straight line, making the blades of a child-safe scissors go up and down.
• Can copy at least three of the following shapes onto a large piece of paper: L + I O.
• Can unbutton one or more buttons.
• Can draw pictures of people that have at least three of the following features: head, eyes, nose, mouth, neck, hair, trunk, arms, hands, legs, or feet.
• Can color mostly within the lines in a coloring book or within the lines of a two-inch circle that you draw.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At four years old, children generally:

• Can repeat three numbers that you tell them. For example, if you ask them to say, “six, five, two,” they will repeat the numbers in that order.
• Can point to the correct circle, when given three circles of different sizes and is asked, “Which is the smallest circle?”
• Can follow three different directions using the words “under,” “between,” and “middle” without help in the form of pointing. For example, ask them to put the shoe “under the couch,” put the ball “between the chairs,” and the book “in the middle of the table.”
• Can identify at least five different colors, like red, blue, yellow, orange, black, white, or pink.
• Dresses up and “play-acts,” pretending to be someone or something else. For example, they may pretend to be a mommy, daddy, animal, or teacher.
• Can count five objects in order.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At four years old, children generally:

• Serves themselves, taking food from one container to another using utensils.
• Can tell you at least four of the following: first name, last name, age, city they live in, gender, telephone number.
• Washes their hands using soap and water and dry off with a towel without help.
• Can name two or more playmates, not including brothers and sisters.
• Brushes their teeth by putting toothpaste on the toothbrush and brushing all of their teeth without help.
• Dresses or undresses themselves without help, except for snaps, buttons, and zippers.

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help you live and teach your child to live a healthy life.

At 4 years old:

• Both boys and girls with an average height and weight who are exercising 60 minutes a day should be eating 1,400 calories per day.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no more than 2 hours of screen time a day because watching too much television (TV) and use of other screen media is associated with an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, lower reading scores, and attention problems.
• A minimum of one hour of exercise is recommended.
• Children should have 0 sugary drinks, and the AAP recommends no more than 4–6 ounces of 100% juice per day.
• Children should be getting 10—12 hours of hours of sleep in a 24 hours.

Language and Communication are the skills people use to express oneself and understand others using words, gestures, and facial expressions.

At five years old, children communicate by:

• Naming at least three items from a common category. For example, if you say to them, “Tell me some things that you can eat,” do they answer with something like “cookies, eggs, and cereal”? Or if you say, “Tell me the names of some animals,” do they answer with something like “cow, dog, cat, and elephant”?
• Answering the following questions: “What do you do when you are hungry?” (Acceptable answers include, “get food,” “eat,” “ask for something to eat,” and “have a snack.”) “What do you do when you are tired?” (Acceptable answers include “take a nap,” “rest,” “go to sleep,” “go to bed,” “lie down,” and “sit down.”)
• Using four and five word sentences.
• Uses words that end in “-ed” when talking about something that already happened.
• Uses comparison words, such as “heavier,” “stronger,” or “shorter”?
• Can repeat the following sentences shown below back to you without making mistakes: Jane hides her shoes for Maria to find. Al read the blue book under his bed.

Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. This type of development is divided into two categories of motor skills, which include gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor skills are the coordination of the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, and other activities.

At five years old, you can see children’s gross motor skills developing when they:

• Can throw a ball overhand in the direction of a person standing at least six feet away.
• Catch a large ball with both hands after two or three tries.
• Can stand on one foot for at least five seconds without losing their balance or holding onto anything.
• Can walk on their tiptoes for 15 feet (about the length of a car).
• Can hop forward on one foot for a distance of 4—6 feet without putting down the other foot.
• Can skip using alternating feet.

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of the smaller muscles of the body like those in fingers, hands, and wrist, etc. People use these motor skills when they are picking up small objects.

At five years old, you can see children’s fine motor skills developing when they:

• Can trace a line without going off the line more than two times.
• Can draw a person with a head, body, arms, and legs.
• Can cut a piece of paper in a more or less straight line with child-safe scissors.
• Can copy the following shapes after you draw them: a plus sign, square, and triangle.
• Can copy the following letters without tracing: V, H, T, C, A.
• Can copy the letters of their first name if you print them first, even if their lettering is large, backwards, or reversed.

Problem solving or cognitive skills refer to how a child perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world and includes remembering, problem solving, and decision-making.

At five years old, children generally:

• Can point to the correct circle, when given three circles of different sizes and is asked, “Which is the smallest circle?”
• Can identify at least five different colors, like red, blue, yellow, orange, black, white, or pink.
• Can count up to 15 without making mistakes.
• Can identify opposites. They can finish the sentences using a word that means the opposite of the one of the description words. For example, you can say, “A rock is hard, and a pillow is ___,” and they will repeat, “A rock is hard, and a pillow is soft.”
• Can identify numbers when they see 3, 2, 4, 1, etc.

Personal-social skills are the abilities people use to take care of themselves and interact with others. This includes social development, which includes how children understand themselves in relation to their interactions with others.

At five years old, children generally:

• Serves themselves, taking food from one container to another using utensils.
• Can tell you at least four of the following: first name, last name, age, city they live in, gender, telephone number.
• Washes their hands using soap and water and dry off with a towel without help.
• Can name two or more playmates, not including brothers and sisters.
• Can use the toilet by themselves (sit on the toilet, wipe, and flush even if reminders are needed).

Living a healthy lifestyle is an important factor in your child’s growth and development.  Eating healthy helps children grow, have energy to focus, learn, and be physically active. Physical activity creates healthy hearts and lungs and stronger bones and muscles. Being active, also improves sleep, mood, and decreases stress, which in turn helps them learn and feel better about themselves. So, below are tips, information, and resources to help you live and teach your child to live a healthy life.

At 5 years old:

• Both boys and girls with an average height and weight who are exercising 60 minutes a day should be eating 1,400 calories per day.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no more than 2 hours of screen time a day because watching too much television (TV) and use of other screen media is associated with an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, lower reading scores, and attention problems.
• A minimum of one hour of exercise is recommended.
• Children should have 0 sugary drinks, and the AAP recommends no more than 4–6 ounces of 100% juice per day.
• Children should be getting 10—12 hours hours of sleep in a 24 hours.