I Love Sweet Peas

Age: About 3 Months

Motor Skills
*Begins to lift head when held on your shoulder.
*Lifts head and chest when lying on stomach.
*Begins to turn head from side to side when placed on stomach.
*Begins to smile.
*Follows a moving person or object with his eyes.
*Discovers hands and feet.
*Grasps a rattle when placed in his hand.

Cognitive Skills
*Turns head towards bright colors and lights.
*Recognizes human voice sounds.
*Recognizes the bottle or breast

Social Skills And Language
*Begins to make cooing or gurgling sounds.
*Can often be quieted down by the sound of a soothing voice or when held.
*Able to communicate hunger, fears, or discomfort through crying and facial expressions.

Age: About 6 Months

Motor Skills
*Holds head steady when helped to a sitting position.
*Reaches for and grasps objects. Moves toys from one hand to the other.
*Discovers and plays with his toes.
*Rolls over.
*Begins to explore by placing objects in mouth and banging.
*Can pull herself to a sitting position if you grasp her hands.
*May sit in a high chair with a little support.

Cognitive Skills
*Opens her mouth when she sees the spoon at feeding time.
*Responds when spoken to.
*Listens intently and smiles often.
*Begins to imitate familiar actions that you perform.

Social Skills and Language
*Babbles, begins to make singsong sounds.
*Recognizes familiar faces.
*Shows his delight by laughing and squealing.
*Yells or screams if he becomes annoyed.
*Smiles at self in the mirror.

Age: About 12 Months

Motor Skills
*Gets Into A Sitting Position Without Assistance.
*Sits Well Without Support.
*Pulls Self Up To Stand And Walks Holding Onto Furniture.
*Crawls Forward On Belly.
*Drinks From A Cup With Help.
*Feeds Self Finger Foods Like Crackers Or Cereal.
*Places Objects Into And Takes Them Out Of A Container.
*Uses Pincer Grasp (Thumb And Index Or Forefinger).

Cognitive Skills
*Searches For An Object That He Sees Fall Out Of Sight.
*Responds To Simple Verbal Requests Like "No".
*Imitates Sounds And Gestures That You Make.
*Responds To Music With Body Motions.
*Begins To Use Objects Correctly
(Cup, Comb, Listens To Receiver If A Phone Is Placed In His Hand).
*Explores Objects In Different Ways (Shaking, Dropping, Throwing, And Banging).

Social Skills And Language
*Says "Dada" And "Mama".
*Babbles With Inflection In His Tone Of Voice.
*Recognizes Names Of Other Family Members.
*Raises Arms When He Wants To Be Picked Up.
*Shows Affection To Adults That He Is Familiar With.
*Shows Apprehension Around Strangers.
*Exhibits Separation Anxiety When Parent Leaves.

Age: About 18 Months

Motor Skills
*Walks independently.
*Scribbles with crayons.
*Turns a page in a book.
*Is able to push, pull and dump things.
*Can carry a stuffed animal or doll.
*Builds a tower of 2 blocks.
*Can take off socks, mittens, and hats.

Cognitive Skills
*Follows simple instructions.
*Finds objects when hidden.
*Identifies a familiar object in a picture book.
*Solves problems by trial and error.
*Begins to sort by shapes and color (e.g. Puts a round lid on a round pot).
 

Social Skills and Language
*Has a vocabulary of about 8-10 words that can be understood.
*Uses phrases like "bye-bye","hi", and "please", when prompted.
*Repeats words overheard in conversation.
*Makes eye contact when someone is talking to him.
*Asks for mother or father specifically.
*Brings toys or books to share with parent or caretaker.
*Plays alone on the floor with toys.
*Competes with other children for toys.
*Exhibits separation anxiety when parent leaves.
*Points to items that he wants. .
 

Age: About 2 years

Motor Skills
*Feeds self with a spoon.
*Able to drink from a straw.
*Walks up stairs with help.
*Opens cabinets and drawers.
*Bends over to pick things up without falling.
*Builds a tower of 3-4 blocks.
*Can roll and kick a large ball.
*Begins to run.
*May show a preference for one hand over the other.
*Scribbles spontaneously.

Cognitive Skills
*Begins make believe play.
*Enjoys taking things apart.
*Wants to explore her surroundings.
*Can and will follow directions.
*Can point to 5-6 different body parts when asked.
*Enjoys looking at the same books over and over again.
*May express interest in potty training.
 

Social Skills and Language
*Has a vocabulary that includes several hundred words.
*Begins to use 2-3 word sentences.
*Learning to take turns with other children but generally plays along side, rather than with other children.
*Gets angry and may have temper tantrums.
*Possessive of his toys.
*Refers to self either by name or by using "me" or "mine".
*Acts shy around strangers.
*Likes to imitate parents or caregiver.