How I Grow In Your Care

Think of what an amazing process early development is. Between birth and age three, babies learn to roll, crawl, stand, walk, run, talk, rhyme, and sing. However, development doesn’t happen in the same way, at the same time, for all children. Some children will develop certain skills (like walking or talking) faster or slower than others. These differences are very normal.

It’s important to remember that development is not a race. What’s most important is tuning into your child’s individual path, building on her strengths, and providing her with support when needed. Development unfolds within loving relationships; ones in which babies and toddlers can explore, learn, and grow.

The first three years of life are a time of amazing learning for young children and for the people who care for them every day. In these years, most children develop new skills in a predictable order -- they crawl before they walk and they point before they use words to tell you what they want.

But every child is unique.

Every child develops at his own pace and reacts to people and the world in his own way.

Every child has his own style of communicating with you.

That's why ZERO TO THREE designed the following three charts to speak to you the parent or caregiver in the child's voice. They are designed to help you see at a glance the steps involved in a child's learning during the earliest months and years of life.

Birth - 8 Months: Young Infants

8 to 18 Months: Explorers

18 Months to 3 Years: Toddlers and Two-Year Olds

It is important to identify developmental delays early so that treatment can minimize the effects of the problem. For more information on Developmental Milestones, visit My Child Without Limits.

It is important to remember that every child develops in his or her own style and at his or her own pace. However, if you are concerned about your child's development and would like to speak to someone, please review Concerns about Child Development.