Early Child Development Checklist

• Your baby is developing even when you can't tell. Of infant for the first time eats porridge image by egorov1976 from Fotolia.com

  Parents worry about their child's development, whether they are newcomers or seasoned veterans. From birth your child is busy learning language, building fine and gross motor skills, and beginning cognitive and social development. Inform yourself on normal stages of child development to see if your child is on track. If not, consider consulting your pediatrician for advice.

Birth to Six Months

• You should begin to monitor the development of your baby from the first weeks following birth. Some babies begin lifting their heads from their parents' shoulders within a week or two, others take longer. By three months of age your baby should be able to lift and turn her head while lying on her stomach and follow objects or people with her eyes. She will turn toward the sound of your voice, toward bright colors or the sound of a favorite toy. She will smile, gurgle at you and enjoy playing "Peek-A-Boo." By six months, your baby should be able to sit with your assistance, grasp objects, shake a rattle, roll over and eat in a high chair. She may imitate you and laugh when you do something funny or yell when she's irritated. She will also begin to recognize people she knows and enjoy smiling at herself in the mirror.

Six Months to One Year

• By the time your child is one year old he should be able to grasp with his thumb and forefinger, allowing him to feed himself finger foods and hold small objects. He will be able to sit on his own and crawl, may be able to pull himself up to the couch and 'cruise,' holding onto couches or tables to walk around. Many babies can stand and walk by a year, the rest will do so within a few more months. One year old children also love to babble, dance along to music and raise their arms to be held. At this time your child may also show love to family members and close friends or cry and become anxious when he is separated from his parents.

One to Two Years

• When your child reaches age two, she will be able to walk, run and play like a 'big kid'. Toddlers love to pull off their socks and shoes, turn book pages, color with crayons and stack blocks. She will be able to feed herself, open cabinets and drawers, roll a ball and identify some body parts. She will begin to enjoy playing pretend games, such as taking care of a baby doll or making appropriate sounds when pushing a toy truck. She will know several hundred words and use simple sentences to tell you what she wants when she wants it.

Three to Five Years

• These years are known as the "Preschool Years." Your child will begin these years by learning to take care of himself, doing things like getting dressed, eating, using the bathroom, putting on slip-on shoes and washing his hands on his own. As time goes on he can draw shapes, faces and begin to memorize and write the ABCs, beginning with the letters in his name. He will be able to build tall block towers, try to skip, stand on one foot, do somersaults and catch a ball. He will be able to count, sort shapes and colors, follow several directions at the same time and enjoy acting out stories, playing dress up or playing hide and seek.

Things to Watch For

• These stages are general and all children develop on their own timeline. If your child doesn't want to play with others or does not respond when spoken to, has trouble with expressing emotion or has difficulty with activities with motor skills such as feeding herself, using the bathroom or brushing her teeth by age five, contact your pediatrician. Also watch for aggressive, timid or overly fearful behavior and concentration delays. If you are worried about your child's development for any reason, call your doctor.