The physical stages of development happen at a different pace for every child. Some physical milestones are more important than others, providing crucial clues to a child's health and development. Knowing what to look for can help you gauge where your child is on the spectrum of physical development, so you know which skills to help him work on through play and activities.
Neck and Head Development
A newborn baby has little or no head control, thanks to weak muscles in the neck. As she gets a little older, you'll notice that she can hold her head up for short periods of time. By 2-months of age, she should be able to hold up her head for 10 seconds at a time. It's a good idea to start implementing "tummy time," where you give your baby the chance to lay on her tummy to strengthen her neck muscles as she tries to look around her. Tummy time is also valuable for learning how to crawl.
Rolling and Scooting
While your child takes the time on his tummy to learn how to control his head movements, he'll soon learn that he can roll and scoot from this position, as well. Learning how to roll over from back to front and front to back helps him learn about his own individual movements. Some babies also learn how to "army crawl" around 6-months of age, scooting on his tummy by moving his arms and legs.
Sitting Up
Sitting up is a stage of development that can be hard to master. It requires balance, and that means your baby is likely in for a few bumps on the head. When she seems interested in sitting, try doing so with pillows around, to catch her if she falls. Babies love to sit up and see the world round them, and learning to sit up is a huge developmental milestone that happens at about 6- to 8-months of age.
Crawling
Crawling is an interesting stage of development because not all children do it. Some children are happy to crawl for months on end, while some transition quickly from sitting and army crawling to walking. Don't be alarmed if your child does not crawl. Dr. Catherine D. DeAngelis, who is editor of The Journal of the American Medical Association and a professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, noted in a recent article by the New York Times that crawling is not necessary for a child's growth, and while some children crawl, others never do though there is no difference in their developmental patterns. (See Reference 2.)
Walking
Your child should begin walking anywhere from the 10- to 14-month range. Each baby is different so don't compare your child with other babies who are already walking. Before she walks, you'll notice her "cruising," holding onto furniture to get around while on her feet. This is good practice for walking as it teaches baby about distances, the feeling of walking and what muscle groups to use.
Gross Motor Skills
As your child grows and develops into a toddler and preschooler, he'll start to work on those gross motor skills, those skills that engage large groups of muscles. Running, throwing a ball, jumping and skipping all require gross motor skills, and learning how to do these things is a lengthy stage of physical development that may last well into his later childhood years.
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are those that engage small muscle groups in order to accomplish precise movements. After learning the basics, your child will continue to develop by learning how to make precise movements by coloring inside the lines, turning the pages of a book and writing. You can assist with this developmental stage by offering games and activities that will exercise her fine motor skills: playing with modeling clay, helping to measure cooking ingredients or practicing with a lace-up card.
