DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST

        Young children grow and change almost daily! As a parent, you are the most important person in your baby’s life. You give your baby lots of love and you watch the way your child learns and grow. In preparation for your next appointment with your child’s doctor, use this page to think about what your child is already doing and what concerns or questions you want to discuss with your child’s doctor. This development checklist describes what most children are doing at different stages.

BIRTH TO 12 Months

By 4 Months Old

• Does your baby smile at you when you smile?

• Does your baby watch you when you move?

•      Does your baby make cooing sounds like “ooo” and “aaa”?

• Does your baby lift his head and chest when on his tummy?

• Does your baby play with his hands by touching them together?

By 7 Months Old

• Does your baby laugh and say “bababa” and “dadada”?

• Does your baby turn his head and look at you when you talk to him?

• Does your baby feed himself with his fingers?

• Does your baby roll from his tummy to his back or from his back to his tummy?

• Does your baby learn about toys by putting them in his mouth? (make sure toys are too big to swallow)

• Can your baby stay sitting up by himself?

By 10 Months Old

• Does your baby play “peek-a-boo” or wave “bye-bye” after he sees you do it?

• Does your baby hold something in each hand at the same time?

• Does your baby pick up small things (like cheerio) using his thumb and one finger?

• Does your baby scoot or crawl across the floor on his tummy?

• Does your baby pull up to standing and stand by holding onto furniture?

By 12 Months Old (1 Year old)

• Does your baby shake his head “no”?

• Does your baby look at the right things when you say words like “bottle” or “ball”?

• Does your baby say “Mama” or “Dada” to the right person?

• Does your baby find a toy when he sees you hide it?

• Does your baby take steps when holding onto furniture?

15 Months to 36 Months

By 15 Months Old

• Does your baby point or ask for things he wants?

• Does your baby help with dressing by putting his arm in the sleeve of a shirt?

• Does your baby say any words besides “Mama” or “Dada”?

• Does your baby point to familiar objects when you name them?

• Does your baby scribble on paper using crayons or pencils?

• Does your baby walk by himself?

By 18 Months Old

• Does your child drink from a cup and a spoon?

• Does your child say words to tell you what he wants?

• Does your child like to put things in and take out of containers?

• Does your child like to look at books and turn pages by himself?

By 24 Months Old

• Does your child imitate housework?

• Does your child kick a large ball?

• Does your child ask for items by name?

• Does your child recognize familiar picture – knows if it’s upside down?

By 30 Months Old (2 ½ Years Old)

• Does your child turn the pages of a book, one at a time?

• Does your child wash and dry his hands?

• Has your child begun to ask to go to the bathroom?

• Does your child sometimes use 3 words sentences (like “I want cookie”)?

• Does your child use pronouns like “I”,”you” and “me”?

• Can your child jump from a bottom step?

By 36 Months Old (3 Years old)

• Does your child walk up stairs?

• Does your child stand momentarily on one foot?

• Does your child ride a tricycle?

• Does your child feed himself?

• Does your child verbalize toilet needs?

     Do remember that this is just a tentative checklist. Your child may start few things earlier and few things even later. There is nothing to get annoyed about it. Every child is unique!

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