Chronological markers before the age of 3 years
Some key dates are useful to know for future parents
The benchmarks listed below correspond to the development of a child living in a stimulating and protective (conversely, the more a child experiences over a long period of unfavorable living conditions, most of these conditions can have a negative impact on quality of cognitive development, even encourage a delay of acquisitions).
0-3 months: the baby's eyes follow an object in both directions in space (1-2 months) smiling-response (2-3 months) holding the head (3 months).
3 to 6 months: interest in objects, laughing, cooing. Schematically, the changing tone continues to head toward the neck and trunk, pelvis, upper limbs and lower limbs.
6 to 9 months: Sits unsupported, carries objects or a cake in his mouth, manipulates cubes from one hand to another (7-9 months), pointing at, playing "peekaboo, there he is" , repeat a syllable: mama, baba, tata, Dad (9th month).
Around this age, behaviorally, the child leaves gradually a state where it is indistinguishable from his surroundings to enter a period where he sees himself as separate from the environment and especially his mother.
He is shy or fearful with strangers (concept of "anxiety of the eighth month"). It often attaches to an object (piece of cloth, plush ...) whose smell, the softness and warmth allow it to better tolerate the separation: it is the "transitional object" or "security blanket".
9 to 12 months: the evolution of digital clamp to grasp small objects or coins (thumb and fingers: 8-10 months, thumb and index finger: 10-13 months); concept of object permanence ( acquired around 10 months): the child will look for a hidden object under a cloth or in hand, he is standing with support (8-10 months), sits down and starts standing alone. The child has a number of keywords based on the situations identified by him (goodbye, well done, gives, like).
12 to 18 months: the language appears: first in the form of separate words, "word sentence" that can take on several meanings, such as "mom" may designate the person but also the bag, the shoes ... Mum. The words are then grouped in pairs. Development of autonomy in certain actions (drinking glass, using a spoon), learns to walk. The child discovers his body: he likes watching his image in the mirror (mirror stage). It can and likes to show his nose, his mouth ... at the request.
18 months to 2 years: further development of autonomy: walking acquired, understanding and responding to simple commands. Around the 24th month, it combines two words ("daddy party"), has an increased ability (superimposed objects, tower of cubes). It includes how to remove the pellet from the bottle by inversion.
2-3 years: now the child is very independent in his travels, one undresses and starts to put some clothes. Acquisition of clean days (22-30 months), night (around 3 years on average). He begins to use a pencil. The language is enriched, made short phrases, "I" appears about three years. Understanding the meaning of different objects is increasing. This results in the imitation game with the dolls, cars, ... symbolic play as the plane represented by two crossed sticks.
In general, what is important is to feel good contact with the infant. He smiles, looks at he or his surroundings, on the contrary, he remains indifferent, passive? Can you catch his eye, his attention permanently or is there a constant hyperactivity?
Evaluation of hearing
A good appreciation of what development course assumes that the child has normal hearing. In infants from the age of 3 months, the reaction to noise (voice, bell) can be identified before a rotation of his head toward the sound source. Screening from the whispered voice is possible at 2-3 years old.
Affectivity
It is defined by the range of feelings and emotions in relation to self and others. Several stages were described according to the physiological function associated.
Between 0 and 18 months, the pleasure is largely related to food and its accompaniments; conflicts are expressed around the food ("oral stage").
2 to 3 years depending on the child, comes the period of education sphincter with its pleasures (that retain or to expel, to be clean or dirty) and conflicts with peers ("anal stage"). This period was also one of the opposition of the child in relation to parental prohibitions he discovers. It results in the "NO", the anger sometimes impressive (rolls on the ground, sobbing spasm ...).