Milestone markers

Know when you should have the camcorder on standby with the help of our handy guide.

As your baby begins to learn all sorts of new tricks, you will likely find yourself torn between being proud of his achievements and feeling sad he’s growing up so quickly! Here are a few big milestones you can expect your little guy to experience in his first year of life.

Head control
By the time your baby is 1 month old, he’ll likely be able to lift his head briefly to look around, but it may take three to four months before he’s able to gain control of his head and neck for longer periods. Though you will see improvements along the way, don’t expect the apple of your eye to have full head control until around the 6-month mark.

Tip: Help your baby gain head control by laying him on his stomach and making a noise or shining a light above him.
He’ll respond by attempting to lift his head in search of the source.

Rolling over
Your baby may be able to turn from his back to his stomach as early as 2 to 3 months, but rolling back to his tummy may take a little longer—usually about 5 to 6 months. Your tiny bodybuilder will start strengthening the muscles needed to perform a full 360-degree rotation around 3 months, lifting his head to look up while he’s on his stomach. By 5 months, this skill will progress to pushing up on his arms and lifting his head and chest off the ground while arching his back. Before you know it, he will be flipping like a pancake!

Tip: Try wiggling a toy by his side just out of reach to encourage your little guy to roll over to get it.

Sitting up
Your baby may become interested in sitting independently anywhere between 4 and 7 months. First he will need to learn head control, and then how to prop himself up using his arms. Once baby can balance with the help of just one arm while in a sitting position, it will only be a matter of time before he’s sitting pretty all on his own.

Tip: Distract your baby from losing his balance while he’s sitting by holding his attention with intriguing toys. And make sure to stay close in case he topples over!

Crawling
Most babies start crawling between 6 and 10 months, though some skip this step altogether. Once your tiny tot can sit well on his own, he will gradually learn to switch from a seated to an all-fours position (often around the 6-month mark). After realizing he can rock back and forth in this position, your little critter will learn that by pushing off his knees, he can move forward. At this point, make sure your whole house has been babyproofed—there’s no telling where your speed demon could end up!

Tip: To help your baby become a master crawler, begin by placing toys just out of his reach. Then step up the difficulty level by creating a mini obstacle course out of soft objects like pillows and cushions.

Standing
Almost right away, if you hold your baby under his arms so he’s upright, he will dangle his legs down and push against the floor, mimicking walking. By the time he’s about 5 months old, he’ll discover the joy of “bouncing” while you balance him on the tops of your thighs. These activities will help him strengthen the leg muscles he needs to stand and eventually walk on his own. Around 8 months, your little one will probably start pulling himself up into a standing position using furniture and other handholds within his reach. He will eventually experiment with letting go for several seconds at a time until he can stand completely unassisted.

Tip: Be sure you give baby plenty of help finding his land legs by supporting him while he learns how to balance. Always stay nearby, but don’t make a big deal if he tumbles to the ground—after all, he doesn’t have a long way to fall!

Walking
Ah, the first steps. Many consider it the mother of all milestones. Once your baby can stand for a few seconds without support, he can start “cruising” from one piece of furniture to the next. After he learns to bend his knees to squat and return to a seated position (usually somewhere around the 9- or 10-month mark), he will be well on his way to walking all by himself. Some babies will be teetering along by the end of the first year, while it is completely normal for others to wait much longer to take those first unassisted steps.

Tip: Help your baby gain confidence in his mobility by letting him grip your hand while toddling around the living room.
If he gets stuck while standing, resist the urge to pick him up so he can figure it out all on his own.

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