The most rewarding part of child care is seeing them develop from a small, swaddled bundle into a fully-fledged human being with their own unique thoughts and feelings. Of course, if the process were simply watching them, it would not feel so much like work, but nothing good comes without some associated cost. So, did you know that the early years are some of the most critical for your child’s future development?
Indeed, there is more and more research coming out every day that shows how children learn behaviours very young and associate with them throughout their later years. An excellent example of this is vision, which, without the proper stimuli, will start to deteriorate or change as kids age. Therefore, it is important to know and understand the five stages of your child’s development and how you can assist them in growing at their best.
The Five Stage of Child Development
Newborn
The newborn stage occurs from birth until 18 months of age. At this stage, your child will be focusing on identifying faces and rounding out the use of their eyes. Plus, they will also be learning to balance their head properly and strengthening their neck muscles to support the weight. Finally, their communication is limited, which means they will primarily communicate through different crying sounds.
As a parent or guardian, you can assist your baby’s development by providing ample visual stimuli. This will aid them in understanding colours, shapes and substances in the long term. Plus, it will certainly help keep them preoccupied in the meanwhile!
Infant
Between 18 months and two years, your offspring is considered an infant. In this stage, you will see a marked increase in mobility as they start crawling and manipulating objects. Mentally, they will also start developing a relationship between cause and effect, and the beginnings of oral communication.
Typically, the time of infancy is where babyproofing your home becomes essential, as kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets become little windows to adventure for your curious kid. You will also need to focus on speech and mobility exercises, for they do not hurt themselves.
Toddler
The toddler stage of development shares significant overlap with infancy. Characterized by the period of 18 months and three years, toddlers will learn to walk, form short sentences and become more autonomous. This might include playing independently, but more than likely, it will take the form of advocating for their needs. The stage of saying “no!” will occur as a toddler, and no amount of mental preparation will feel sufficient.
As their caretaker, you will want to continue encouraging their mobility and speech behaviours. In particular, reading short, kid-friendly stories during quiet times can be a great boon to their development. However, the most essential responsibility is allowing them to explore and make mistakes within reasonable boundaries.
Preschool
The last stage of their pre-adolescent development is preschool. Between 3 and 5 years of age, this stage is essential for long-term development and growth. Numerous studies show that this is the ideal time for learning musical instruments, engaging in physical sports or competitions and starting on the journey to learning a new language.
School Age
Ultimately, your child’s growth will extend into the later parts of their life, just as you continue to grow, change and develop. However, in the age range of 6-12 years, they will learn about peer relationships and how to form appropriate bonds. Additionally, this is also typically the time where you will begin to see mental health concerns emerge that may impact their learning and goals.
Give Them the Best Child Care
Now that you know the five stages of child care and development and what you can do to assist their growth, you might feel that it is overwhelming. However, this should not be a cause for concern. Instead, give us a call at 2000 Days Daycare so we can help you and your child achieve the best possible outcomes!
2000 Days Daycare is the daycare in Calgary SW, where your child will learn, laugh and grow. Our focus is to ensure that the first 2000 days of your child’s life (the most important for development) is maximized. We provide the platform where your child develops the soft skills that can help them communicate effectively, get along with other children, control their emotions, develop self-motivation and help them creatively solve problems. As a family operated and owned SW Calgary daycare centre, we give the extra time, attention and care that your children deserve, so they can develop the skills to excel at school and grow in self-confidence. Feel free to contact us at 403-319-2332 (Extension 1) or book a tour of our Calgary daycare today!