Every baby has its own rhythm; the ranges below are average windows. What matters is not the date of a single skill, but that development keeps moving forward.

Milestones

Month Motor Social-Language
1 Lifts head briefly while on tummy Looks at faces, startles at sound
2 Lifts head 45° Social smile ✨, cooing begins
3 Holds head upright, explores hands Laughs out loud
4 Sits with support, reaches for objects Belly laughs, turns toward sound
6 Begins to sit without support, rolls over Babbles (ba-ba), responds to name
7-8 Pre-crawling movements, transfers (hand to hand) Stranger anxiety begins
9 Crawls, pulls to stand Waves "bye-bye", plays peek-a-boo
10-11 Cruising (walking while holding on) Meaningful "mama/dada"
12 First steps (10-18 month window) 1-3 words, understands simple commands

Warning Signs — These Require an Examination

  • At 3 months: unable to hold head at all, no eye contact
  • At 6 months: no smiling, no response to sounds
  • At 9 months: unable to sit without support, no babbling
  • At 12 months: not pointing, not looking at name
  • At any age: loss of an acquired skill (regression) → urgent evaluation
  • Markedly using one side of the body less

Support Development

  • Tummy time (face-down play): every day while awake, starting from the first month
  • Talk a lot, read books — the engine of language development is the parent's voice
  • No screens before 18 months (video calls excepted)
  • Freedom on a safe surface instead of a baby walker

For regular percentile and developmental monitoring: Well-Child Visits