Year One Developmental Milestones

Your baby’s first year is a whirlwind of incredible growth, filled with moments to cherish. From their first smile to their first steps, TLC Therapy Services is here to guide you through this extraordinary time. Let’s explore key moments to expect during this amazing year.

At 2 Months: Early Connections

At 2 months, your baby begins to engage more intently with their surroundings. This is a time of growing communication and rapid development, where you can witness the first signs of their personality emerging.

Language: Listen for soft coos and gurgles—early attempts at “conversation.” They will react to loud noises and become more aware of sound.
Cognitive: Their gaze will begin to focus, lingering on your face and toys. They will also start tracking your movements, following you with their eyes.
Social: Prepare for the joy of their first smiles, especially when you approach. They will also respond to your smile and find comfort in your voice.
Feeding: They will turn their head toward the breast or bottle, ready to feed. They will also learn to latch, suck, and swallow milk with increasing ease.
Movement: Watch for increased arm and leg movement. They will begin lifting their head briefly during tummy time and opening their hands for short periods.

Your baby is beginning to communicate and move, forming the foundation of their connection with you and the world.

At 4 Months: Curious and Strong

At 4 months, your baby becomes more interactive, showing off their growing strength and coordination.

Language: They will respond with playful noises, engaging in “conversations” with you. They turn their head toward your voice, showing they are listening.
Cognitive: They discover their hands and open their mouth when they see the bottle or breast, anticipating feeding.
Social: They try to get your attention with smiles, movements, and even little giggles.
Movement: They can hold a toy placed in their hand, bring their hands to their mouth, swing at toys, and push up on their elbows during tummy time.
Feeding: They hold their head up when supported and bring their hands to the breast or bottle during feeding.

Your baby is actively engaging with their surroundings, developing stronger muscles, and revealing more of their personality.

At 6 Months: Discovery and Expression

At 6 months, your baby enters a phase of intense discovery and self-expression. These milestones begin to fit more neatly into the key areas mentioned in page one of this guide.

Language: They take turns making sounds, mimicking conversation. They may also stick out their tongue, blow raspberries, and squeal.
Cognitive: They explore toys with their mouth, reach to grab them, and indicate “no” to more food by closing their lips.
Social: They recognize familiar faces, enjoy looking at themselves in mirrors, and laugh with their whole body.
Movement: They roll from tummy to back, push up with straight arms during tummy time, and lean on their hands for support while sitting.
Feeding: They bring hands or toys to their mouth, sit supported in a highchair, open their mouth for a spoon, and use their tongue to move food for swallowing.

Your baby is actively exploring, engaging in new ways, and revealing more of their developing personality.

At 9 Months: Mobility and Words

At 9 months, your baby prepares for their first birthday by becoming more mobile and vocal. They are on the move.

Language: They make sounds like “ma-ma-ma” and “ba-ba-ba” and raise their arms to be picked up.
Cognitive: They bang objects together and search for items that have fallen out of sight.
Social: They may show caution around strangers, beam during peek-a-boo, respond to their name, display facial expressions, and react when you leave.
Movement: They sit unaided, use fingers to gather food, transfer objects between hands, and maintain an upright seated position.
Feeding: They lean forward for food, bring food to their mouth, attempt to grasp a spoon, and drink from a cup with minor spills.

Your baby is now actively exploring, learning to communicate, and moving with greater ease.

Baby's First Birthday Milestones

By their first birthday, your baby has achieved more remarkable milestones, revealing their incredible growth.

Language: They pause when you say “no,” wave goodbye, and call parents “mama” or “dada.”
Cognitive: They put toys in containers and find hidden objects.
Social: They play games like pat-a-cake and engage in simple back-and-forth interactions.
Movement: They pull up to stand using furniture and take steps while holding on.
Feeding: They hold a bottle or sippy cup, hold a spoon, feed themselves with fingers, take small bites, chew on both sides, and close their lips to swallow.

Your baby is now actively engaging with their surroundings, showing increasing understanding and mobility abilities.

Activities to Support Your Child’s Development at Home

Your baby’s first year is a time of rapid growth, and you play a significant role in nurturing their development through everyday activities.

Talk to your baby frequently, describing your actions and singing simple songs to expose them to rhythm and patterns of conversation.

Engage their visual tracking skills by moving toys slowly and introduce cause-and-effect through games like peek-a-boo.

Social and emotional development can be strengthened by playing interactive games, making silly faces, and encouraging laughter.

Promote movement and physical skills with regular tummy time. Keep it fun, and lie with them. Try placing toys just out of reach to motivate reaching and pushing up.

When introducing solid foods, offer a variety of soft, mashed textures and allow them to explore self-feeding with their hands or a spoon.

These simple interactions create joyful bonding moments and significantly contribute to healthy development.

If your child is not meeting these milestones, trust your instincts and reach out for support. Every baby develops at their own pace, but if you notice delays in movement, communication, or social engagement, early intervention can be beneficial. Some signs to look out for include difficulty holding their head up, not responding to sounds or their name, limited eye contact, or not reaching for objects.

Not sure if your child is meeting expected milestones?

Have questions? TLC Therapy Services is here to help! Call us for an appointment at (770) 696-6649, or fill out the contact form below—we’re happy to guide you toward the right support.