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Infant and toddler development is one of the most crucial times for a child. Learning how to hold their heads up, walk, show different emotions, and eat on their own is a huge time for kids. Infants and toddlers grow, physically, emotionally, and mentally at these times. Being surrounded in safe and loving environments and by people they love will help a child’s growth. At this time, toddlers are learning how to form connections using different parts of their brains. It truly is amazing how the mind of a child so young can work.

Putting a child in a daycare can be a scary thing for both the child and the parents. The reason I say scary is because most children tend to cry a bit on the first day before they realize they are in good hands and that their parents would be coming back shortly. The reason it is scary for parents is because the parent has to let their child go for a few hours everyday. However, putting infants and toddlers in childcare centers can help them grow tremendously. Being with a teacher for so many hours a day and going through things like circle time, learning hour, shapes, colors, and so much more can help a child grow much faster. It gives a child time to socialize with other children, it shows them how to share with other kids and make friends. It helps them to form personalities and make them grow as a child. Daycare centers are also known to boost a Childs confidence tremendously. It helps them with their communication skills, and even teaches them independence. Leaning independence for a child would help the Childs transition into kindergarten go much smoother. That is, along with everything else they have learned in the daycare. Daycares help kids grow and learn how to work and play with others. Daycares set children up to follow a certain routine everyday, from nap time, to eating times, play times, and even circle and learning times. This helps a child to learn how to make a routine for themselves.

The first book I suggest for parents to use to help their children grow and mature is titled, “Ages and Stages: A Parents Guide to Normal Childhood Development.” This book helps show a parent how their child should be developing psychologically. This book covers cognitive, emotional, personal growth, and relationships. This book even includes fun activities to help a child’s development.

The next book I would suggest is titles, “What’s Going on in There?: How The Brain and Mind Develop in The First Five Years.” This book is by a neuroscientist. It explains to parents things such as, how a baby brain. is formed, cognitive abilities, and how senses and skills are developed. This book takes a parent through a Childs social and emotional behaviors, senses, mental functions, and much more.

The last book I suggest is titled, “Brain Rules for Baby: How To Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five.” This is another book that shows us how a Childs brain works. This book shows things such as where nature ends and nurture begins. It also shows why TV can be harmful for children under the age of two and much more.

Technology:

Technology is something that expands by the day. A few years ago who would have though we would have fully touch screen phones that unlock just by putting your face up to it. Technology is a present thing in all kids lives. Excessive amounts of technology can impact a Childs social and behavioral skills. Kids are also found to have little to no focus on anything else when technology is surrounding them. One of the best ways to try and keep children away from these habits is limiting the amount of time they spend on technology a day. There are even apps that shut off the device once the time for the children to use the tablet or so is done. Parents are the ones of course to show what amount of time their child can spend on the technology through the app.

Environmental:

Things like the physical enviornment a child grows up in can affect a child immensely. If a child grows up in a loving and learning home then it is extremely common for the child to be more smart and affectionate early on. A toddler growing up in a messy and loud environment can lead to things such as aggression found in them later on. One way to help ensure your infant and toddler is being raised In a good environment is to make sure the child is surrounded by clean things and they are clean themselves. Another thing would be to make sure the child is being raised in a home that is not too cramped and loud, one way to make sure this happens is to make sure everyone in the home is talking in soothing or regular voices.

Nutritional:

An infant who grows up drinking lots of milk, and eating proper things the more they grow tend to have things such as stronger muscles later on in life. A child should have a roof over their head, food, and water, seeing as those are the most basic things needed in life. Nutrition is extremely important in that it helps a child grow mentally and physically. One way for parents to help ensure their child gets the nutritional benefits they need is by breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps children in a number of ways including an improved cognitive mind.

Infant and Toddler development is the earliest onset development for children. The different milestones for infants and toddlers shows each stage of their development. Even though a lot of infants and toddlers reach certain milestones together or near one another, that does not mean there are some who fall ahead or behind that window.

Physical Milestone

One of the most interesting facts to me is that infants develop physically by starting with the necks and heads. The head is one of the first things an infant can hold up on their own due to this. By the time a child is a year old they should be that they are able to take a few steps on their own. The best way for parents to help their child get to this stage would be helping their child walk around a few times a day. Starting with the most obvious thing, holding their hands and then letting them walk without a parent but using furniture instead. This helps a child to learn to support themselves the more they walk.

Cognitive Milestone

As infants and toddlers grow older, they begin to realize and understand how different things around them work. For example, they will bang their cups against a table to hear the sound over and over again. By the time a child is two years old they should be able to sort out shapes and colors. Going through the different shapes and colors with a child a few times a day will help them increase their knowledge in this. When a parent asks a child this age is asked what shape a square is, they will be able to tell you. Quite interesting how fast a Childs mind can work. I think people often feel kids are not as smart as they truly are.

Social and Emotional Milestone

In this we learn how infants and toddlers learn to realize the people surrounding them, who they want and need, as well as many other emotions. By the time a child is two to three years old, they should be able to express their own thoughts and feelings using small phrases. The way a parent can help a child through this is just simply showing them as much love and affection as they can. Also, talking to them about little things and saying things such as “I love you” will help with the small phrases. It is quite unique watching a child grow and be able to do things so quickly after they are born. They do understand more than they let on.