By Nathalie Vallerand

Babies learn fast. In no time they can smile and roll over, walk and talk, draw, and even make friends. As they grow, they pick up all sorts of abilities in different areas.

Their cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor skills begin to develop as soon as they’re born. Like puzzle pieces, these four major areas come together to form a whole known as global development.

For healthy development, a child’s physical needs (e.g., food, sleep, safety) and emotional needs must be met. This ensures that they are alert and mentally ready to take on different learning opportunities. “Children need to feel loved and cherished by their parents. When they’re upset, they need to be comforted. These emotional building blocks allow them to develop self-confidence and self-esteem, which helps them learn,” says Caroline Roussel, a psychoeducator for the early stimulation programs at the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

A stimulating environment is also key. “For their brains to activate, children need to explore their surroundings, interact with other kids, go outside, play, and try new things,” says Miriam Beauchamp, director of the ABCs Developmental Neuropsychology Lab co-run by Université de Montréal and CHU Sainte-Justine.

Children don’t need highly complex activities to develop properly. In fact, they learn the most from everyday situations and their interactions with you. All you need to do is give them lots of opportunities to learn every day.

For example, when your little one picks up and plays with objects around the house, they’re developing their motor skills and curiosity and exploring new concepts (e.g., bigger, smaller, up, down). In addition, meeting other children at daycare, the community centre, or the park stimulates their interest in interacting with others.

Each at their own pace

No two kids are alike. One might start walking at 10 months, and another at 15 months. Some might say their first words before taking their first steps, while others do the opposite. That’s why it’s best to avoid comparing your child to others.

“All children develop at their own pace, depending on their genetics, personality, and preferences,” says Beauchamp. “Their level of stimulation is also an important influence. A child who receives a lot of language stimulation, for example, might start speaking earlier.”

It’s important to consider your child’s abilities when setting the bar for success. “When children feel pressured or like they’re not meeting expectations, they can develop anxiety and feel incompetent, which can damage their self-esteem,” explains Roussel. “This may cause them to start avoiding situations where they might fail, to become withdrawn, or to regress in certain ways.”

The best strategy is to observe your child’s abilities and start with small, achievable challenges. For example, if your child is crawling, you could place an object on the ground a little further away from them to encourage them to crawl to it at their own pace.

As the months go by, your child will develop their motor, cognitive and language, emotional, and social skills.

Children don’t always master the same skills at the same age, but they do go through the same developmental stages. “Children develop in a predictable sequence. They start simple, then move on to more complex tasks. Before taking their first steps, for instance, they learn how to creep, crawl, and stand upright,” explains Miriam Beauchamp, director of the ABCs Developmental Neuropsychology Lab run by Université de Montréal and CHU Sainte-Justine.

Read on to learn about the four major areas of child development.

Motor development

Motor development includes gross and fine motor skills.

Gross motor skills are big movements, like crawling, walking, running, and rolling over, that require the use of larger muscles. “My 9-month-old, Loïk, can stand upright while holding on to furniture,” says Emanuelle Roy-Paradis, who also has two other children named Caleb and Alicia with her partner, Cécilia Moreno-Rivera. “He bounces whenever he hears a song in Spanish, Cécilia’s native language. He can also take a few steps with the help of his baby walker.”

One of the first skills that babies master is using their neck muscles to turn, lift, and hold up their head. Eventually they learn how to roll over, sit up, creep, crawl, walk, go up stairs, climb, jump, run, balance on one foot, pedal, and more.

“As children grow, their balance, coordination, and agility improve,” says Beauchamp. “This allows them to master more difficult movements, like kicking a ball while running.”

Fine motor skills are more precise movements done with the hands and fingers. “Our son Émile is 4 and a half and can zip up his own coat,” say Sophie Lalancette and Charles Langlois, who also have a 6-year-old son. “He’s very handy with scissors. Once, he even made himself a mask.” However, Émile still can’t tie his shoelaces, a skill that children generally acquire at age 5 or 6.

Children learn more precise movements as they develop hand-eye coordination and the ability to use both hands independently. For example, they can pick up different objects, give high-fives, point, flip the pages of a book, thread beads, hold a pencil, and unscrew a lid.

Cognitive and language development

From birth, babies are already developing cognitive abilities such as thinking, memory, attention, reasoning, and planning. These skills allow them to learn, solve problems, exercise judgment, and understand their surroundings. They also start developing their language skills.

During their first year, babies start to grasp the concept of cause and effect through their random actions. “For example, your baby might shake a noisy rattle and realize that their action is causing a reaction,” explains Beauchamp. “So, they’ll shake the rattle again to recreate that noise. It’s the beginning of reasoning.” After age 1, babies start to develop object permanence, the understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when they’re out of sight.

In terms of language acquisition, babies start by cooing (vowel sounds like “ahhh” and “oooh”), then transition to babbling (syllables like “ba ba ba” and “pa pa pa”). By 12 to 16 months, they understand that words have meaning and say their first words.

Symbolic thinking develops between 18 months and 3 years. At this stage, children are able to represent objects and people in their minds. They can solve simple problems, like putting together a puzzle. They also start to engage in pretend play. Emanuelle and Cécilia’s 3-year-old daughter, Alicia, loves playing pretend. “She likes to pretend that she’s cooking or fixing things. She also loves dinosaurs and has an imaginary dinosaur friend who sleeps in the basement.”

Between the ages of 3 and 5, children’s creativity and reasoning abilities improve drastically. For example, they can use logical reasoning to understand that a smaller box can hold fewer things than a bigger box. “I’m pregnant, and my partner has nicknamed me Mama Whale,” says Alexandra Loembe, mother of 3-year-old Noah. “The other day, my son made a logical connection and called his dad Papa Whale. We had a good laugh!”

Noah is also starting to understand rules better. “I taught Noah about stoplights and told him to always wait for the green light before crossing the street,” says his father, William Longmene. “Now, he’s the one who reminds me to wait for the light to change!”

A 4- or 5-year-old can carry on a conversation, even if they make mistakes. “People understand Émile when he speaks,” says Sophie. “But he still mixes up time-related words, like yesterday and tomorrow.”

Emotional development

Emotional development is essential for children to learn how to express themselves, recognize and control their emotions, and decipher the emotions of others, explains Beauchamp. “This is the foundation on which all future relationships are built,” she says.

Your baby’s emotional development begins with the bond you share. It is through the parent-child relationship that babies develop a sense of security and self-assurance.

During their first few months of life, they might be fearful of strangers. “Whenever Loïk meets someone new, he clings to Cécilia,” says Emanuelle. But this fear doesn’t last. Thanks to the emotional security provided by their parents, children eventually open up to others. They develop a need to explore and be autonomous. Plus, they learn how to be empathetic, compassionate, resilient, and assertive.

Emotional development plays a central role in self-discovery, relationship building, self-regulation, patience, self-confidence, and, eventually, academic success. That’s why it’s important for parents to interact with their children, allow them to make choices, and help them regulate their emotions and understand the emotions of others.

Social development

For children to build relationships and get along with others, their social development is key. They need social skills to make friends, get along with others, resolve conflicts peacefully, and collaborate with other children. “Most of our day-to-day activities require interacting with others,” points out Beauchamp.

“Family is the first place where children learn to socialize.” A child’s first interactions are the looks and smiles shared with their parents. Once children start spending time with other kids and adults, their social skills improve.

But they will not intuitively know how to share, wait their turn, be polite, lend a hand, collaborate, follow rules, make compromises, or resolve conflicts. These behaviours need to be learned. “When Noah’s friends come over to play, he still has trouble sharing certain toys,” says Alexandra. “But I’ve noticed that he’s better at sharing and cooperating when he’s with his friend Emma, who is a year older. For example, they take turns pushing each other when they play with his toy car.”

Giving your child opportunities to interact with others will help them develop their social skills over time.

Every day, you support your child’s development through countless simple gestures.

“Every moment you spend with your child is an opportunity for stimulation,” says Caroline Roussel, a psychoeducator for the early stimulation programs at the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. “For example, when you dress your baby, you can point out and name the items of clothing and body parts to promote language development.” These interactions also support young children’s emotional and social development.

Something as simple as baking a cake with your child can have a profound impact. This type of activity stimulates every area of your child’s development: motor skills (when pouring and mixing ingredients), cognitive and language abilities (when following the steps and focusing on the task), emotional development (as the child-parent bond deepens and your child’s confidence grows), and social development (when working with you to accomplish the task).

From the day your baby is born, there are simple things you can do every day to stimulate their senses. “The brain is at the centre of learning and growth,” explains Miriam Beauchamp, director of the ABCs Developmental Neuropsychology Lab co-run by Université de Montréal and CHU Sainte-Justine. “A baby’s brain develops most during the first years of life.”

Five proven ways to support your child’s development

• SEE THE WORLD THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES

For your little one, every moment is an opportunity to learn and discover. “When you take your child to the park, it’s a chance to be outside, run, climb, play in the sand, and have fun with other kids,” says Beauchamp. “There’s so much to see, do, and experience.” Encourage your child to observe their surroundings. Point out a passing dog, colourful flowers, a plane in the sky, or the soft grass.

• ENCOURAGE REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES

Psychoeducator Caroline Roussel recommends that parents limit their child’s exposure to electronic screens as much as possible. “For a baby with so much to learn, devices can’t compare to real-life experiences such as interacting with others, touching objects, moving their body, and exploring the world with all five senses.” Discovery games, matching games, and puzzles on smartphones or tablets don’t require your child to make the same movements they would when playing a physical game or handling puzzle pieces.

• SUPPORT IMAGINATIVE PLAY

Roussel also believes that children should be encouraged to take the reins and make decisions during playtime. “Follow them into their imaginary world. Not only will it be a fun bonding experience, but you’ll also boost their sense of autonomy, confidence, and creativity.” If your child appears to struggle with pretend play, you can give them suggestions. That way, they’ll gradually build up their self-confidence.

• ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR EFFORTS

While it’s good to congratulate children when they succeed, it’s equally important to praise their efforts. “Even if they can’t manage to put on their own pants, you can still commend them for trying,” says Roussel. “You’ll make them feel valued, and they’ll be eager to try again.” Encourage your child to feel proud of their own efforts and achievements by asking if they’re proud of themself. You can also tell them that they have a lot to be proud of.

• CHOOSE THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES

By observing your child’s abilities, skills, and interests on a daily basis, it will be easier for you to choose learning activities that are developmentally appropriate for them.

“Instead of pushing, offer support while letting your child develop at their own pace,” suggests Roussel. “You’ll both feel less pressured and have more fun.” For example, let your little one scribble instead of insisting that they draw shapes or letters before they’re ready.

It’s normal for some children to develop more slowly than other kids their age. When should you be concerned?

Caleb was only a few months old when his mother, Emanuelle Roy-Paradis, started to worry that something was wrong. “Whenever I put him on his stomach, he would lift his arms up to avoid touching the ground. He would also cry for hours if he was exposed to certain stimuli, like loud noises. Everything bothered him, to the point where he avoided moving altogether. At 14 months, he still couldn’t sit up by himself.”

Caleb, who now sees a physiotherapist, has a slight motor delay, possibly caused by a sensory hypersensitivity. He took his first steps at 20 months. Now, at 21 months, he can even run. “He’s catching up,” his mother says happily.

What do we mean by “delay”?

When a child is significantly behind in reaching the developmental milestones expected by a certain age, this is called a delay. “For example, children are usually walking or well on their way to that point by the age of 12 months,” says developmental pediatrician Dr. Anne-Marie Goyette. “Knowing this, I’m not too worried if a 16-month-old can only walk while holding on to objects, because it’s clear they’ll soon be walking on their own. However, if a 17-month-old is just learning to stand up, it’s likely they have a delay.”

“In terms of language, a 12-month-old who isn’t babbling yet (repeating syllables like “ba ba ba” or “ta ta ta”) almost certainly has a delay, because by then we expect babies to be saying their first words,” she continues. “But if the child is babbling and pointing to things, that’s a good sign.”

Children with a delay can catch up to their peers if they receive the proper assistance. But if they continue to lag behind despite intervention, the delay may be a symptom of a condition that has not yet been diagnosed. “Children with a developmental disorder can definitely improve, but they will likely have certain challenges in the long term,” says Dr. Goyette.

Global developmental delay

A global developmental delay occurs when a child is significantly behind in at least two of the following areas: gross or fine motor skills, cognitive functions, communication (language), personal and social development, and everyday activities (autonomy).

This temporary diagnosis is limited to children aged 5 to 6 and under, except in rare cases. “It’s sort of an umbrella term we use until a child is old enough for us to do a more detailed assessment and make a more accurate diagnosis,” says Dr. Goyette. “Standardized cognitive assessments, for example, can’t be done until a child is around 5 years old.”

Once children reach the age of 5, it’s easier to make a specific diagnosis. A global developmental delay often indicates a language disorder, an intellectual disability, an autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, or a combination of these. Sometimes, the child’s delay is the result of a genetic disorder or exposure to alcohol during pregnancy (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder).

Who can help?

If you’re concerned about your child’s development, the first thing to do is consult a family doctor, a pediatrician, or your CLSC, which may refer you to Quebec’s Agir tôt program. Depending on the situation, certain baseline tests (such as an audiogram) may be ordered first. Depending on the results, your child might then be referred to the appropriate professional (e.g., speech therapist, psychoeducator, occupational therapist) or to a specialized clinic.

According to Dr. Goyette, there are many benefits to placing kids with a developmental delay in a daycare centre. “It’s highly beneficial for every area of their development: autonomy, social development, language, and motor skills. A quality daycare centre can help children reach their full potential.”

Source: Naître et grandir magazine, July–August 2019 Research and copywriting: Nathalie Vallerand Scientific review: Solène Bourque, psychoeducator Updated: October 2024

Photos: GettyImages/Fatcamera et AleksandarGeorgiev, Maxim Morin, GettyImages/monkeybusinessimages, GettyImages/LSOphoto, Sladic, GettyImages/tomazl, and damircudic