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Parenting and child development

Developmental milestones

Skills most children can do by a certain age, like rolling over or waving bye-bye. CDC places each at the age 75% or more of children reach it.

What It Means

Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age, such as rolling over, waving bye-bye or putting two words together. CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." checklists sort them into four areas: social and emotional; language and communication; cognitive (learning, thinking and problem-solving); and movement and physical development. Since the February 2022 revision, CDC places each milestone at the age by which 75% or more of children reach it.

Try It: Pick an Age and See CDC Milestone Examples

Pick an age to see a few examples from CDC's checklist for that age. Each checklist has more.

Most children, by this age
  • Rolls from tummy to back
  • Pushes up on straight arms when on the tummy
  • Squeals and takes turns making sounds with you

CDC places each milestone where most children already have it, so even one missing is worth raising with your child's doctor.

How Parents Say It

  • "Is she supposed to be sitting up by now?"
  • "He hit all his milestones on time."
  • "The doctor asked if she's waving bye-bye yet."

The Breakdown

Examples by age, from CDC's checklists

AgeA few things most children can do by this age
6 monthsRolls from tummy to back; pushes up on straight arms on the tummy; leans on hands to support themselves when sitting; squeals; takes turns making sounds with you
9 monthsSits without support; moves things from one hand to the other; is shy, clingy or fearful around strangers
1 yearPulls up to stand; walks holding on to furniture; picks things up between thumb and pointer finger; waves bye-bye; calls a parent mama, dada or another special name
18 monthsWalks without holding on; scribbles; tries to say three or more words besides mama or dada
2 yearsKicks a ball; runs; eats with a spoon; says at least two words together; points to at least two body parts when asked
3 yearsStrings items together, like large beads or macaroni
4 yearsCatches a large ball most of the time; draws a person with three or more body parts
5 yearsHops on one foot; buttons some buttons; tells a storyUser storyA short description of something a product should do, written from the point of view of the person who needs it, often in the form "As a, I want, so that." See more they heard or made up with at least two events

CDC's full checklists hold more milestones for each age, and there's one for every well-child visit the American Academy of Pediatrics and Bright Futures recommend, from 2 months to 5 years.

When to talk to the doctor. CDC recommends talking with your child's doctor if you have any concern about how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts or moves. Because each milestone is set where 75% or more of children already have it, CDC designed the lists so that a single missing milestone is reason enough to ask about screening. Bring the checklist for your child's age to the appointment.

Good to Know

The checklists are free on CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." site, and CDC also offers a Milestone Tracker app. Use them to watch your child's development and to talk it over with the doctor, who decides, sometimes with a specialist, whether a missing milestone needs more than watching.

FAQ

What are the four areas of developmental milestones?

CDC groups them as social and emotional; language and communication; cognitive, meaning learning, thinking and problem-solving; and movement and physical development.

What does it mean when a milestone is listed at a certain age?

Since CDC's 2022 revision, it means 75% or more of children can do it by that age. CDC set the ages that way so a missing milestone is a clearer signal to check in with the doctor.

What should I do if my child misses a milestone?

Talk with your child's doctor. CDC recommends raising any concern, and it placed milestones where most children already have them so that even one missing is worth a conversation.

Do It in Buhata

Calendar, Reminders

Put each well-child visit on the Calendar in your Household Space in Buhata, with a Reminder a few days before to go through CDC's checklist for that age.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Gross motor skills

    Movements that use the large muscles of the arms, legs and torso, like rolling over, sitting, walking, running and kicking a ball.

  • Fine motor skills

    Small, precise movements of the wrists, hands and fingers, like picking up small bits of food, scribbling, stringing beads or doing buttons.

  • Language development

    How a child learns to understand and use sounds, gestures and words, from early squeals to first words, two-word phrases and short stories.

  • Stranger anxiety

    A baby's wariness or fear around people they don't know, often showing up at about 8 to 9 months. CDC lists it as a 9-month milestone.

  • Early intervention

    Services under IDEA Part C for babies and toddlers from birth to age 3 who have a developmental delay or disability, and for their families.

Parenting and child development

Sources

CDC, "CDC's Developmental Milestones"; CDC, "Key Points about CDC's Developmental Milestone Checklists"; CDC, "Milestone Checklists by Age"; CDC, "Milestones by 6 Months", "9 Months", "1 Year", "18 Months", "2 Years", "3 Years", "4 Years" and "5 Years"; CDC, "Milestones In Action"

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