Milestones Your Toddler Should Be Hitting Before They Turn 4

This is the development that happens in the first four years of life! Check out some the milestones!

0-3 Months

The first three months of life are full of so many fun little movements and developments. Your baby doesn't actually know that his body is his yet and so will have almost no control over his limbs. He will be able to start gaining muscle though which will prepare him for bigger and more controlled movements soon. During the first three months here is what to expect from your baby:

First smile: Babies can smile from the beginning of their life, but the first social smile will not happen until after a few weeks. Most parents notice the first social smile to be around 2-3 months!
Lifting head: Although they might not be able to have full control of their head they will likely be able to start lifting it up off of the ground during tummy time.
First noises: Your baby is going to start making their first baby noises outside of whining and crying. Tummy time is critical to help with their neck muscles.
Tracking: Your baby will be able to use their eyes to follow noises. They will especially be interested in trying to find familiar voices like their parents and siblings.

3-6 Months

During this time your baby is going to start noticing that he is actually in charge of his body. He won't fully be able to control things yet but he will start realizing that he has the potential to start moving his limps. Here are some other things that you might notice:

Head control: During this time your baby should be able to start having full control of their head and be able to move it around as they want. You will likely not have to support their head anymore while you hold them.
Teeth: At around 6 months your baby might show signs of getting their first tooth. It is important to begin brushing their teeth and call a dentist to get their first check-up. Oral hygiene is crucial.
Hands/Feet: Your baby will first notice their hands and their feet when they fly in front of their face. You might notice them be scared by their hands as they are waving about. By the end of this time, they should be able to start grabbing for things. They won't have much coordination yet but they will attempt anyways.
Rolling Over: By this time babies should be able to roll over from front to back and from back to front.
First foods: Many parents start introducing their baby to solid foods at about 4-6 months. Make sure you speak with your pediatrician to see what the best type of food your baby should have as their first food.

6-9 months:

This is a fun stage where your child has finally figured out that they have the ability to control their bodies. They are understanding that they can get into everything and they will start putting more and more things into their mouths. This is the time where parents start baby-proofing their homes as children become more curious and have the ability to move around a bit more.

Sitting up: Most children will learn how to sit up during this age. In the beginning, babies might need to lean on their arms to keep sturdy or they might fall over a few times. This is all normal and part of the process.
Army crawling/inchworm: Often babies during learning how to properly crawl during this stage, but they may start doing what is called "inch worming" or "army crawling" where they don't actually get up on their knees quite yet.
Recognize People: They have been able to recognize people in their family and in close proximity to them but they are going to start remembering people and knowing who people are. This is the time where babies start developing fear to strangers and sometimes only want mom.
Respond: Your baby will begin to start having conversations with you. If you talk to them they will start responding to you with babbling and noises. Your baby might start saying words like "ma ma ma ma" but they don't quite know what they are saying yet. They are just trying to figure out words.
Name: Your baby is likely to start recognizing their name.

9 -12 months:

This is one of the coolest stages of babyhood. They learn so much and you really get to start seeing their little personalities develop. They go through exciting and remarkable changes.

Teeth: It is very likely that your child has a couple of teeth during this time. Very few children make it to their first birthday without having at least a few teeth.
Crawling: Your baby is likely being able to crawl on their hands and knees now and might be getting into trouble. They might even start being able to crawl up things such as stairs.
Pull-up: During this time your baby will start pulling themselves up onto things like furniture and your lap. They will be so proud of themselves when they are able to get up and see on top of things now. This is going to be fun for you and maybe frustrating at the same time because you won't be able to leave things on top of surfaces anymore.
Assisted walking: Your baby might start walking across furniture or begin pushing little walkers around the home.
Standing alone: During this time you might notice that your baby can stand without having any need to hold on to something. This is the first step before they start walking.
Walking: Some babies walk during this stage but don't be alarmed or concerned if your baby is not walking yet. Your baby is likely fine and won't need any intervention.

12-18 months

During this time you might notice that your child's personality is at full-force and you can finally describe who they are and the person they are becoming. They are going to start becoming little people with feelings, opinions, and emotions.

Walking/Running: If your baby hasn't started walking before they are 12 months they are certainly going to start walking before they are 18 months. Please talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about this development. Many babies are even trying to get quicker with their walking.
Teeth: They probably have all of their front teeth and might even start growing their molars.
Talking: They are starting to talk more and there is actually more meaning behind their babbling.

18 months to 2 years

You might think that your cute sweet little baby has turned into an angry mess. Well, they have. They don't know what they are feeling nor do they know how to handle what they are feeling. It is completely normal and understandable to see your young toddler start to throw little tantrums and begin throwing things. They might start hitting or crying a lot. Here are some other things to look forward to:

Sort shapes: Your young toddler should be able to start understanding the concept of shapes and colors. Even if they don't know what they are called they will be able to sort them into similar categories. They will be able to figure out the shape sorter toys.
Vocabulary: This is when your toddler's vocabulary will really start to develop. They will start to be able to point at things and tell you what they are looking at. Even if you can't fully understand them they know what they are saying. They are now being able to place words to pictures.
Independence: Since your toddler has figured out that they are their own person they might try to be more independent. They are going to try to put on their clothes, tie their shoes, and snacks for themselves. They are likely going to get frustrated when they are not able to complete these tasks.
Playing: Your toddler is going to really develop their personality during this stage. Not only will they be playing with toys but they are going to start having a storyline and playing with toys more frequently.
Coloring: During this age, you will notice that your toddler wants to learn how to do crafts and begin coloring.

2-3 years

Here come argumentatively one of the most difficult times during adolescents because of the craziness that is toddlers. They have realized that they are independent people and they have opinions and they are going to voice them. They are trying to find their identity and discover their place in this world. Toddlers are trying to figure out who they are and what the heck they are doing here. They have big emotions and feelings that are very hard to understand.

Understand Things: Your toddler knows what you are talking about now. Be careful when you are talking in front of them. You may not think they are listening but they are. They are going to be able to start to understand directions and be able to start little chores and activities around the house.
Vocabulary: You are going to be able to understand most of what your toddler is saying even if somebody else doesn't. They are going to be able to explain their feelings a little bit better but they still have a long ways to go.
What is Real?: It is important to understand that your child can't really quite understand that there is a difference between pretend and real and so they might have irrational fears. As they get older and become more mature they will become more aware of the things that are not real.

3-4 years

Toddlers will start to figure out that other people have feelings too. This is a hard time where they realize that the world doesn't revolve around them and there are other people too. This is the time that teaching about different emotions, empathy, and sharing are all important traits. Encourage your child to think about what others are feeling.