The first year of a child is one of growth and development. Parents and caregivers must be aware of infant development and particular milestones a child achieves in his/her progress. Here is an overview of the developments that a child goes through during this transformative year.

Jean Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist, was the first to propose the idea that a child progresses through four stages of cognitive development. The sensorimotor stage is the earliest stage that occurs from birth to about two years of age.

Key Milestones to Expect 

1. Grasping and Reaching (0-4 Months): At about two months, infants start to learn the ways of holding up an object, which is an important phase in the motor development of a child. This ushers intentional movements and helps in laying the ground for more complicated ones. 

2. Object Permanence: From 4-8 Months, infants develop the concept of object permanence- that is, objects continuously exist whether or not out of sight. It is a significant cognitive step because it proves the infant's slowly improving consciousness of a world outside immediate perception. 

3. Pushing and Crawling (6-10 Months): With the increase in muscular strength, infants begin pushing themselves up and might start crawling. Crawling gives infants a chance to explore their environment and thereby enhances their conception of space and distance. 

4. Symbolic Thinking (10-12 Months): As the infants approach their first birthday, they engage in symbolic thinking and begin to use gestures or sounds to represent objects or actions. This is one of the forerunners of language development and cognitive capabilities. 

The first year of any child's life is a time of rapid and dramatic change. It is also the time when a child is entirely dependent on caregivers for survival. Adequate care and love are non-negotiable for a child to develop trust and the virtue of hope.

Knowing these milestones is very important for parents in selecting proper daycare or childcare services. A good quality daycare center ensures a secure and caring environment and that the cognitive and physical development of infants is appropriately taken care of.

St. George Mini School & Infant Daycare in North York provides outstanding childcare that centers on infants' needs for development. The caregivers are well experienced in the relevance of early milestones in children's lives and work well in providing an enabling environment for all kids. We have daycare services for your infant or toddler in a safe and stimulating environment that will enhance growth and development. Visit our website to know more.