There are few things in life as exciting as watching your brand new baby progress through infancy. Children are full of wonder and you get to be right beside them watching them pass through each milestone. One question many parents ask is: when? When will my baby have their first tooth? When will he crawl? When will she walk? Included here are a few general timelines for when you child will have their “firsts;” keep in mind, every child is unique and progresses at a different pace.
First Tooth Erupting
Unfortunately, this is not the most pleasant milestone. It is incredibly painful for your baby and can cause a lot of drooling, fussing and chewing on fingers. Most babies experience the first tooth coming in around 4-5 months of age. It is wise to keep cold teethers in the fridge and frozen washcloths on hand for the baby to soothe their inflamed gums.
Sitting Up
Babies need to develop strong back and neck muscles before they can sit up alone. In order to prepare them for this milestone, try letting your baby have “tummy time” to strengthen those muscles. Once your baby is holding their head up and rolling they will often push themselves up into a sitting position, usually around 4-7 months of age.
Eating Real Food
Most parents are excited for their child to start trying real foods and begin making those fun faces. Pediatricians often recommend you wait until your child can sit up on their own before you begin feeding them solid foods. Of course, this milestone is decided on a child-to-child basis, so it may be sooner or later for your baby. A rough estimate would be that at 6 months old your child can begin eating solid food.
Crawling
Once your baby has mastered those neck and back muscles and is sitting independently, they will begin moving towards crawling. Your child may be better at scooting on their bottom or army crawling before they manage all fours. Around 6-7 months, your baby will most likely be up on all fours and scooting around. Make sure your baby is in a safe room and there are no stairs to fall down, as they can move very quickly by 10 months old
Walking
Often, parents cannot wait to get their child walking, but once their child is walking they just want them to stop! Most babies learn to take their first steps between 9 and 12 months of age. They will usually ease into this milestone by pulling themselves up on furniture and walking with support along the couch or wall. This milestone is heavily dependent on the independence of the child and whether they have somewhere they want to go. Just remember, once they start walking, they never stop!