The Development of Your Child During the First Year

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2026-07-30

The first five years of a person's life are of utmost importance for growth and the formation of personality. In this issue, we continue exploring the stages of childhood in detail.

From the Ninth Month to the End of the First Year

Physical Growth

Weight and Height

By the end of the first year, a baby's weight typically triples compared to their birth weight, averaging between 9 and 10 kilograms (20–22 pounds). Their height generally reaches 72–75 centimeters (28–30 inches). On average, boys weigh about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) more than girls and are 2–3 centimeters (0.8–1.2 inches) taller.

During this stage:

The baby's ability to use their legs and fingertips continues to develop.

They gain better control over their tongue and mouth movements.

Developmental Abilities

At this stage, the child:

Can sit independently and becomes much more mobile, able to roll over, crawl, and move from one place to another.

Can stand without assistance and walk while holding onto furniture such as a chair or table.

Has better finger control and can use the thumb to pick up small objects.

Understands expressions of approval and disapproval and begins to recognize the meaning of words such as "No."

Learns to imitate words and can say simple ones like "Mama," "Papa," and "Bye-bye." At this age, the child understands much more than they can express verbally.

Begins to feed themselves independently.

Starts to develop a sense of individuality, recognizing themselves in a mirror, responding to their name, and enjoying attracting the attention of others.

Is capable of expressing emotions such as fear, anger, affection, and jealousy.

The Child's Needs

As the baby's mobility increases, they should be given opportunities to practice their new abilities. Place them on the floor on a clean blanket where they can safely practice sitting, rolling, and crawling. Remove any hazardous objects from the surrounding area, and whenever possible, stay nearby. These opportunities are essential for both physical and emotional development.

Encourage your child's growing independence by allowing them to feed themselves. Provide them with a spoon and foods that are easy to handle, such as mashed potatoes or soft yogurt.

Give your child plenty of opportunities to interact with family members by playing and attempting to communicate with them. Speak to your child using normal adult language, as this helps support future language development.

Set aside time for play. At this age, babies enjoy building and can stack one block on top of another or place one container on top of another.

They are especially attracted to toys that make sounds or produce noise.

They enjoy playing with adults and can participate in simple games such as rolling a ball back and forth or pushing a toy car to each other.

Whenever possible, take your child with you on daily outings, such as to the market or for a walk, so they can explore and become familiar with the world around them.