Keeping tabs on your child’s development can feel both rewarding and a little daunting. At Baldivis Family Medical Centre, we’re here to help you make sense of what to expect, so you can feel confident about your child’s growth, and spot any concerns early. This guide covers key stages from infancy through the teenage years, along with practical tips for tracking progress and knowing when to seek help.
Why Tracking Development Matters
Developmental milestones are the skills most children can do by a certain age, in areas like movement (gross & fine motor), language, social-emotional behaviour and thinking (cognitive) skills. According to Australian health guidance, monitoring these milestones gives you insight into your child’s health and growth
While every child develops at their unique pace, being aware of expected ranges allows you to flag concerns early. If something seems off, early consultation with a child health professional is encouraged.
Age-by-Age Expectations & What You Can Do
Below is a broad overview of what you might expect at various ages. Use this as a guide, your child may reach milestones slightly earlier or later, and that can be perfectly normal.
Newborn to 6 Months
What to expect:
- Lifts head when on tummy, pushes up on arms.
- Follows objects with eyes, responds to sounds and voices.
- Begins smiling socially, cooing, and making some simple sounds.
- Grabs toys, brings hands to mouth, tries to reach.
These align with the type of developmental tasks noted in Australian resources.
What you can do:
- Provide plenty of “tummy time” when awake (supervised) to build neck/upper-body strength.
- Talk, sing and interact often.Your voice helps stimulate language and social development.
- Ensure plenty of safe opportunities to reach, grasp and experience different textures/objects.
- Monitor and track progress. Note how your baby uses their arms/legs, responds to sound and movement.
6 Months to 2 Years
What to expect:
- 6-9 months: sits without support, rolls, may crawl, babbles, makes different sounds.
- 12 months: may take first steps, uses simple words like “mama”/“dada”, points to ask or show.
- 18-24 months: runs, kicks a ball, uses simple 2-3 word phrases, begins pretend play.
Australian milestone references (for 18-24 months) include rapid development in movement, speech and self-feeding.
What you can do:
- Encourage physical movement: safe crawling/walking areas, push/pull toys.
- Read books, name objects, ask simple questions, build vocabulary and comprehension.
- Provide pretend-play items (blocks, dolls, simple role-play) to support cognitive and social skills.
- Keep a small journal or checklist of key skills your child has achieved and mention anything you’re unsure about to your Baldivis child health doctor.
3 to 5 Years
What to expect:
- Improved coordination: hops, stands on one foot, uses scissors/crayons, draws shapes.
- Language becomes clearer, sentences longer, answers “who/what/where” questions, begins counting/recognising colours.
- Social behaviour evolves: plays cooperatively, takes turns, shows more independence.
Australian services recognise this age as key for social/emotional development and school-readiness.
What you can do:
- Provide opportunities for climbing, running, jumping, coarse and fine motor tasks (cutting, drawing).
- Engage in conversations: ask your child to tell a story, describe their day, ask “why” and “how”.
- Encourage play dates or group activities to build social and emotional skills.
- At this age, regular check-ups with your Baldivis children’s doctor help ensure that growth, speech and behaviour remain on track.
6 Years to Early Teens (6-12 years)
What to expect:
- Steady growth in strength, coordination, academic thinking, friendships and self-identity.
- Able to think more abstractly, solve more complex problems, read and write steadily.
- Socially: friendships become deeper, peer interaction more important, rules understanding improves.
While less emphasised in some milestone-charts, Australian child health services note the importance of continuing development in these domains.
What you can do:
- Support healthy habits: good sleep, regular physical activity, balanced diet and screen time management.
- Talk about school, friendships, feelings. Open communication helps you catch emotional or social concerns early.
- Encourage responsibility: chores, self-care, managing sickness or injury discussions.
- Book annual health reviews with your Baldivis kids’ doctor so any subtle issues (vision, hearing, posture, growth) are monitored.
Teens (13-18 years)
What to expect:
- Rapid changes: puberty, body image issues, desire for independence, increased academic and social pressures.
- More sophisticated thinking: long-term planning, moral reasoning, self-identity issues, peer leadership.
Australian adolescent health frameworks emphasise well-being, mental health and lifestyle factors at this stage.
What you can do:
- Maintain supportive communication: ask about how they’re feeling physically and mentally, encourage open talk about changes.
- Monitor lifestyle factors: sleep, diet, exercise, screen time, substance access or experimentation.
- Ensure health checks include growth, sexual health, mental health screening. Your Baldivis child health GP can work with you and your teen for this transition.
- Be alert for signs of distress, social withdrawal, persistent low mood or anxiety.
When to Seek Help (Red Flags)
- While all children develop at their own pace, the following may warrant a consultation with your children’s doctor or a child health specialist:
The child loses skills they previously had (e.g., stops using words, stops walking). - The child is not meeting milestones and it concerns you (especially if several skills are missing).
- Other concerns: hearing or vision problems, behavioural regression, chronic health conditions that might impact development.
If you notice anything worrying, contacting your Baldivis child health clinic or your Baldivis child health doctor early is best. Early intervention often leads to better outcomes.
Tools & Tips for Parents
- Use trusted milestone checklists (for example, the ones from Australian services like Healthdirect Australia).
- Keep a simple log or journal of milestones your child achieves and any concerns you have.
- Bring your observations to health check-ups. Your notes can help the doctor understand progress and concerns.
- Remember: comparing your child constantly to siblings or friends isn’t always helpful, every child has their own timeline.
- Provide rich, interactive experiences: reading together, outdoor play, meaningful conversations, social interaction. These support development in all domains. Resources like Pregnancy, Birth and Baby emphasise this.
Final Thoughts
Tracking your child’s development from infancy through adolescence gives you a powerful way to support their health, growth and well-being. At Baldivis Family Medical Centre, our team of experienced children’s health doctors, kids’ doctors and GPs is ready to partner with you every step of the way. If you’re ever unsure about your child’s progress or simply want reassurance, please call us or book an appointment. When it comes to your child’s health, early support makes all the difference.
