Your child’s development can be divided into multiple stages based on their age. Each stage is unique and offers exciting growth opportunities along with potential challenges. Read about each stage below, along with helpful articles on a variety of important topics.

Pre-Natal
Pregnancy is a period filled with anticipation, excitement, and preparation, but it can also bring a sense of uncertainty for many expectant parents. The nine-month journey provides ample opportunity to seek answers to your questions, alleviate fears, and equip yourself with the knowledge and readiness for the journey of parenthood.

• Alcohol and Pregnancy: It’s Just Not Worth the Risk (Video)
• 5 Tips to Reduce the Risk of Birth Defects
• Detecting Genetic Abnormalities
• Give Your Baby the Best Possible Start (Video)
• Your Newborn’s First Week: How to Prepare & What to Expect
  
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Baby: 0 to 12 months
Gaining the confidence and serenity of a seasoned parent can happen swiftly. Your baby will provide you with vital insights – revealing their preferences for interaction, communication, and comfort. Get answers to frequent questions and concerns that emerge during the initial year of your baby’s life.

• Baby’s First Days: Bowel Movements & Urination
• Emotional & Social Development in Babies: Birth to 3 Months
• Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy
• 5 Secrets to a Smarter Baby: School Readiness Can Start Now
• New Dads & Partners: How Your Involvement Matters
  
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Toddler: 1 to 3 years
Your child is advancing from infancy toward and into the preschool years. During this time, their physical growth and motor development will slow, but you can expect to see significant intellectual, social, and emotional changes.

• Assessing Developmental Delays (Video)
• Movement and Coordination
• How to Ease Your Child’s Separation Anxiety
• Tips for Grandparents of a 1-Year-Old
• How to Raise Concerns about a Child’s Speech and Language Development: Do’s and Don’ts
  
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Preschool: 3 to 5 years
These years will see continued physical growth and motor development along with further intellectual, social, and emotional changes. Specific developmental milestones occur between ages 4 and 5.

• Cognitive Development In Preschool Children
• Growing Independence: Tips for Parents of Young Children
• Movement Milestones in Preschoolers
• Nightmares, Night Terrors & Sleepwalking in Children: How Parents Can Help
• Safety for Your Child: 5 Years
  
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Grade School: 5 to 12 years
It’s essential for your child to develop confidence in their ability to tackle life’s challenges. This sense of empowerment stems from experiencing success in solving problems independently, harnessing creativity, and seeing tangible results from their efforts. During these formative years, nurturing these skills is crucial for their personal development and self-assurance.

• Signs of Low Self-Esteem in Children & Teens
• Strategies and Solutions For Handling A Difficult Child
• The Disobedient Child
• Gender-Diverse & Transgender Children
• Support Resources for Families of Gender Diverse Youth
  
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Teen: 12-18 Years
Navigating adolescence can be a challenging phase for parents. Your teen may be a source of frustration, exasperation and financial strain. However, these years are also filled with countless moments of joy, pride, laughter, and bonding. Embracing both the ups and downs of this stage can strengthen your relationship and create lasting memories.

• Independence, One Step at a Time
• Body Odor in Teens (Video)
• Next Stop Adulthood: Tips For Parents
• Tampon Safety and Toxic Shock Syndrome
• Stages of Adolescence
  
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Young Adult: 18-21 Years
A young adult embarking on a journey to college or a job away from home faces the challenge of creating a new social support network from scratch. Simultaneously, they must adapt to an environment that may be vastly different from what they’re accustomed to, navigating both personal and professional growth during this transformative phase of life.

• Fostering Healthy High Achievers
• Perfectionism: How to Help Your Child Avoid the Pitfalls
• Tips to Support Your Teen Graduating from High School
• Taking Care of Your Mental Health at College
• Drinking Responsibly at College
  
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Content provided by HealthChildren.org, a resource of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).