MammaHub®

The first year (0-12 months) – building the connection with the outside world

The first year of life is a time of incredible growth and change. A newborn baby is born completely dependent on their parents, but from their earliest days, they begin to learn and build the foundations of their development.

• Physical development: The baby goes through key motor stages - from initial uncoordinated movements, to holding the head, rolling over, sitting, crawling and the first steps.
• Cognitive development: From birth, a child begins to perceive the world through their senses. They gradually develop recognition of faces, sounds, and objects, and by the end of the first year, they begin to understand cause-and-effect relationships.
• Emotional and social development: The baby builds a strong emotional bond with its parents and begins to express emotions through smiles, facial expressions, and crying. During this period, attachment is formed, which will play an important role in the child's future development.
• Language development: Initially, the baby communicates through crying, but gradually begins to make sounds, coos, responds to the intonation of the voice, and around 9-12 months, may begin to say the first words ("mama", "daddy").

The period of great discoveries (1-3 years)

This stage is filled with curiosity, movement, and intense development of language and social skills. The child becomes increasingly independent and begins to actively explore the world.

• Physical development: During this period, the child masters walking, and then running, jumping, climbing. Fine motor skills develop – grasping small objects, first attempts at eating with a spoon, drawing with crayons.
• Cognitive development: The child begins to understand the relationships between objects, shows the first signs of logical thinking and actively imitates adults. He begins to solve small problems (for example, finding a way to reach a toy).
• Emotional and social development: During this period, the child begins to express his desires more clearly, but also experiences strong emotional outbursts, as he is still learning to control his feelings. Social skills are developing, but the child prefers to play alone or in parallel with other children, without real interaction.
• Language development: Rapid expansion of vocabulary begins – from a few words at 1 year of age to hundreds of words and simple sentences at 2-3 years of age. The child understands more than he can express and gradually begins to use more complex constructions.

Development of social skills and imagination (3-5 years)

This stage is characterized by rapid cognitive, social, and language development. The child becomes increasingly independent and begins to understand the world in a more structured way.

• Physical development: Movements become more precise, children learn to ride a tricycle, jump on one foot, use scissors, and build more complex constructions from blocks.
• Cognitive development: The ability for symbolic thinking emerges – children begin to act out imaginary scenarios, to use objects with other purposes in the game (for example, a wooden spoon as a microphone). The ability to remember stories and rules also develops.
• Emotional and social development: The child begins to form friendships, shows empathy and understanding of the feelings of others. He begins to understand basic social norms and regulate his behavior according to them.
• Language development: The child speaks fluently, asks many questions, uses complex sentences, and can tell short stories.

Preparing for school (5-7 years)

This is a transitional period between early childhood and school age. Children become more organized, refine their logical thinking, and develop their ability to plan and understand more abstract concepts.

• Physical development: The child improves his motor skills - he begins to write letters, move faster and more coordinated, and play sports more confidently.
• Cognitive development: He begins to think more logically, can count, recognize letters, and even read and write simple words. He begins to plan and understand the consequences of his actions.
• Emotional and social development: The child becomes more independent, begins to follow rules in games and social situations, and develops a sense of justice and morality.
• Language development: Tells stories with detail, has longer conversations, understands humor and complex concepts in speech.

Early childhood development is a complex and dynamic process that requires attention, patience, and support from parents and professionals.

At MammaHub®, we offer professional developmental assessments to help parents understand their child's needs and support them in the most important years of their life. Every child grows at their own pace, but with the right support, they can reach their full potential.