When: From 6 months and onwards.

How to support your child

If you feel your baby is hungry for food earlier than six months, it's worth offering her extra milk first. You can also ask your health visitor about trying a different formula if you bottle feed your baby.

Moving from breast milk to pureed vegetables should be an exciting time for you and baby – so try experimenting with a variety of healthy foods!

Offer your baby one or two spoonfuls of the following:

• Mashed or puréed vegetables, such as cooked carrot, parsnip, potato or sweet potato.
• Mashed or puréed fruit, such as banana, cooked apple, pear or mango.
• Baby cereal such as baby rice, sago, maize, cornmeal or millet. You can mix these with some of your baby's milk.

When: 6 – 8 months

How to support your child

You can help your baby to sit by easing her legs apart to form a V shape (using cushions for additional support). This will help to give her the balance and stability she needs to sit without toppling over to her side.

At around 3 – 4 months she'll figure out how to prop herself up on her arms and hold her chest off the ground, like a mini-push-up.

Encourage her to play lying on her tummy as much as possible. Try to get her to her to look up, by using colourful and noisy toys, or by pulling funny faces and making sounds.

Once your baby can sit fairly well, put toys and other fun objects just out of reach. They will hold her attention as she learns to balance herself with her arms.

When: 8 – 10 months

How to support your child

Once your baby works out how to lunge forward from a sitting position and balance on her hands and knees, she will be almost ready to crawl. At this point, you need to childproof your home and never leave your baby unattended.

When: 8 – 16 months

How to support your child

You can encourage your baby to walk by standing or kneeling in front of her and holding out your hands. Or you might hold both her hands and walk her toward you. She'll probably also enjoy a toddle truck or push toy that she can hold on to as she walks. Do avoid baby-walkers because they make it too easy for your child to get around, and they can prevent upper leg muscles from developing correctly.

When: During the first two years

How to support your child

Long before she utters her first word, she's learning the rules of language and how adults use it to communicate, by observing and listening to those around them. So, talking (describing what you're doing, pointing things out, asking questions and singing songs), listening and reading to your child will all help support your child’s language development.

When: 18 to 24 months old

How to support your child

Lots of patience and reassurance!

Before toilet training your child, place a potty chair in their normal living/play area so they have plenty of chance to become familiar with it. Allow them to sit fully clothed on the potty chair, as if it were a regular chair, allowing them to leave it at any time. Do not force your child to spend time sitting on the chair; praising them and not showing disappointment during this time is crucial.

You might also want to try a little role play with a ‘potty dolly’.  Getting a step to help them reach your proper toilet is also a great idea.