Parenting resources with sources · Ages 0–18

Growing together,
one discovery at a time.

eduStackTHE ART & SCIENCE OF GROWING TOGETHER My child
0–11 months · Last updated 14 Nov 2026

Babies, 0–12 months

In the first year, babies form bonds of love and trust with the people who care for them, and learn by looking, listening, reaching and exploring.CDC · Positive parenting tips: infants (0–1) ↗

  1. 1 · What your child is developing
  2. 2 · What you can do together
  3. 3 · Health and safety essentials
1

What your child is developing

These are things most children can do by this age. They are for understanding your child, not a scorecard; every child develops at their own pace.CDC · Positive parenting tips: infants (0–1) ↗

Social and emotional

Language

Thinking and learning

Movement

When to talk to a doctor: If your child is not meeting the milestones for their age, has lost skills they once had, or you are worried about how they play, learn, speak, act or move, talk with your child's doctor. Don't wait: acting early can make a real difference.CDC · Concerned about your child's development? ↗

The research behind it

Start with the finding, then check the study type, source and limits. We select research by topic; a programme’s overall effect does not establish the effect of each activity.

  • 9-month-old infants learned Mandarin speech sounds from live sessions with a person, but not from the same material shown on video or audio.

    ExperimentKuhl, Tsao & Liu, PNAS, 2003Study details

  • Five-month-old babies looked longer when a screen appeared to pass through a hidden box, suggesting they knew the box still existed - months earlier than Piaget's account predicted.

    ExperimentBaillargeon, Spelke & Wasserman, Cognition, 1985Study details

  • Across 102 randomised trials in 33 countries, parenting programmes in the first three years improved several child-development and caregiving outcomes. Results varied, and parental depressive symptoms did not improve significantly overall.

    Meta-analysisJeong J, Franchett EE, Ramos de Oliveira CV, Rehmani K, Yousafzai AK, 2021Study details

  • A classic meta-analysis found that preventive interventions could improve caregiver sensitivity and infant attachment security. It supports studying concrete care behaviours, not labelling a family from a short online test.

    Meta-analysisBakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH, Juffer F, 2003Study details

  • Following about 2,400 children, more screen time at 2 and 3 years was linked to poorer developmental screening results a year or more later.

    Long-term cohort studyMadigan et al., JAMA Pediatrics, 2019Study details

  • A meta-analysis of 42 studies. More screen use was linked to weaker language skills, while co-viewing with an adult and better-quality programmes were linked to stronger skills.

    Meta-analysisMadigan et al., JAMA Pediatrics, 2020Study details

  • A review of 49 studies covering 50 interventions and 23,098 participants aged 2–17 found that several approaches can support self-regulation. Programmes and outcome measures differed substantially.

    Meta-analysisPandey A, Hale D, Das S, Goddings AL, Blakemore SJ, Viner RM, 2018Study details

Idea roots

Educators whose ideas connect to this stage. Open one to see what modern research supports and what it does not.
Jean Piaget 1896–1980 Babies learn through their senses and movement, as Piaget described - though research shows they understand more, earlier, than he thought. Lev Vygotsky 1896–1934 Back-and-forth with caregivers is where thinking starts, in Vygotsky's view.
2

What you can do together

Selected resources for this stage

Start with one resource that fits your needs. Classic readings are for caregivers to reflect on, not a required reading list for children.

Practical resource Evidence: Expert opinion Ages 0–6
Serve and return: noticing and responding to your child

A university explainer about the back-and-forth between a young child and a caring adult: notice a look, sound or gesture, respond, and leave room for the child to respond again.

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard UniversityUndated concept page
Practical resource Evidence: Expert opinion 6 months–18 years
Executive function activities, from infancy to adolescence

An age-grouped collection of games and activities for practising working memory, inhibitory control and flexible thinking, with adults gradually adjusting their help.

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University2014
3

Health and safety essentials

Sleep in 24 hours12–16 hours (4–11 months)WHO 2019; AASM 2016
Screen timeNot recommendedWHO 2019

Further reading

Classic parenting books with a note on the evidence. Links go to publisher details and library holdings (WorldCat). No affiliate links.