3 Phases of a Newborn

As my son approaches his first birthday, my mind rewinds all the moments associated with him since I took him in my hands just 15 minutes after his birth. Since then there isn't a single day when I haven't seen him, which allowed me to observe his natural growth over the one year.

I have divided the growth in 3 different phases:

1. Dependent Phase

The first four months describe this phase. The child has just come into this world. He is getting used to the day-night schedule, lights and sounds, faces and expressions. He remains confined to whichever place you take him to, relying mostly on mother's milk for food, sleeping for almost 14 hours a day, this is the quietest phase of his childhood.

They slowly develop their vision and hearing capabilities. Most of their instincts rely on the feeling of touch. They are yet to identify their parents, and therefore do not hesitate spending time with others.

Best Part: Playing with his tiny and delicate hands and feet

2. Observer Phase

Though the child starts observing events and people since his birth, it is only by the end of the first phase that the child has developed enough senses to explore the outside world in a much better way. Increase in diet will add to his physical strength. Everything and anything excites the child now, be it pressure cooker whistle in kitchen, sound of train or bus, spectacles on face or kids in garden.

The child learns to hold things in his palm and his liking for toys increases. His most favorite activity would be to make efforts to move away from the place where he has been kept. During this phase, the child learns to identify different colors, sounds and faces. They like story-telling despite not understanding anything. 

This observer phase often lasts for longer period of time, and co-exists with the Experimental phase.

Best Part: Watching him flip over and make desperate attempts to move ahead

3. Experimental Phase

By this phase, the child has gained enough physical strength to pursue his mental desire. He would want to explore every possible thing that comes across him. In the initial phase, the child will start making efforts to crawl and move ahead. He will also learn to sit for longer time. This will give him freedom to use both his hands to hold something, twist it and break it. 

As a parent, you'll notice that your child is becoming more adventurous day-by-day. He will imitate your actions and behavior. By this time, he has started recognizing his close family and will hesitate to go with someone else. He will feel sad when the father/mother is not around him and will search for them in the house. He develops liking for other kids and likes playing group games. Gradually he learns to stand-up and walk using support and this excites him a lot. 

The child will start having a proper routine for food, though there will be mood-swings when he will get his initial set of teeth. With this, he will learn to bite and his first experiments will be on the parents! He will love spending time with the water during bath and will learn to recognize hot water and cold water.

Best Part: Crawling, Story-telling, watch him speak 'Mama' 'Papa' for the first time!

Soon after his first birthday (and sometimes even before that), the child will start standing and walking independently and this will mark beginning of a next phase - The Explorer Phase!

Samarth and Papa (2011)