As a parent, you must realize the first five years of your child's development is very important to his health, mental state, growth, and learning success at school in the future. How a child personality is shaped during this period is going to determine his overall temperament and other things as he grows to become an adult.

Unfortunately, since children is much more exposed to smartphones or tablets, too much screen time sometimes prevents a child from developing vital skills he needs to learn empathy and social skills in general.

Being active is also crucial in developing the brain as a child grows. It is important to know creating an environment that is creative and engaging to encourage your child's best potential.

During this period, a child must be introduced to daily routines such as preschool or school, activities after school, and so on. This helps them recognize consistency and organizations that could play well at school or workplace in the future.

Early childhood educators agree that a child's relationship with his parents in the early years plays a big role in teaching the child's perception of the world around him. He begins to learn what happens when he's happy, sad, surprised, and more. He also learns about love and compassion to other people around him.

Teaching your child to eat healthy not only gives your child vitamins and nutrients for his growth but also develops a lifelong habit of healthy eating. The best way to teach your child to eat healthy is by showing him to eat healthy yourself.

Another big actor in a child's development is his environment and surroundings. If you leave in a peaceful neighborhood where everyone has positive relationship, your child will learn to have positive relationship with other people as well.

Watch for illness that linger for longer than it should. Babies are prone to normal sickness such as cold, cough, and other short-term problems. However, you must contact your pediatrician immediately if you see something that is abnormal.

Let's talk about what you can expect during your child's first five years of his life.

Year One

This is when your child learns very basic skills such as hearing, touching, talking, walking, and so on. By one year old, your baby will have fully developed his eyesight and had improved motor skills such as squeezing and pulling objects from his surrounding. He begins to mimic your talks as he learns very simple words such as mama or papa. He should be able to stand up without your help and take steps to roam the room.

Year Two

Your child shows loving and affectionate behaviors towards others. For example, if his friend is crying he might feel upset as well. He also needs to continue exploring his surroundings. Bring him outside and introduce him to more and more new places such as parks, the stores, libraries, playgrounds, and other safe places. Keep in mind, your child is very sensitive to sound so don't bring him to loud places without ear protection.

Year Three

Your three-year-old is full of energy. He also starts to read and socialize more with his friends. This is important as he is getting ready for school pretty soon. His problem solving skills also develop rapidly as his brains acts like a sponge and gather information around him. Children at this age asks a lot of questions because they are curiously learning everything. Don't discourage them to ask questions. In fact, you must do the opposite. And that's to encourage him to learn more.

Year Four

A four-year-old loves to keep moving. That might not be the right word but he likes to run, jump, climb, and more. This might be a good time to introduce a little bit of sports into your child's life. A normal child would enjoy playing with his friends and seem to explore things together. As a parent, you must set a clear boundary of what he can or cannot do to set his expectations. Keep teaching him new words and other things so his mind is stimulated.

Year Five

Although your five-year-old activity level is still very high, his play time has more control and direction. His motor skills is fully developed and he enjoys being with group of friends. His interest in art also grows as he likes to draw or write names on a piece of paper or on the wall. Make sure you give him enough outlet to express his art through drawing or just a simple doodle. As a parent, you must support his effort while he's learning new things to develop his confidence for the rest of his life.

Conclusion

When it comes to child development, it is crucial that as a parent, we show more than normal love, affection, and support during your child's first five years of life. Although, we all want to raise our child in a perfect conditions, sometimes that is just impossible. There are going to be times where things are imperfect, such as early mild trauma, minor injuries while playing, and so on. The key is to keep focus on your child's entire well-being as he prepares for his entire life ahead of him.

Positive, secure attachment can do wonder to your child's mental balance for the rest of his life. Even though a positively attached child might cry when his parents leave the room, but he is easily calmed by other caregivers. This means your child trusts you will come back again soon and he's confident you're not just leaving him alone.