• Every child develops at her own pace.Child image by Serenitie from Fotolia.com
  
  As children grow, there are specific physical development milestones you should watch for. While your pediatrician can give you a general time line, all children develop at their own pace. As long as your child is reaching the milestones at the general age that is recommended, there is no need to be concerned about your child's physical development.
  
  

Infants

• There are various physical milestones that you will look for in your infant. By 3 months he should be holding his head up. Around 5 months she should be able roll to one side, and at 7 months she should be rolling in both directions. Eight months should bring an infant who can sit and pull up to a sitting position on his own. By 10 months, your sitting infant should be able to pull up to standing. Walking generally begins around 12 months, but can begin as early as 8 months and as late as 18 months and not be a concern. At the end of this year, the infant becomes a toddler.
  
  

Toddlers

• Now that your infant has turned into a walking toddler, she enters a new phase of development. A toddler will try to copy what he sees others doing. This includes activities like jumping and running, as well as building and creating. A toddler should start being able to hold a crayon and know how to manipulate it to draw lines and scribble. The fine-motor skills should be defined enough to string beads, copy lines and stack items. Toddlers will run, pull, push, climb and begin to dress and undress.
  
  

Preschoolers

• Once your toddler reaches preschool age, typically 3 to 5, he will begin to work on more complex, minute tasks. He should be able to jump and have both feet leave the ground. She should be able to ride a tricycle without help and stand on one foot. Fine-motor skills allow preschoolers better control of crayons and pencils. Copying pictures can be more complex than a line. He should be able to self feed with a spoon and fork.
  
  

School Age

• School-age children begin to refine writing skills. For young elementary-age kids, writing with a pencil will become easier. They should be able to dress themselves and do simple chores. The weight and height of a school-age child will be very sporadic. They will go through growth spurts and times where they do not seem to grow very much. They also become more independent as they age. Puberty can start at the end of this age, which typically goes up to age 11.
  
  

Late Childhood

• Late childhood, or the teenage years, brings with it new developments. A teen is typically dealing with puberty, for girls an emerging figure and for boys, voice changes and facial hair. Development is not as fast as when younger, but may be more noticeable when it occurs.