Before birth to 18: the stages in FOUNDATION

Quick answer

FOUNDATION follows a child through eleven stages, from before birth to eighteen, and gives a little more detail where decisions come quickly, in the first year. Each chapter covers what matters most at that age, with everyday examples you can adapt rather than a list to complete.

How to use the stages

Turn to the chapter that matches your child’s age, and look one chapter ahead when you have time.

The examples are there to adapt.

The book suggests reading ahead in the days before a checkup, and lists the schedule:

The recommended checkups, also called well-child visits, start in the first week, at 3 to 5 days old.

After that they come at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, then at 15, 18, 24 and 30 months, and once a year from age 3.

Before each visit, note which advice applies to your child and list three to five questions to raise first.

The eleven stages

Before birth: Before we meet. Three plans before anything else (feeding, safe sleep and help for you), plus the follow-up that comes after the birth.
0–3 months: A gentle beginning. Small priorities, "Safe sleep, feeding that works, newborn checkups on time and warm attention." Plus the signs that mean you should not wait.
3–6 months: The world gets interesting. Room to move and to talk, and planning for solids, with iron needs raised before six months.
6–9 months: Little bites, important work. Iron, allergens and thicker textures, with ordinary nutrient-rich foods rather than fashionable superfoods.
9–12 months: A seat at the table. Varied food with an eye on iron, self-feeding with you close by, gestures, simple books and early dental care.
1–2 years: So much to say. A few more words than your toddler can say yet, time to answer, and movement and routines talked through as you go.
2–3 years: Big feelings, little person. Play, naming what your child is going through, clear limits and small jobs to try alone.
3–5 years: A world of why. Varied play and lots of talk, hearing, vision and sleep checks, and letters and numbers without a rush of worksheets.
5–8 years: The world opens wider. Becoming a reader and a confident mover, outdoor time every day, and noticing learning difficulties early.
8–12 years: Growing skills, growing independence. No fixed labels while skills are growing, more planning, shared jobs and online choices.
12–18 years: A bigger life, the same home base. Sleep, enough food, movement and honest conversation, and coaching your teenager toward better decisions.

The first three stages have their own pages here. The remaining chapters are in the full book.

What runs through every stage

Before any chapter, FOUNDATION sets out a foundation of its own. Protect first: hearing, safe sleep and nutrition problems come before any enrichment product, and one of the book's first practical steps is to put the Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222, into your phone today. Build ordinary rituals, such as a shared breakfast, a walk or a book before bed, because small things repeated daily steady a home more than bursts of expensive activity. And leave room for the child: temperament, biology, opportunity and chance shape a child too, and a child who needs extra support despite a solid start is not a sign of parenting failure.

These ages help you decide what to pay attention to. Development continues beyond them.

FOUNDATION by THIS CHILDHOOD is a personalized digital parenting book, delivered as a PDF and an EPUB, that runs from before birth to 18. About the book

A note from the book

This guide assumes a generally healthy, full-term child, and it’s general education, not medical care tailored to yours.

Prematurity, growth concerns, a disability, illness, allergy, a feeding difficulty or medication can change that plan. If one applies, the book says to ask your child's pediatrician or specialist what changes for your child. It also says research hasn't found a parenting formula that guarantees a particular outcome.

This book has not had independent clinical review.