Parenting Resources | Understanding & Stages
Ages 3–5
Expanding Their Worlds
As toddlers become preschoolers, they expressing more and more of their own personalities. They have distinct tastes, they are developing language to express themselves (sometimes in embarrassing ways!), and they are learning to navigate a bigger world. They make friends and begin connecting with more adults beyond the family.
Like every age, preschool age is an important time for children’s development in which fathers, mothers, other caregivers, extended family, and many other people guide the child as they develop all parts of themselves. When we have a better sense of how they’re developing, we’re better able to respond and support them in positive ways.
Intellectual Milestones
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Emotional Milestones
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Physical Milestones
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Social Milestones
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Spiritual Milestones
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* Search Institute describes spiritual development as “a constant, ongoing, and dynamic interplay between one’s inward journey and one’s outward journey.” It occurs both within and outside of religious traditions, beliefs, and practices. See our international, multi-faith, and multicultural research in this area of human development.