Everything About Parenting

The parenting timeline

Key moments from every topic, placed on one shared timeline of how parenting knowledge grew.

Parenting knowledge is not timeless. Here are key moments from across the site on one timeline.

1900 👶 Newborn — Incubator shows

Martin Couney displayed premature infants in incubators at fairs, popularising neonatal warmth technology.

1900 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 1

In 1900, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1912 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 2

In 1912, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1917 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 1

In 1917, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1924 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 3

In 1924, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1929 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 2

In 1929, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1934 🍼 Infant — Piaget stages

Jean Piaget published sensorimotor descriptions of infant object permanence development.

1934 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 1

In 1934, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1936 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 4

In 1936, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1941 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 3

In 1941, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1946 🍼 Infant — Spock bestseller

Benjamin Spock's Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care reached millions of US parents.

1946 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 2

In 1946, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1948 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 5

In 1948, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1951 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 1

In 1951, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1952 👶 Newborn — Bowlby attachment

John Bowlby linked early separation from mothers to later distress, challenging hospital nursery norms.

1953 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 4

In 1953, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1958 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 3

In 1958, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1960 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 6

In 1960, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1961 👶 Newborn — Strange Situation prep

Mary Ainsworth began observational work in Uganda that led to attachment classification.

1963 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 2

In 1963, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1965 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 5

In 1965, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1969 🍼 Infant — Strange Situation

Mary Ainsworth published attachment classification procedure at Johns Hopkins.

1970 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 4

In 1970, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1972 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 7

In 1972, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1975 🍼 Infant — Liedloff Continuum

The Continuum Concept popularised constant carrying among Western readers.

1975 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 3

In 1975, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1977 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 6

In 1977, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1978 👶 Newborn — Kangaroo Mother Care

Edgar Rey Sanabria in Bogotá showed skin-to-skin could stabilise preterm infants without costly incubators.

1982 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 5

In 1982, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1984 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 8

In 1984, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1985 🍼 Infant — Back to Sleep prep

SIDS research began linking prone sleeping to higher infant mortality.

1987 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 4

In 1987, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1989 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 7

In 1989, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1991 👶 Newborn — Back to Sleep

American Academy of Pediatrics campaign reduced SIDS by recommending supine sleep position.

1994 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 6

In 1994, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1996 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 9

In 1996, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

1999 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 5

In 1999, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2000 👶 Newborn — WHO KMC guidelines

WHO promoted kangaroo mother care globally for preterm and low-birth-weight infants.

2001 🍼 Infant — WHO exclusive BF

WHO recommended six months exclusive breastfeeding where possible.

2001 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 8

In 2001, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2006 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 7

In 2006, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2008 🧸 Toddler — Toddler milestone 10

In 2008, research or policy on autonomy and language advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2010 👶 Newborn — Rooming-in push

Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative expanded rooming-in and breastfeeding support standards.

2010 🍼 Infant — Three-stratum model

Gwen Dewar synthesised evidence-based infant sleep and development for parents online.

2011 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 6

In 2011, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2013 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 9

In 2013, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2016 👶 Newborn — Fourth trimester

Pediatrician Harvey Karp popularised "fourth trimester" framing for the first three months.

2016 🍼 Infant — AAP solids update

American Academy of Pediatrics aligned complementary feeding start near six months.

2018 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 8

In 2018, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2020 👶 Newborn — COVID birth policies

Pandemic rules temporarily restricted partners and skin-to-skin in some hospitals worldwide.

2020 🍼 Infant — COVID isolation

Infant social exposure limited during lockdowns — later studies tracked communication milestones.

2023 👶 Newborn — Parental leave debate

OECD nations expanded paid leave discussions citing newborn health and maternal recovery data.

2023 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 7

In 2023, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2024 🍼 Infant — Allergen introduction

Guidelines shifted toward early peanut/egg introduction after LEAP trial replication discussions.

2025 ✏️ Preschool — Preschool milestone 10

In 2025, research or policy on play-based learning and social entry advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2030 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 9

In 2030, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2035 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 8

In 2035, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2042 📚 School Age — School Age milestone 10

In 2042, research or policy on competence and peer belonging advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2047 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 9

In 2047, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.

2059 🧑‍🎓 Teenager — Teenager milestone 10

In 2059, research or policy on identity and emerging autonomy advanced through studies, programmes, or cultural debate.