Life Stages and Growth Patterns
Your life unfolds through six distinct stages, each with its own characteristics. These range from infancy 0−2years through early childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and finally older adulthood 65+years.
Growth during infancy can be surprisingly irregular, but don't worry - this is usually completely normal! Health visitors and midwives track this carefully using your red book and something called centile charts. These charts help them spot if anything needs attention.
During childhood, growth becomes more predictable with small, steady increases. Then comes adolescence - especially for boys - when growth spurts can make you feel like you're shooting up overnight! By young adulthood, this rapid growth finally slows down and stops.
Key Insight: Growth refers to measurable increases like head circumference, length, and weight, whilst development involves complex changes in your skills and abilities.