After the birth of your baby, each day will be special as your baby will reach several developmental milestones. From rolling over to sitting and smiling back at you, every gesture is adorable and worth watching. One of the most prominent among all of them is seeing your baby walking. When your baby learns to stand up on her own feet and walk for the first time is indeed the most memorable moment.
So here is this blog, you will know when a baby learns to walk and what are tips to encourage walking.
When does a baby learn to walk
Babies usually start walking around when they are 10-12 months of age. Some are rapid rabbits who start walking at around 9 months and some being late bloomers start walking after 15 months. This may be dependent on factors such as the baby’s genetics, her physical strength as well as her determination.
Walking Milestones
Throughout the first year, your baby is going to bloom rapidly. She will be developing muscle strength and coordination that can aid in helping her stand up and walk. Some of the important milestones or walking stages are:
The first step of standing up or walking is that your baby will let her legs dangle and try to push her feet against any hard surface. Even though her legs aren’t strong enough, she will continue to do this for a few months.
At six months of age, your baby learns to roll and sit and she will also begin to bounce her feet every time you let her balance her legs on your thighs or surface.
At around 9 months, your baby will begin to pull herself up with the support of furniture. At this point, you must be extra cautious to prevent accidents.
Around 10 months of age, your baby will learn to bend her knees and sit down from a standing position. Quite a task for a 10-month-old!
At 12 months, she may take a few steps on her own or with some support and even stand without assistance. She may also walk holding your hand. At this age, most toddlers learn how to walk although they may be a little unsteady. If your baby hasn’t walked at 12 months, she may probably need a few more months, and that is entirely alright.
How to Encourage Walking
If your baby is taking longer to walk or even if she is right on track, you may want to help her build muscle strength to aid her walking. Here are a few ways on how to encourage your baby to walk.
1. Allow baby to sit on stool : Sitting on a baby-sized stool without back support will make her legs strong. While sitting, she must be able to touch her feet to the ground and push them to the ground. Make sure her hips and knees are at a 90-degree angle. Scatter few toys near her and ask her to bend and pick while she is seated on the stool. This will strengthen her muscles and help her to learn how to support her boy weight.
2. Let her cruise : The more your baby cruises, the sooner she will learn to walk. You can help her stand up against the support of the sofa. With one hand on the sofa and the other hand gripping your hand, help her walk back and forth across the sofa.
3. Assisted Walking : You will need to hold your baby in the upper arms in a standing position and move her arms forward one at a time. Her hips and her legs will follow helping her to walk with some assistance.
4. Kick while cruising: This is a fun exercise for your baby. As she is walking next to the sofa with support from the furniture, you can place a ball near her feet. Although she may kick accidentally the first few times, if you are consistent, she will begin raising her leg to kick the ball out of her way.
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