• Contact us
• About us
• A-Z topics
• Symptom Checker
• Service Finder
• Linking to us
• Information partners
• Terms of use
• Privacy

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is funded by the Australian Government and operated by Healthdirect Australia.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is provided on behalf of the Department of Health

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby’s information and advice are developed and managed within a rigorous clinical governance framework. This website is certified by the Health On The Net (HON) foundation, the standard for trustworthy health information.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.

Support this browser is being discontinued for Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

Support for this browser is being discontinued for this site

• Internet Explorer 11 and lower

We currently support Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. For more information, please visit the links below:

• Chrome by Google
• Firefox by Mozilla
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari by Apple

You are welcome to continue browsing this site with this browser. Some features, tools or interaction may not work correctly.

When do babies start walking, and how does it develop? (illustrated)

© 2020-2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved

Most babies start walking independently within 2-3 months of learning to stand up by themselves. But there are other signs, and there is no single developmental timeline that all babies follow. In fact, the onset of walking is extremely variable, with some babies walking before 9 months, and others waiting until they are 18 months or older.

When do babies start walking? In the United States today, the average age of independent walking is approximately 12 months. Researchers report similar timing for babies in a number of other countries, including Argentina, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, South Africa, and Turkey. On average, babies in these countries take their first, unassisted steps at around 12-13 months (WHO 2006a; Ertem et al 2018).

But there are cultures where most babies begin walking months earlier – or many months later. And even within a single society, the range of individual variation can be huge. For example, in a study tracking the development of 220 children in Switzerland, a few babies began walking independently at 8.5 months. And some babies didn’t walk until they were nearly 20 months old. Yet all of those children experienced healthy, normal outcomes. The timing of independent walking was unrelated the children’s later motor development and cognitive ability (Jenni et al 2013).

Of course, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes delays in the onset of walking are caused by medical conditions or developmental disorders. But most late walkers don’t have these problems. 

So what’s normal? What should we expect? How can we tell if a baby is ready to walk, and what makes some babies begin walking earlier than others? Here’s an overview, beginning with the motor skills that babies must master before they start walking on their own. 

Before they can walk, babies need to develop the strength and coordination to maintain an upright posture on their own. They also need to be able to bear most of their weight – at least momentarily – on one foot. So babies are moving closer to independent walking when they achieve these motor milestones:

Typically, babies develop this ability about 4 months before they take their first, independent steps (Ertem et al 2018). During early attempts, a baby will be able to remain standing for only a few seconds, and you will notice that the baby’s legs are stiff and straight (as they are in this photo). But as the baby gets stronger, he or she will be able to stand comfortably — with knees slightly flexed — while holding on.

At this stage, babies have the strength to shift their weight from one leg to the other. If you hold a baby by the hands, he can walk forward. If a baby grabs onto a piece of furniture (like a couch or sofa), she can “cruise,” or move along sideways. When will a baby with these abilities begin walking independently?

Studies suggest that independent walking tends to emerge about 3 months later (WHO 2006a; Ertem et al 2018), but there’s no strict sequence that all babies follow. Some babies begin walking with support relatively early — even before they have learned to crawl. For these babies, the next stage might be independent walking. But babies might also shift their focus to crawling (WHO 2006b).

How long after learning to stand unassisted do babies begin to walk? International studies suggest that most babies start walking within 2-3 months of learning to stand (Ertem et al 2018). But it isn’t the absolute passage of time that matters so much. It’s the sheer amount of practice and hard work.

When babies are learning to walk independently, they fall down. A lot. Some babies don’t seem to mind much. They enthusiastically throw themselves into the project, and learn to walk rather quickly — sometimes within a few days of learning to stand. 

Absolutely not. In fact, some babies never crawl. Read more about it in my article “When do babies crawl, and how does crawling develop: An illustrated guide.”

International research suggests that approximately 50% of all babies have begun walking with support by the age of 9. 5 months (WHO 2006a; Ertem et al 2018). But local norms differ.

In cultures where parents actively teach their babies to walk, infants may begin assisted walking by 7-8 months (e.g., Super 1976). By contrast, in places where parents take a more hands-off approach, the average onset of walking with support is later – closer to 10.5 months (WHO 2006a). And in societies where babies remain physically restrained throughout the day – in carriers, slings, cradles, and other devices – babies don’t begin walking until much later.

As noted in the introduction, there is a wide range of variation here. Some babies begin before they are 9 months old. Others take 18 months or more. Why is there so much variation, and what sort of factors predict whether a child will walk earlier or later?

Human bipedalism is a difficult trick to learn. Babies face many obstacles, including their own bodies. For instance, a baby with skinny legs – and a higher muscle-to-fat- ratio – will have an easier time fighting gravity, and may begin walking sooner than a plumper, less muscular infant (Adolf 2008). The timing of walking also depends on opportunities for movement and practice.

In general, babies who get more exercise – time outside a sling, crib, or cradle – tend to achieve motor milestones earlier in life. More specifically, babies learn to walk earlier if they get lots of practice with “assisted walking” — taking steps forward while someone holds their hands.

Motivation is probably important, too. For example, researchers have found that babies are more likely to start learning to walk if they show an interest in accessing distant objects, such as toys (Karasik et al 2011).

And something as mundane as clothing can make a difference. Experimental research confirms that it’s harder for babies to walk when they are wearing diapers. The bulk gets in the way – forcing them to waddle with their legs farther apart – and babies are more likely to lose their balance and fall (Cole et al 2012).

Together, these factors can help explain why babies vary as individuals. They can also shed light on some of the dramatic differences we observe between cultures.

Consider the Kipsigis of Kenya, people who raise crops and herd cattle. In this culture, parents actively encourage infants to develop motor skills essential for walking. It begins with something called the stepping reflex: Hold a newborn baby upright – allowing his or her feet to touch the ground – and the baby will appear to take alternating steps. As if the baby is ready to walk!

Of course, the baby isn’t really ready to walk, not yet. Young babies lack the muscle development, coordination, and body proportions to walk successfully when they are very young. And if we simply ignore this stepping response, the behavior will eventually fade. In Western countries, for example, the stepping response usually disappears by the time babies are 8 weeks old.

But the Kipsigis don’t ignore the stepping reflex. Instead, they turn it into a game. Supporting babies by the armpits, mothers bounce their babies on their laps, stimulating the stepping reflex.

The games start when babies are about one month old, and babies experience daily practice. By the time they are 7-8 months old, infants are strong enough to begin walking (with support) on the ground. There is never a point when babies lose the stepping response. Instead, there is a continuous, gradual development of ever-stronger stepping (Super 1976).

When researchers tested a similar approach on babies living in the United States, they noticed the same thing: Babies didn’t lose the stepping response over time, not when they were encouraged to practice it (Zelazo 1983). And in both groups — Kipsigis and Americans — researchers observed a relationship between practice and the timing of walking. Babies who practiced step-walking tend to walk independently at an earlier age (Super 1976; Zelazo 1983).

So parents can stimulate the development of walking through exercise and play. In fact, even “tummy time” has been linked with the development of walking. The more time young babies spend on their tummies, the earlier they tend to reach the motor milestones of assisted walking and independent walking (Carson et al 2022).

Moreover, the reverse is true as well: When babies experience higher levels of movement restriction – by being held, swaddled, strapped into a chair, or otherwise immobilized during the day – they begin walking later (Adolph and Robinson 2013; Carson et al 2022).

For an extreme case, consider the Ache of Paraguay, people who practiced hunting and gathering until the late 20th century. When they were living in the old, traditional way, the Ache carried their babies almost constantly. They regarded their environment – the Amazonian rain forest – to be too dangerous to set infants down. So Ache babies didn’t get opportunities to practice walking, and, as a result, children didn’t learn to walk until they were approximately 24 months old (Kaplan and Dove 1987).

I call this an extreme case, but “extreme” is a relative term: It depends on what populations you use for comparison. The Ache aren’t the only hunter-gatherers who avoided setting their babies on the ground. And people in other societies follow customs that restrict infant movement. For instance, throughout Central Asia, babies spend long hours each day restrained in a traditional cradle called a “gahvora” (Karasik et al 2018). In different times and places, it might have been pretty common for babies to miss out on the sort of experiences that lead to early walking. And that should make us re-evaluate our ideas about what constitutes “normal” development.

It doesn’t make sense to talk about “normal” timing in a vacuum, as if local differences in the environment don’t matter.

Another name for “walking toys” is “locomotor toys” — toys that are designed to be pushed, pulled, or rolled. What happens if you provide a baby with such toys — like a “popper” push toy, which pops plastic balls when you roll it along the ground? It isn’t clear that this will motivate a baby who isn’t yet walking to take his or her first steps. But push toys and pull toys might encourage early walkers to keep at it longer.

In a study of 40 walking babies (average age: 15 months), Justine Hoch and her colleagues assigned half of them to spend time in a room with a caregiver and several locomotor toys. The other half spent time with a caregiver in the same room, but without toys. The researchers recorded the infants’ movements, and found that babies in both groups walked around in equal amounts. But the babies provided with locomotory toys walked in longer bouts — taking more steps before coming to a halt. They were also more likely to explore every part of the playroom, and to stray farther from their caregivers (Hoch et al 2019).

A baby walker is a rigid frame, on wheels, with a seat suspended in the middle. When an infant is placed in the seat, his or her toes reach the ground, and the baby is able to move independently by pushing off in various directions.

It might sound like a shortcut for learning to walk, but it isn’t. On the contrary, when infants use baby walkers, they frequently adopt abnormal postures and gait patterns. For instance, they may lean backwards, walk on tiptoes, or fail to control the movement of their heads (Schecter et al 2019). They aren’t actually practicing the movements they need to master to learn to walk.

Moreover, the trend across studies is either neutral or negative. Some studies have found that baby walkers confer no motor skill advantages. Others have reported distinct disadvantages — that infants who use walkers tend to be slower to reach motor milestones, including crawling, standing alone, and walking independently (Badihian et al 2017; Schecter et al 2019; Bezgin et al 2021).

But the most important problem concerns safety. Baby walkers are linked with high rates of injury. Accidents are often caused by babies falling down the stairs while in a walker, and there are other hazards too. Infants have fallen out of their walkers. They’ve injured themselves by reaching for objects that are heavy, sharp, or burning-hot. And the injuries can be serious – concussions, lacerations, bone fractures. Some infants have died (Sims et al 2018).

Given these dangers – and the lack of developmental benefits – the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended a ban on the manufacture and sale of baby walkers (American Academy of Pediatrics 2001), and baby walkers have been banned in Canada since 2004 (Skinner et al 2010).

Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) recommend that you talk with your doctor if your baby can’t walk by the age of 18 months. And that’s good advice. Sometimes, delayed walking is a sign of a physical problem, so it’s good to investigate early, and take action. In a review of more than 400 “late walkers”, nearly one-third of the cases were attributable to some kind of underlying clinical or neurological condition (Chaplais and McFarlane 1984).

But keep in mind: Most babies who haven’t yet begun walking at 18 months do not suffer from developmental problems. Not if they are otherwise healthy. 

As we’ve seen, babies don’t learn to walk on a fixed time schedule. The timing can vary dramatically from one individual to the next. The same is true for many other motor skills. To learn more about it, see my article on baby motor milestones.

In addition, check out my guide to the development of crawling, as well as these articles about baby development:

• When do babies say their first words?
• Can babies sign before they speak?
• Do babies feel empathy?
• Can babies sense stress in others?
• Can babies tell when their parents are fighting?
• Moral sense: Babies prefer underdogs and do-gooders
• Stress in babies: How to keep babies calm, happy, and emotionally healthy
• How friendly eye contact can make infants tune in — and mirror your brain waves.

Note to the scholarly: If you want to dive into the scientific literature about walking, be sure to check out the work of Karen Adolph and Lana Karasik.

Adolph heads a research team at New York University. Many of her lab’s publications can be downloaded for free from the NYU infant action lab. Karasik is currently at the City University, CUNY. You can find her publications is at the Karasik Lab of Culture & Development.

Adolph KE. 2008. Motor and physical development: Locomotion. In M. M. Haith & J. B. Benson, (Eds.), Encyclopedia of infant and early childhood development (pp. 359-373). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Adolph KE and Robinson SR. 2013. The road to walking: What learning to walk tells us about development. In P. Zelazo (Ed), Oxford handbook of developmental psychology (pp. 403-443). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. 2001. Injuries associated with infant walkers. Pediatrics. 108(3):790-2.

Badihian S, Adihian N, Yaghini O. 2017. The Effect of Baby Walker on Child Development: A Systematic Review. Iran J Child Neurol. 11(4):1-6.

Bezgin S, Uzun Akkaya K, Çelik Hİ, Duyan Çamurdan A, Elbasan B. 2021. Evaluation of the effects of using a baby walker on trunk control and motor development. Turk Arch Pediatr. 56(2):159-163.

Carson V, Zhang Z, Predy M, Pritchard L, and Hesketh KD. 2022. Longitudinal associations between infant movement behaviours and development. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 19(1):10.

Chaplais JD and Macfarlane JA. 1984. A review of 404 ‘late walkers’. Arch
Dis Child. 59(6): 512–516.

Cole WG, Lingeman JM, Adolph KE. 2012. Go naked: diapers affect infant walking. Dev Sci. 15(6):783-90.

Hoch JE, O’Grady SM, Adolph KE. 2019. It’s the journey, not the destination: Locomotor exploration in infants. Dev Sci. 22(2):e12740.

Kaplan H and Dove H. 1987. Infant development among the Ache of eastern Paraguay.  Developmental Psychology, 23(2): 190–198.

Karasik LB, Tamis-LeMonda CS, Ossmy O, and Adolph KE. 2018. The ties that bind: Cradling in Tajikistan. PLoS ONE, 13(10): e0204428–18. 

Karasik LB, Tamis-LeMonda CS, and Adolph KE 2011. Transition from crawling to walking and infants’ actions with objects and people. Child Development, 82, 1199-1209.

Jenni OG, Chaouch A, Caflisch J, and Rousson V. 2013. Infant motor milestones: poor predictive value for outcome of healthy children. Acta Paediatrica 102 (4): e181

Schecter R, Das P, Milanaik R. 2019. Are Baby Walker Warnings Coming Too Late?: Recommendations and Rationale for Anticipatory Guidance at Earlier Well-Child Visits. Glob Pediatr Health. 6:2333794X19876849.

Sims A, Chounthirath T, Yang J, Hodges NL, Smith GA. 2018. Infant Walker-Related Injuries in the United States. Pediatrics. 142(4):e20174332

Skinner R, Ugnat AM, Grenier D. 2010. Baby products and injuries in Canada: Is it still an issue? Paediatr Child Health. 15(8):490.

Super CM. 1976. Environmental effects on motor development: the case of “African infant precocity”. Dev Med Child Neurol. 18(5):561-7.

WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. 2006a. Assessment of sex differences and heterogeneity in motor milestone attainment among populations in the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 450:66-75.

Zelazo PR 1983. The development of walking: New findings and old solutions. Journal of Motor Behavior 15: 99-137.

Content of “When do babies start walking” last modified 8/2/2022. Portions of the text derive from an earlier version of this article, written by the same author.

Image credits for “When do babies start walking”:

image of toddler’s and parent’s legs by Halfpoint/ istock

image of baby standing independently with arms in the air by Prostock-studio / shutterstock

image of baby girl pulling herself up into a standing position by grasping a kitchen chair by Ekaterina Pokrovsky/shutterstock

image of infant seated in a green baby walker by Drovnin / shutterstock

image of mother helping baby walk by eggeeggjiew / istock

Stages of development of walking - Santerra Community Foundation

Every child has a need to move towards the desired object. And the child does this in a horizontal position: he crawls on his stomach, on all fours, sometimes he just rolls over.

A child who is led around the apartment is deprived of an incentive to move. Crawling, not having time to form, fades away.
Parents hope that instead of crawling, walking will appear. But this is not so either.

Try to answer the question: what skill is needed for independent walking: the ability to move the legs or the ability to maintain balance while transferring weight to one foot in order to take a step with the other foot?

When you lead your child, you provide balance, preventing him from learning this important skill.
About the fact that when walking by the hands, you shift the weight of the child in the direction familiar to you, and in order to balance his position in space, he stands on his toes, begins to clubfoot, pulling up one leg.
But even driving a child with support by the pelvis makes sense only when the child walks well and confidently along the support, but is afraid to break away from it.

Let's name the stages of development of walking in a child

1. The child stands up to the support. If he does not know how to sit down from a support, then your task is to teach this as soon as possible. A child in the initial stages, usually, flops on the ass and this is normal. To do this, he should slightly bend forward, and put his ass back. Try to slowly sit on a chair and you will understand what is at stake. Approximately this movement is done by the child, but he may not yet bend his knees. This is also normal. The main thing is that the baby does not fall backwards.
2. The child learns to stand at the support more and more confidently. If he, standing by the sofa, first leaned on his whole body, then gradually he begins to lack support with the hand of one hand.
3. The child gets dynamic stabilization of the knees. He, as it were, "treads on" while gaining experience in maintaining balance when relying on one leg.
4. The child begins to walk along the support.
5. Moves from support to support at a constantly increasing distance.

At this level of development of walking, it is possible, if necessary, to lead the child on the street.

At home, he can and should get to the object/subject of interest on his own. This contributes not only to the development of movements, but also to purposeful activity, and therefore forms a model of independent behavior.

When you take your child outside, hold him in the pelvic area. Then he will walk on his own, and you will only insure him, helping him to plop on his ass if he loses his balance. So you will help him understand how he should fall without hitting his head on the surface.

Using the walkers and hand driving, you reduce the child’s need for independent movement, and, therefore, to a large extent delay the development of crawling and independent walking

Source: https://downsideup.org/en/catalog/Article/etapy -razvitiya-hodby

step-by-step instructions and advice from pediatricians

Children start walking at different times: some get on their feet and take their first steps at 8-9 months, and there are babies who need more time and begin to walk on their own closer to 1 year or even later. After all, each child has his own pace of development, you should not adapt to others and compare your baby with them.

The first steps are always a tremulous and important moment not only in the life of a baby, but also in the life of parents. To prepare for it, you need to know how you can help the baby and what is best to do so that he gets back on his feet faster.

Interesting facts about the first steps of the baby

Baby gymnastics will help you start walking	Special gymnastics for newborns strengthens muscles and ligaments, preparing them for the process of upright walking. After all, for a long time the baby is in a sitting state, and only then begins to crawl. Such gymnastics can be done by a trained massage therapist or orthopedist. But you can find popular exercises for a child on the Internet. As an addition, a complex for the development of coordination is perfect for them - so that the baby can stand exactly on two legs.
All stages	By the time the baby gets on his feet, he is already going through different states. First, he needs to learn how to roll over, and only then - to sit down. After that, the child can move on to crawling. The next step - he clings to various objects, but his legs are not yet holding. And now, gradually, the baby takes his hands off the walls or furniture, lets go of the hand of mom or dad and takes the first steps.
Age at which a child should learn to walk	There are no clear boundaries defined by experts. On average, children begin to walk between the ages of 10 months and 1.5 years. A doctor is consulted if something else is bothering the child: for example, he is not gaining weight well, looks sick, sleeps poorly and does not respond to movement. If after 20 months the baby still has not gone, it is worth going with him for a consultation with a pediatrician (1).
Why you shouldn't rush your child	Young children, like adults, can experience stress. When parents force the baby to stand up, they literally train him every day, the psyche, which is not yet strong, as well as the musculoskeletal system, are subjected to severe stress.

At what age should a child be able to walk

Average time frame: 10 months to 1.5 years. Often children take their first steps in a year. But it is worth noting that a large number of factors influence the development process: the environment in which the child grows up, his genetic characteristics, temperament, and physical traits. If after 20 months the baby walks with support or cannot walk at all, you need to contact a specialist for advice. Perhaps he will pick up effective ways that will help the child go faster. Or explain what could be the reason.

An interesting study was carried out by a group of scientists, the results of which are published in the journal Pediatrics (2). Parents of babies born between 2008 and 2010 recorded when their babies reached four important developmental milestones: unassisted sitting, crawling, standing on their own and walking unassisted. In the end, they found a relationship between the age at which children first stood up and their general cognitive abilities at the age of 4 years. For example, children who already stood confidently and took their first steps at 9months were faster on some tasks than children who were on their feet at 11 months (2).

A study by the Swiss Science Foundation in 2013, however, found no link between a child's early walking and his intellectual development (1). Scientists have come to the conclusion that development is more closely related to genetics and environmental factors: the model of upbringing, education, and even nutrition.

Step-by-step instructions for teaching a child to walk independently and without support

Helping a child is worth much before he gets on his feet. But helping does not mean imitating walking and forcibly putting them on their feet. It is better to do this gradually and carefully: so that the baby is comfortable.

• 2-3 months

At this time the baby is trying to roll over. If movement is difficult for him, it is worth a little help. To do this, you need to come up with an incentive for which he will reach out. It can be a favorite toy or some bright interior detail that the baby pays attention to. It is also more often worth turning the little one on his stomach and making sure that he turns back on his own.

• 4-6 months

The child learns to sit up and keep his head straight, gradually begins to crawl. To help him, you need to give the baby more time in the open space: for example, let him crawl on the floor more often, spreading his favorite toys everywhere.

• 6-8 months

At this age, the baby usually moves much more actively, and it is already possible to do various coordination exercises. In addition, from 6 to 8 months, the baby's vestibular apparatus is actively strengthened.

• 8-10 months

The child has a desire to grab objects and pull them towards him, he also tries to get into his parents' arms, while getting up on his feet and holding on to them. During this period, you need to encourage the aspirations of the baby and go towards him: help reach for toys or lean lower so that he can climb into your arms.

It is recommended to monitor how much time the child spends in a standing position. You should not overload it too much, but at the same time, most of the activities, if the baby can already stand on his own, it is better to carry out in this position. Indeed, without this, he will not be able to move on to the next step - his first steps.

• 10 months and older

Usually a year and older, a child stands on two legs with relative confidence. If he does not do this or uses a support, it is worth trying to offer him his favorite toy instead. So gradually the baby will learn to break away from the sofa or wall, standing firmly on both legs.

When he takes his first steps, it is important that the space around him be free. Another life hack: to attract attention, you can use a small hoop, behind which the baby will reach out and be able to grab it with his hands.

Below is a guide to follow when you teach your son or daughter to walk on their own.

Prepare the surface

When a child is just learning to walk, it is important that nothing interferes with him. There should be no unnecessary objects on the floor, and around - things that he can be distracted by and lose concentration. It is necessary to create an environment in which the baby will be comfortable and at the same time he will fully trust his parents.

Hold hands tight

In the first stages, do not pull the little one by the hands - it is better to hold him firmly and make sure that he walks evenly. It is worth pulling up the child only if he is already confidently on his feet and independently takes two or three steps.

Take off your shoes

This is necessary so that the child quickly feels his abilities: learning to walk in shoes is much more difficult. And walking barefoot quickly develops the muscles of the feet and ankles. Shoes can affect the process, which muscles are included in the process of walking. If you are teaching your child to walk in boots, then it is better to choose lightweight and flexible soles so that they can adapt to movement.

Use the sofa

If the baby is already standing, using a support, it will be much easier for him to take his first steps with it. This is perfect for a sofa. With one hand, he can hold on to furniture and step gently. At first, he should offer his hand as a second support, and slowly move along with him along the sofa. As a stimulus, you can put a toy on the other end.

Don't forget to smile

To make the child comfortable and calm, it is important to accompany the process with positive emotions. Of course, it is difficult to restrain them when the baby takes the first step on his own, but it is better to give the child feedback in the form of encouragement, smiles and kind words throughout the learning process. Don't forget that this is a great motivator.

Things to help your baby learn to walk

There are popular methods and things to help your baby take their first steps. Not all of them are effective, but they are used, at the same time, often. Before purchasing any devices, we advise you to study more information.

Baby walker

They are designed to give your baby some support while learning to walk. The walkers have 4 wheels and a strong frame, inside of which the child is placed.

It would seem that it is convenient and practical, but there are conflicting opinions on this matter. Such an adaptation reduces the desire of the child to learn to walk independently. In other words, he can simply be lazy: after all, and so he manages to deftly move around the apartment. In addition, walkers are not as safe as they might seem. In them, the baby in a matter of seconds can be near the edge of the stairs or, for example, at the cage with animals (3).

- All kinds of walking aids, such as walkers, wheelchairs, do not stimulate walking. This is just an opportunity for parents to relax a little or do household chores while the child is exploring the surrounding space, - adds Irina Vostrikova, PhD, pediatrician of the MEDSI Clinical Diagnostic Center in Maryino . - It is strictly contraindicated to stay in a walker for too long: a maximum of 30-40 minutes a day. Walkers can be used occasionally from the age of 7-8 months, when the child's back is already strong enough. In addition, the walker can tip over, so it should only be used on a perfectly level surface.

Playpen

The playpen is used to secure the baby and provide a certain space for learning to walk. On sale you can find options with transparent walls, as well as more stable and durable structures that are difficult to turn over or break. Some use the playpen for daytime sleep of the baby.

When it comes to learning to walk, the playpen is more like something that will keep the child safe. If possible, it is better to let the baby out into the open and keep an eye on him. So he will immediately get used to the situation.

Learn more

Jumpers

Jumpers should be used at the age of 10-12 months. By this time, the back, joints, and ligaments of the child become stronger. If you use jumpers before, then you should not leave your baby in them for more than 10 minutes. They can help improve motor skills and increase motor activity: all this will be used when walking.

Doctors' comments

— The latest research convincingly shows that the muscle and neural connections responsible for the ability to walk are formed in every child at their own time. This is not a race where the one who finishes first wins, so do not grieve if your kid is behind the “favorite”. Regardless of the speed, everyone crosses the finish line,” says pediatrician Irina Vostrikova. - In order for the brain to learn to give clear commands to the muscles, myelination of nerve endings must be completed (4). Myelin is a white fatty substance that covers the top of the nerve like a sheath, preventing electrical signals from getting out and tangling with each other. All neurons become myelinated by 2 years of age.

Physical and "conceptual" readiness for walking occurs at 10-17 months. This "fork" is explained by the fact that the brain and body of some children take longer to complete this miracle of balance and coordination. In anticipation of this breakthrough, children move from one support to another for several months and only then decide to let go of their hands and, staggering, take their first steps.

Even those born blind learn to walk, although they do not imitate anyone. As soon as the child's body reaches a certain degree of anatomical and physiological development, the nervous system masters this skill. The child is impelled to this by an irresistible desire to go beyond his own limits. Some manage to do this a little earlier than others, but after 5 years no one will be able to determine which of the children set off first.

- A child does not need to be taught to walk in the usual sense of the word. In order for it to go, the bone, muscle, nervous systems and vestibular apparatus must mature. In addition, the psyche must also be strengthened. If you prematurely stimulate the gait, you can get a complication in the system that is not ready for walking. As well as curvature of the limbs, muscular dystonia, the child’s fear of walking (when the baby starts walking, he invariably falls and may refuse to walk in the future), notes Valery Potapov, traumatologist-orthopedist . - But helping a child to prepare is not only possible, but also necessary. You need to start at a very early age. The baby should have toys of different colors, sizes, material density, different textures. It must be remembered that the child pulls everything into his mouth, so toys should be made from environmentally friendly materials. When the baby begins to roll over and be interested in the world around him, you cannot limit him in this. It must have free space. Toys should be placed both next to the child, and a little further than he can reach.

When the baby begins to sit up and stand up, he should have vertical supports on which he can stand with his hands. Over time, these supports need to be gradually moved away from each other. You can give him a large toy in his hands so that he can hold it with only two hands. In addition, do not forget about physical exercises. Swimming, "baby" gymnastics, fitball classes are only welcome.

The floor in a child's room should not be prickly so that it is pleasant for the child to stand on it, but it should not be slippery either. Remember that in no case should you force the child to do something: your baby should want it himself.

When it comes to shoes, the best option is to go without them. The baby's foot develops not when he walks in shoes, but when he walks on an uneven surface. But this is not always possible, so sometimes you have to put on a child's shoes. Ideal shoes must meet the following requirements:

• the sole must be flexible (so as not to interfere with the functioning of the foot), but at the same time it must be dense enough to protect the delicate foot of the child from injuries from glass, nails, sharp plants;
• the heel should be tight to fit firmly on the leg, but not stiff;
• fasteners must securely fix shoes on the foot, but not squeeze it; it is desirable that the baby could not unfasten them and take off his shoes;
• shoes must be breathable so that the feet do not sweat;
• it is better to choose softer and lighter options so that they do not rub the child's legs and do not overload them;
• children's shoes must be environmentally friendly and not cause allergic reactions.

Popular Questions and Answers

How to teach a child to fall correctly, how to create a safe environment for the first steps and what shoes to choose for this, a pediatrician, Ph.D. Irina Vostrikova.

How to make a house safe for a child who has learned to walk?

Even if your little one is just taking his first steps, don't underestimate his ability to instantly get where he shouldn't be. Therefore, you must follow the basic rules to ensure its safety.

• If the child often falls down when trying to walk, it is necessary to lay a carpet on the floor, preferably a special rubber one, so that it is firmly fixed on the floor.

• Try to remove all sharp and traumatic objects from the nursery, remove all things from the floor that the child may trip on. Special silicone pads are put on the sharp corners of the furniture.

• If the child is up and walking around the room, do not leave him alone. The closer you are to him, the more likely you are to have time to prevent dangerous situations that constantly arise in a large and new world for a small person.

• A special head protection helmet can be used. It is made of soft fabric, almost weightless and allows you to avoid such unpleasant injuries as abrasions, bruises, microconcussions.

• It doesn't hurt to get interroom door locks that will prevent the baby from slamming the door and pinching his fingers.

• If you live in a vacation home with stairs to the second floor, install security barriers and security gates.

• Cover the sockets with plugs or install child-proof sockets that open only when the plug is turned.

• If your little one has learned to climb on sofas and armchairs, the day is not far off when he will be able to climb onto the windowsill. It is better to worry about its safety in advance and install either handles with key locks or special locks on the window sashes.

How to teach a child to fall correctly?

Some parents try to save and protect their child from everything. It's instinct, it's normal. But still, you should not constantly hold your hand or clothes, “catch” the child when he falls. Yes, this will save the nerves of moms and dads, but will not teach the baby independence, as he will know that he will be supported and will not learn to rely on his own strength. It is better to stand nearby and insure that he does not stumble upon a dangerous object.

If the child has fallen, there is no need to panic - this will only scare the child. It should be understood that the small height and weight of babies already prevent many of the negative consequences of falls. Fell while walking - let him try to get up on his own.

What can a parent do? Teach your child to fall "correctly". It is important that when falling forward, the baby rests on his hands, and when falling back, he sits on his ass. For this, there are special exercises.

What kind of footwear should I choose for my baby's first steps?

Experts differ here. Some are convinced that even babies need shoes and should not walk barefoot, others recommend walking and running on the floor more often without shoes and even socks up to 2-3 years. By the way, the bare foot is better fixed on the floor - there is less risk of falling.

But in any case, choosing sooner or later the first shoes for the baby, you need to take into account that the child's feet are still fragile, sensitive to deformations, so the shoes must be chosen correctly. It is worth paying attention to some parameters.

• Size.

Do not buy shoes for a baby with a large margin, but you should not back-to-back either. The best option: when a finger is placed between the heel and the heel (0.5-1 cm). It is better to try on shoes or sandals in the afternoon, in the late afternoon.

• Completeness.

If a child has a wide foot, narrow shoes will not suit him, and vice versa. In the first case, the shoes will rub, and shoes that are too wide for a narrow foot do not allow you to properly distribute the load on the muscles. It is optimal to purchase shoes that can be independently adjusted in fullness with the help of lacing or Velcro.

• Form.

Your baby's first shoe should have good ankle support. The sole must be flexible and non-slip; it is necessary to have a small heel, up to 1 cm high. So the baby’s arch of the foot will be correctly formed, and he will not fall back when walking.

• Arch support.

Soft cushion that supports the arch of the foot. If we are talking about healthy children, the arch support should not be too hard and high. Orthopedic shoes with hard plastic arch support or special corrective insoles can only be worn as prescribed by an orthopedic doctor.

• Weight.

Shoes should not be too heavy so that the baby's feet are not overloaded.

References

1. Child development: Early walker or late walker of little consequence, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Foerderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung.

   ---

   Learn more

   • 
     13 month old ear infection
   • 
     Women with triplets
   • 
     Sleep at 7 weeks old
   • 
     When can i use walker for my baby
   • 
     Night sickness not pregnant
   • 
     Control your anger
   • 
     Tea you can drink when pregnant
   • 
     Being born early
   • 
     Abdominal muscles postpartum
   • 
     What does a pregnant woman take for constipation
   • 
     How to help your child that is being bullied