How old are kids when they start walking

When Your Baby Starts to Walk

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on March 12, 2021

Your baby learning to walk can be some of the most exciting and memorable moments of parenthood. From a very young age, your baby strengthens their muscles, slowly preparing to take their first steps. Usually between 6 and 13 months, your baby will crawl. Between 9 and 12 months, they’ll pull themselves up. And between 8 and 18 months, they’ll walk for the first time.

How Babies Develop Walking Skills

Your baby will develop many skills, including balance, coordination, standing up and supporting their body weight from one leg to the other. Each new skill will build upon the previous skills, making them more prepared to start walking.

Watching your baby take their first steps on their own is an experience you'll never forget. When your baby does start walking, it happens in stages, which include these big milestones:

6 months. Babies start to sit up on their own.

6-9 months. Babies start crawling.

9 months. Babies begin to pull themselves up on furniture like the couch or coffee table, so they can stand.

9-12 months. Babies may start to stand up, hold onto furniture and explore the room.

11-13 months. During this exciting time, you can expect to see your baby start to walk on their own.

Keep in mind that each baby is different and may start walking earlier or later than when the experts deem is "normal". There can be a lot of variation among children's development, and that's totally normal.

If your baby is 18 months or older and hasn’t started walking yet, or if you’re concerned about your child’s development, contact your pediatrician. Watch out for these warning signs of late walkers:

Your baby doesn't roll over in either direction or sit with help
Your baby doesn't support some weight on legs
Your baby doesn't try to attract your attention through their actions
Your baby doesn’t try to talk or babble
Your baby shows no interest in games of peekaboo

Ways to Help Your Baby Start Walking

To help your baby start walking, you can try the following tips:

Play together. When you’re around your baby, you can help them feel safer during playtime. That way, they're more comfortable exploring and have higher confidence.

Encourage moving. Moving around helps your baby build their muscles, which will help them when they start walking and eventually running. You can do this by kneeling in front of your baby, holding out your hands and encouraging them to come to you.

While toddlers are beginning to walk, it's normal for them to take a few spills, that's just a part of learning. While you can't save your baby from every fall, you can reduce the chance of injury.

You can help them by "baby-proofing" your home by making their space as safe as possible:

Put locks on doors and cabinets to help keep your baby away from unsafe items like chemicals
Pad sharp corners of furniture
Install a child-proof gate to prevent your baby from going down the stairs
Keep items like pots and pans on the back of your stovetop

Baby Products for Walking

Baby walkers. Medical professionals do not recommend using baby walkers. Because a walker makes it easy for your baby to get around, your baby’s leg muscles may not develop properly. Also, when a baby is propped up on a baby walker, it can be easier for them to get into things they normally wouldn’t be able to reach, like hot items or poisons that could be dangerous. This makes baby walkers even less safe.

Baby shoes. Hold off on buying baby shoes right away. Walking barefoot helps your child to develop improved balance and coordination. Wait until they start walking outside regularly until you introduce them to baby shoes.

What’s Next After Your Baby Starts Walking?

Your baby's first steps are only the beginning of an exciting new phase in their life. Here's what else you can expect as they become a toddler:

14 months: At this age, your toddler will likely be able to stand on their own, squat, stand back up, and maybe even walk backwards.
15 months: Your child will be pretty good at walking and will likely enjoy push-and-pull toys and exploring new things.
16 months: Your baby will start to show an interest in going up and down the stairs, although they will likely still look to you for help with this one.
18 months: By 18 months, your child will probably have the walking thing down and enjoy moving around on their own. They’ll probably enjoy climbing on furniture and dancing to music, too.

As your child gains more confidence and independence, it opens up all kinds of new opportunities. It’s an exciting time, so don't forget to enjoy it.

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

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:

Milestone: Pulling oneself up into a standing position (by gripping furniture, or holding onto someone)

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.

Milestone: Walking with support

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).

Milestone: Standing alone (at least momentarily!)

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.

What about crawling? Do babies have to crawl before they can walk?

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.”

When can babies walk with support?

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.

When do babies make the transition to independent walking?

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.

How do parenting practices affect the development of walking?

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.

Can “walking toys” help babies learn to walk?

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).

What about baby walkers? Why do experts warn parents against using them?

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).

When should a parent be concerned that a baby isn’t walking? At what point is a child considered to have developmental delay?

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.

More reading about baby developmental milestones

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.

References: When do babies start walking?

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

When a child starts walking and how to help him

Have patience.

When the child should go

Pediatricians agree on some points. The average child takes ^{Your Baby's First Steps with their first step at 12 months. The key word here is average. And your unique one has every right (approved by pediatricians and physiologists) to go to a different age.}

The scope of the norm in this case varies very widely - from 8 months to one and a half years.

Many parents are proud that their children start walking earlier than most. It seems to them that this speaks of the development of the child. But this is just a far-fetched excuse to amuse their parental vanity.

The age at which the child will go is related to his development, physical or intellectual abilities in exactly the same way as the shape of the nose or the color of the hair. In plain text, no way. Someone is red, someone has gray eyes, and someone went on their own at 8 months.

However, there are still certain situations when a delay in starting to walk should alert.

When to start worrying

First, a healthy child must somehow take the first independent step before 20 months ^{Child development: Early walker or late walker of little consequence. By this age, the children have grown strong enough that it was given to them without much effort. If the child refuses to walk or does it only with support, it is necessary to contact the pediatrician. You may need additional examinations from other specialized specialists - an orthopedist or a neuropathologist.}

Secondly, the overall picture is important ^{14 Month Old Not Walking: Should I Worry. It's one thing if the child does not walk, but his motor functions are obviously developing: he confidently rolls over, sits down, reaches for toys, crawls, tries to rise against the wall of the crib or climb onto the sofa, jumps enthusiastically when you hold him by the hands. And it’s quite another if his physical activity seems insufficient to you. This is also a serious reason to additionally consult a doctor.}

If none of these situations apply to you and your children, relax. The child will definitely start walking as soon as he is ready for it.

What determines when a child goes

By and large, this is a lottery. No pediatrician will undertake to predict the exact dates, even observing a specific baby from birth and knowing everything about the family history. However, there are some regularities that allow us to make assumptions.

Here are the main factors that can affect (but not necessarily) the age at which a child takes his first independent steps.

Genetics

If a father or mother started walking at an early age, children will probably inherit this feature. The reverse is also true. If, for example, a father preferred to crawl for up to a year and a half, his son may choose the same tactic.

Weight and body type

Plumper and heavier children find it harder to get on their feet and balance than their leaner and more muscular buddies.

Some personality traits

Getting to your feet and taking the first step without support is quite a risky undertaking. Some children act on the principle of "head into the pool": they simply remove their hands from the wall or sofa and step into the unknown. Of course, they fall, sometimes it hurts, but they try again. Perhaps this propensity for risky behavior is part of their nature ^{10 Things to Know About Walking, which will stay with them forever.}

Other infants, on the other hand, behave in a more measured way - they walk only when they are sure that they can cope with this task. Caution and the ability to calculate their own strengths can also be innate features of their personality.

Duration of pregnancy

Children who were born prematurely, as a rule, begin to walk a little later than their peers.

How to help your child take the first step and walk confidently

It is impossible to force children to go to a certain date. Walking, for all its seeming simplicity, is a very complex and energy-intensive process: what does it take to maintain balance on one leg at the moment when the other takes a step. The body of the child must mature for this stage. But you can help ^{Ways to Help Baby Learn to Walk. True, you will have to start long before the first step.}

What to do at 2 months

Around this age, babies first try to roll over. Encourage this movement. Lay out your child more often in a soft, safe space filled with bright toys - so that you want to look at them and, possibly, get them.

Encourage children to spend more time on their stomachs. Trying to raise your head and look at the world around you strengthens the back and neck muscles, which play an important role in maintaining balance while walking.

What to do at 4-6 months

The period when the child learns to sit up and possibly crawl. Provide a place to explore the world: let the children spend more time not in a crib or playpen, but on the floor - spread out some blankets and lay out toys. Trying to reach objects is a great workout for small muscles.

What to do at 6-8 months

The child is already sitting confidently, or even crawling. Give him tasks for dynamics: for example, roll a bright ball on the floor so that you want to catch it. Such a ball hunt trains the vestibular apparatus and coordination.

Another exercise that has the same purpose is as follows: put the child with his back to you and gently rock.

What to do around 8 months old

As babies become stronger and more curious, they tend to break away from their usual gender. For example, get a toy lurking on the couch. Or try to climb on mom (dad), holding on to trousers or a bathrobe with your hands.

Encourage these movements. Put your favorite bear cubs out in a conspicuous place. Or, when the child is sitting, invitingly stretch your hands towards him from the height of your own height, without bending down, to encourage him to reach out to you.

If you see that the child is ready to get up, help him to do it. And then show how to bend your knees to get back on the safe floor.

During this period, it would be good to buy a stationary game center, which you can play with just getting up. This encourages children to spend more time standing up.

What to do at 9-10 months

Teach your child to stand without support. At least a couple of seconds. To do this, at a time when he is holding on to something, offer to take his favorite or new toy. This will force him to take his hands off the support.

A slightly more advanced exercise: help the child stand up and then give a plastic stick as a support. Carefully move the object - the baby will start to follow him. A stroller can also play the role of a wand: put it next to it while walking, let it grab the frame and slowly move forward.

Heavy stable toys on wheels (toy lawn mowers, carts) will also be a good simulator: by pushing them in front of them, children learn to do step by step.

What to do at 10 months and older

At this age, many children can already walk. But often they are afraid of a large open space around. Make sure that the child has the opportunity to move “along the wall” - that is, in a maximum of a step or two, move from one support to another. This will create a sense of security.

An ordinary gymnastic hoop can be used to get children to go out into the open. Throw it on the child, giving him the opportunity to lean on his hands, and lead the hoop to the center of the room. The kid will follow the support.

But the experts advise to refuse popular walkers.

Firstly, these items reduce the desire of the child to learn to walk: really, why, because he already knows how to move in space in this convenient contraption? Secondly, walkers are simply unsafe. Thanks to them, children in a matter of seconds can be where they should not be. For example, in front of the stairs leading down or at the table, on the edge of which there is a cup of hot coffee. Adults simply do not have time to keep track of this.

When you realize that your child is already trying to walk, be sure to get on all fours and look around from the height of his eyes. Sharp corners, sockets, edges of tablecloths that you want to grab and drag down, an iron on an ironing board, and the like - all these dangers must be neutralized.

At what age does a child learn to walk

Reviewer Kovtun Tatiana Anatolievna

30912 views

September 15, 2021

The clatter of little feet running around the house is probably the best sound for moms and dads. Do you know when you took your first steps? Ask your parents - an excellent argument will appear in disputes with friends or a soulmate: “but I started walking before you!”

You'd be surprised how different we are. After all, someone firmly stood on his own two as early as eight months, and someone relaxed to the victorious, and then how he gave a tear at a year and a half.

While you are waiting for your little one's big steps, let's look at the main questions of this topic: what time do babies start walking, how to prepare them, and how to consolidate skills.

When will we finally go?

Nobody knows the exact answer to this question. The age range that pediatricians call is from 8 to 14 months, everything is very individual. It is absolutely impossible to predict this event, so do not worry if the process is delayed - the baby will go when he is ready for it. At the same time, of course, you need regular monitoring by your pediatrician, who will closely monitor the physical and motor development of the baby.

How does the baby prepare for the first steps and can he be helped?

The psychomotor development of the baby begins from birth. At first, the child's movements are disordered and chaotic. Gradually, the motor sphere is being improved.

By 3 months, the baby holds his head well. By 4-5 months - learns to turn from back to stomach and vice versa.

By 6 months, the baby begins to sit, at this moment the muscles are actively strengthened, which will help him keep his balance in space. You can help the child in his "training" - smoothly roll his favorite ball from side to side so that he reaches for it. This exercise trains the vestibular apparatus and improves coordination.

At 6-8 months, the child begins to crawl, more muscles of the arms and legs are connected to the muscles of the back and neck. Play with your baby: let him crawl across the room to you, where you will be waiting for him with a toy, and then praise him for his efforts.

After some time, periodic standing on legs with the help of a support is added to crawling - this usually happens at the age of 8-9 months. You can pull the baby by the handles so that he understands that there is a reverse process to when he sits down.

When these stages are behind you, at about 10 months old, help your baby stay on his feet. Let the baby grab the stroller on a walk or at home and slowly roll it in front of him. Of course, with your support.

Do I need to buy a walker?

The decision to buy a walker should be made by you or by consulting with the pediatrician who is watching your baby. Now many doctors recommend abandoning them altogether - there is a risk that the baby will not want to learn to walk on his own and this will delay the onset of his first steps. But despite this, walkers have their advantages. All the pros and cons we have collected in this article.

How should I react when my baby falls?

In the process of learning, the baby will often fall, stumble - this is completely normal. It is only necessary to ensure the safety of the baby, so that there are no dangerous objects in his environment, about which he can be seriously injured. Therefore, it is necessary to react to falls calmly and gently say to the child: “Did you fall? Come on get up. Dust your hands like this." If the baby is thinking of whining, then just quickly distract him with another topic: “Where did our yellow giraffe hide? Let's find him and drive a car?

When the baby begins to walk, then do not hold it constantly. The baby must learn to rise on his own, hold on to the support, flop on the ass, and rise again. Just be there and be ready to insure him.

When should I buy shoes?

As soon as the baby began to get up and take his first steps, go to the children's shoe department for his first shoes. Of course, you can buy a pair in advance, but then you run the risk of not guessing with the size: what if the baby decides to go earlier and then these red sandals will still be too big for him.