your baby's

development

- walking

Now that your little one has mastered crawling, any day now she will reach the key milestone of learning to walk. Follow our tips to help her take those first amazing steps.

When you see your baby pulling herself up next to furniture, she is showing all the signs of being ready to learn to walk. As in all areas of development, your help and encouragement can make all the difference. One way to help your baby to take those first steps is to walk her around the house while holding her hands. This will help her get used to using the muscles that she needs for walking. As she becomes steadier on her feet you can loosen your grip on her hands and let her stand on her own. Gradually reduce the support you are offering as you see her becoming steadier on her feet. When it feels right, gently let go completely and see if your little one can stand on her own two feet. This can be important as a baby that can stand up on their own they will be much less likely to fall over when they begin walking.

walk when ready encourage walking
Child

encourage walking

Once your little one's mastered standing up steadily on her own you can gradually move away from her to encourage her to walk. Placing a cherished toy just out of reach is a great motivation to take her first steps. Sit on the sofa holding a treasured toy, offer encouragement – and prepare to catch her if she takes a wobble.

Don't worry if your baby has been a little late in developing motor skills such as rolling over, crawling and is showing little interest in getting up and exploring on two feet. All babies develop at different rates and there is no hard and fast rule to say when a baby should start walking. She's simply taking her time and will get into action when she's ready. If you're worried in any way, consult your health visitor or GP.

 

Once she's gained confidence covering a few steps you can increase the distance you ask her to walk. Before you know it, your baby will be toddling all over the place. It's an exciting development for your child and they will want to walk everywhere to show off their new skills. So be aware of the implications of their new abilities and make sure that your house is toddler proof.

 

 

 

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