Getting Baby To Walk

Infants can practice walking by cruising back and forth alongside a sofa or short bench.

Getting baby to walk.

Bowed legs don t cause delayed walking or affect your baby s ability to learn to walk. In a few rare cases when bowed legs don t resolve naturally by age 2 your baby s knees can be turned outward. This is a reflexive action and he ll only do it for a couple of months. The most common trick to help your baby practice putting weight on her feet is to walk behind her while holding both of her hands.

Studies show they can actually slow motor development and cause back problems for babies. Stand your child next to the sofa and let him hold on with one hand as you hold his other hand for balance. Your newborn s legs aren t nearly strong enough to support him yet but if you hold him upright under his arms he ll dangle his legs down and push against a hard surface with his feet almost as if he s walking. Infant play grocery carts or musical walking toys with wheels and handles can bring joy and assistance to beginning walkers.

What you can do. Socks and shoes serve as your child s first line of defence against cold and rough objects on the floor. At around 5 to 6 months of age provide your baby with a bouncy chair that will help them to start building their leg muscles. Slowly move back and forth along the furniture and practice walking.

Cheer baby to her first steps by sitting on the floor and guiding her slowly as baby gains her balance let her walk on her own. For outdoor excursions keep the shoes lightweight and flexible. Indoors and on safe surfaces outdoors let your baby walk barefoot or if you d like in non slip socks as much as possible to help build muscle tone in her feet and ankles to help her arches develop and to learn balance and coordination. It is best if they crawl for 3 months first before walking to build their core strength and gain visual perceptual skills that will last a life time.

Children learn to walk between 9 and 18 months of age. Let her walk barefoot. But if you want your baby to start walking quickly it s best to let her feet left bare. Avoid getting your baby a walker as the american academy of pediatrics aap discourages the use of walkers for babies.