Newborns are surprisingly quick to learn new things: first to recognize their parents and smile, then to crawl and get a toy, a little later – to play while sitting on the floor. And the parents, not having time to look around, are surprised to notice that the baby is no longer just standing near the sofa, but is trying to take the first steps. About when the child begins to walk, what is permissible on the part of the parents and what should not be done – in the useful information below.
Question # 1: when?
Parents whose toddler is aiming for the one-year-old mark often wonder at how many months the child begins to walk. Sometimes it seems to them that their own baby is mastering this skill for a long time, compared to a peer-nephew. But this is a wrong attitude: all children are different, some will go earlier, some later.
- Normal age is from 9 months to less than a year.
It is at this time that the child begins to comprehend the complex science of walking. Pay maximum attention to the little one: sometimes children know how to stand firmly and move from place to place, but it is not always possible to sit down and rest. As a result – a strong load on the spine and fatigue;
- For “early” travelers, “X-Day” may come ahead of the deadline indicated above.
It also happens that the baby begins to walk at less than 9 months. Such early development is very rare, and it does not represent a cause for concern, in the event that it happened to the crumbs spontaneously, without the intervention of parents.
Very often, upon request on how to teach a child to walk, you can find a video with nine-month-old babies running fast from their parents; - “Skylarks” in learning to walk are children who got up and walked at 7-7.5 months.
Yes, that happens too. If a child shows energy and activity from the first weeks of life, starts to roll over, hold his head and crawl faster than his peers, then, most likely, he will also start walking early.
It is believed that too early physical activity does not bode well: the spine is under great stress, it is not yet ready to fully hold the child’s weight upright.
In this case, it is better to just watch the baby. If he is strong, physically active, he likes to walk, while he does not feel discomfort, then there is nothing wrong with the fact that the child began to walk early; - A moment of great concern: the baby is already a year old, and he still does not want to walk.
Of course, this can be disturbing, but a physically healthy child may go later than their peers. According to pediatricians, the lower limit is one and a half years. This may be atypical, but not disastrous.
Question number 2: possible problems and their solutions
There are pitfalls in mastering walking skills, these are circumstances that can hinder their development.
- Physiology. Often the reason a child starts to walk late is his physical condition. Strong babies with a large body weight find it more difficult to get on their feet, the first steps are also much more difficult for them than for their slender peers. Moderate but regular exercise, balanced nutrition and specialist advice will help solve this problem;
- Genetics. The kid usually repeats the development of the parents in the early period. Therefore, it makes sense to ask grandparents about their own success in the field of walking;
- Type of temperament. A calm, melancholic child prefers to lie or sit more. He is more interested in watching something, and less interested in moving. In order for a phlegmatic baby to want to walk, you need to come up with a funny entertainment for him that can stir him up and arouse interest in physical activity;
- The kid runs in a walker, but cannot or does not want to walk on his own. This problem is the easiest to solve – no walker, no problem. The crumb will be forced to “work” independently when the “helper” disappears;
- Psychological. If the baby has already started to walk, and, having fallen several times, has stopped, then we need to help him overcome the fear of new falls. For example, shake hands, offer to walk together. Play with him: opening his arms wide at some distance from the baby, catching when the child takes the first steps. The baby will feel more confident when he realizes that his mother will always catch him and support him;
- Individual circumstances. Premature babies lag slightly behind their peers, and this must be understood. A child born 2 months ahead of schedule will develop in accordance with his biological age. At first, it will be difficult for him to “catch up” with those who are his peers, but born on time. Therefore, if the baby begins to walk later for this reason, then this should not be a reason for frustration, but an incentive to physically develop the child even more. As a rule, by the age of one and a half, “early” babies align with those born at the correct time;
- Diseases, stressful situations and neurological disorders. How to teach a child to walk independently in these cases? After an illness, it takes time for the baby to remember everything that he managed to learn before the illness. If the reluctance to walk with the baby is associated with stress, then he will need the support of loved ones so that he feels as safe as possible. If walking is hampered by other reasons associated with disorders in the body in the orthopedic or neurological part, then the best option is to seek qualified help from doctors.
Difficult science: learning
Learning something new is always difficult, especially when your height is less than a meter, you are still not strong on your feet, and your beloved parents want you to start walking as quickly as possible. In order for the baby to learn to walk correctly, the help of his closest people is often required. Let’s figure it out in order:
- First of all, it is necessary to think about how to teach a child to walk from a young age – almost from birth. The fact is that daily strengthening procedures, gymnastics, massage are the basis of developed muscles and a strong spine.
- The second important point is large spaces. It is not necessary to limit the baby’s world with a net and the sides of the arena – only when free will he learn to walk most quickly.
- Careful choice of shoes is an important point, practically key.
After all, a lot in when and how a child begins to walk confidently depends on shoes. Ideally, it is made of natural materials and has a high-quality back and sole. The presence of an instep support is mandatory – this is necessary in order for the arches of the foot to form correctly.