Baby's First Steps: Facts to Know and What to Expect When
Witnessing your baby take her very first steps is a highly anticipated moment in parenthood. It means that your little one is starting to grow up and slowly come into her own. Whether you’ve already seen it happen or are waiting for this momentous occasion to finally take place, you undoubtedly have many unanswered questions. When should your baby start walking? Can you do anything to make it happen faster? What should you do once your baby takes her first steps?
No matter what concerns are on your mind, these tips can help to address them. It’s important to remember that every baby is unique and that your experience will probably look very different from someone else’s. Whether you decide to use the best baby walker or let your child start walking naturally, it’s vital to keep your specific needs in mind to make the right choices and enhance your baby’s development. Here’s everything you need to know about your baby’s first steps and what you can do to support your child through the process.
When Should Your Baby Start Walking?
The good news is that there’s no specific deadline for your baby to begin taking her first steps. In most situations, she will begin to wander on her own whenever it comes naturally to her. However, the majority of babies start walking at the 9-18 month mark. Before this milestone, your baby will typically engage in a number of activities that help her prepare for independent walking. Some of these movements include:
- Crawling: Most babies start crawling at around 6-7 months, and this allows them to safely navigate their environment. Not all babies crawl in the same way, so don’t worry if your child’s method of getting from Point A to Point B seems a little unusual. Any kind of movements that your baby engages in are simply her way of exploring her surroundings and the way her body works.
- Standing: When your baby is able to stand up, this usually indicates that full-fledged walking is in her near future. At about 8-10 months, babies are generally able to pull themselves up to a standing position with the aid of a chair, table leg, or other sturdy object.
- Cruising: This refers to a baby’s hesitant first steps that usually occur while the baby is holding onto another object for support, like a table or chair. Cruising usually takes place between 9-12 months and helps the baby become familiar with the concept of walking on her own.
These small achievements that precede the main event of walking are essential to your baby’s development. Watching them happen can help you keep track of your child’s progress and decide whether you need a baby walker to help her.
How To Support Your Baby’s First Steps
While you’re eagerly awaiting this major milestone, you may naturally be wondering if there’s anything you can do as a parent to support your baby’s efforts. There are fortunately many strategies and products that you can rely on to enhance your child’s walking process.
If your baby seems to need a bit of help with walking naturally, you can use a baby walker to give her the necessary support. Baby walkers are useful devices that facilitate your child’s movements and promote motor development. In addition to teaching your child to walk, a good baby walker can build leg muscles and keep your little one engaged. Many baby walkers even come with toys that can attract the child’s attention and encourage her to continue moving.
To supplement the baby walker, be sure to promote walking in your child’s daily life. Try not to carry your baby too much and let her explore her environment on her own instead. Oftentimes, babies begin walking later than normal because they spend too much time being carried by their parents, so be sure to make an effort to encourage your child to take her own first steps. Additionally, experts have proven that babies achieve better balance when they walk barefoot. It’s therefore more effective to let your child begin walking without shoes so that she can take each step naturally.
Prepare For Your Baby’s Walking Milestone With These Tips
Doing what you can to prepare for your baby’s first steps can allow her to reach this milestone successfully. No matter when or how she begins walking all by herself, it’s definitely a moment worth celebrating.
Resources— The Bump, Verywell Family, BabyCentre, Made Of
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