Learning to Walk – A Baby’s First Steps Grange-over-Sands

All parents become a little jittery and excited when their babies do things for the first time. From the first word to his or her first time drinking from a cup, the infant’s family remembers them for many years to come.

Some parents may become anxious while waiting for their baby to take its first steps. Others may feel concerned if their friends’ babies have already taken their first steps at a very young age. It is important to understand that babies tend to develop at their own pace, especially when it comes to walking. The timing does not reflect the baby’s intelligence or the parents’ parenting skills. On average, babies take their first step at around 12 to 14 months, but this timetable will vary from infant to infant.

It should be remembered that the legs of a newborn baby are not strong enough to support its body weight. One method most parents use is to support the child by holding their arms while walking them along. Instinct will tell the baby to push its body against the hard floor, which is what the experts call reflexive action.

Normally, the development and coordination of a baby’s muscles occur during its first year. This is evident from the child’s ongoing development; its ability to first sit down, then roll and eventually crawl on all fours. By the time they are about eight months old, you will often see infants slide their body against the side of furniture or a person for support. This may be an attempt by the child to rise to an upright position, mustering confidence and gaining balance with every attempt that is made.

After the child has discovered how to stand by clinging onto objects, the next course your child will take is to navigate the whole room while holding onto sturdy pieces of furniture. After learning how to balance, it might slowly try letting go of the furniture and standing without any kind of support. Once your baby masters how to balance itself, small steps may be possible and you may even spot them picking up a toy from the floor while standing. At about nine or ten months, the baby should figure out how to bend its knees and how to sit down after walking in an upright position. The latter is said to be harder than might be expected. At about 11 months, the baby has usually already mastered squatting and walking in an upright position, but with a helping hand from a parent. By 13 months, almost three quarters of all toddlers can walk by themselves, at a slow pace.

Remember that the timeline mentioned above is not applicable for all babies. Some might be able to accomplish all of the above by their first birthday, while others may still be struggling to navigate around their surroundings at 13 months. Parents should not be discouraged by this, just be patient for a few more months and let the child learn at its own pace.