Teach Your Baby to Walk

Most babies begin walking some time between 10 and 18 months old. But they have to go from crawling to pulling up to cruising to get there. Keep in mind all babies are different, so your baby may have to really work to learn how to walk or just start walking out of the blue. The key is lots of encouragement and practice to get your baby comfortable with walking.

Steps

Helping Your Baby To Stand

1. Have your baby bounce on your lap with her feet on your legs. This will strengthen her leg muscles, especially if she is still crawling or just starting to pull herself up.
   • You should also show her how to bend her knees and have her practice bending her knees so she develops the motor skills to stand up and sit down.
2. Get your baby a bouncy chair. At around 5 to 6 months of age, provide your baby with a bouncy chair that will help her to start building her leg muscles.
   • Avoid getting your baby a walker as The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages the use of walkers for babies. Studies show they can actually slow motor development and cause back problems for babies. They are also a safety hazard, as walkers can tip over or roll down stairs.
   • Walkers are banned for use in Canada and the AAP is recommending the U.S. take the same measure against walkers.
3. Use toys to entice your baby to stand. Place a toy just out of reach of your baby, above them, or located in a spot she has to stand to get to.
4. Help your baby sit back down once she is standing up on her own. Most babies start to get up onto their feet on their own, before they know how to get back down, so don’t be alarmed if your baby cries for help while in the standing position.
   • Rather than pick her up when she starts to fuss, help her learn to sit down by gently bending her knees and supporting her weight until she reaches the floor safely.

Helping Your Baby to Cruise

1. Line up your furniture so your baby cruise more easily. Cruising is when your baby starts to use the furniture and other surfaces/objects as support as she begins to walk around. Move your furniture into a stable line, making sure it is all baby proofed of course, so your baby can easily cruise around on her own.
   • In fact, once your baby starts to cruise, it’s a good idea to childproof your home again, as she can reach new heights, and possibly, new hazards.
   • Help your baby let go of the furniture as she cruises by holding out your fingers and allowing her to grip you with both hands. Soon enough, she’ll be holding on to you with one hand or even letting go altogether.
2. Get your baby a push toy. A push toy, like a small shopping cart, or a pint-sized lawn mower, will support your baby as she practices cruising. It will also give her control as she learns to walk, refines her balance, and boosts her confidence.
   • If your baby is just starting to cruise on her own, start with a toy that does not have wheels. Once you are confident your baby is strong enough, introduce a push toy with wheels.
   • Always check that the push toy is sturdy, and has a bar or handle that has a good grip, as well as big wheels, as this will make it harder for the toy to tip over.
3. Pull your baby up into a standing position. Allow your baby to grip your fingers and pull her up to a standing position, so she is basically supporting her own weight. Let her walk around as you support her under her arms.
   • The most time your baby spends exercising her legs, the sooner she will begin to try to take steps on her own.
   • Holding your baby as she stands will also help her legs to straighten out and prevent them from bowing later. Bowed legs typically go away by the time your baby is 18 months old, but this issue can linger until she is 3 years old.
4. Praise your baby for her efforts. Most babies seem born with an inherent desire to please mom and dad, and receive praise, claps, and shouts of encouragement. So let your baby know when they are doing a great job at standing or cruising by offering her visible encouragement and praise.
5. Don’t buy indoor walking shoes for your baby. There is no need to invest in a shoe collection for your little one, as the best shoes for your baby are no shoes at all.
   • As long as the indoor surfaces are clean and safe for your baby to walk on, let her walk and explore barefoot (or, if you’d prefer, non-slip socks) as much as possible to help build muscle tone in her feet and ankles, help her arches develop, and help her learn balance and coordination.
   • If your baby is going to be walking outdoors, make sure her shoes are lightweight and flexible. Avoid tall booties or high top sneakers as too much ankle support can actually slow down your little one by constricting her movement.
6. Avoid trying to force your baby to stand or walk with your help if she doesn’t want to. This can instill fear in your baby and delay her from standing or walking.
   • Many babies will walk when they are ready, so don’t be alarmed if your baby doesn’t start walking until she is 18 months old, or possibly, older than 18 months.

Helping Your Baby to Walk

1. Turn balancing into a game. To encourage your baby to get used to balancing on her own two feet, try to make balancing a fun game, with lots of encouragement and praise.
   • Sit on the floor with your baby and help her to stand up. Then, count out loud how long she can stay up before she tumbles down. Clap and praise her after each balancing attempt.
2. Encourage your baby to walk, instead of sit. Do this by placing her down in a standing position, as opposed to a sitting position on her butt.
3. Stand on the other side of the room and encourage your baby to walk towards you. This might help your baby to be confident and motivated enough to take her first steps.
4. Make her first steps into a big deal. The first steps are a big moment for your little one, so be sure to be as excited and encouraging as possible about your baby’s first steps.
   • Cheering your baby as she walks indicates she is doing something right and will give her the confidence to keep walking.
5. Expect some stops and starts. Don’t be too alarmed if your little walker goes back to crawling after a bad fall or an illness. Your child is also working on other developmental feats like sounding out names or tackling finger foods, so she may take a few weeks or even a month, break from walking.
   • Some babies may be more comfortable at first with crawling so they may do the crawl/walk before they fully embrace walking.
6. Let your baby fall, as long as it is safe. When your baby starts to walk, she may bob, weave, and even take a dive as she tries to refine her walking skills. As well, most babies don’t have good depth perception so they tend to bump into or fall into things rather than walk right up to them.
   • As long as your home is childproofed for a walking baby and you watch her carefully at all times, don’t stress about her inevitable and numerous tumbles. She may cry when she falls but chances are she is more frustrated than injured.
   • Her diaper and little tush will work as built-in bumpers for any falls, and she will likely forgot her trips and tumbles before you do. Avoid making a big deal out of little falls as she learns how to walk on her own.

Supporting Your Baby as She Walks

1. Avoid comparing your baby’s development to other babies. Not all babies are the same, so don’t be alarmed if your baby isn’t walking at a certain age. The time it takes for a baby to reach a particular milestone, like walking, can vary due to different body weights or even different personalities. Keep in mind a walking timeline is an approximation and not set in stone or an absolute requirement for every baby.
   • Some babies who are born prematurely may have more trouble reaching milestones at the same rate as other children born at full-term.
   • As well, sometimes babies are just frightened of letting go of your fingers and taking their first steps. So it’s very important to encourage and support your baby as she learns to walk and not to put too much pressure or stress on her.
2. Don’t be alarmed if it looks like your baby has flat feet. In fact, it’s just baby fat plumping her feet up. By around age 2 to 3, that extra “fluff” on her feet should melt away and you should be able to see her natural arches.
   • Her feet may also curve inward, appearing like half moons, which is another infant holdover. Over time, her feet should straighten out.
3. Be assured your baby’s pigeon-toed feet will straighten out on their own. Also commonly known as “toeing-in”, pigeon toed feet come from an internal tibial torsion, meaning your baby’s shinbones are turned inward.
   • This will correct on its own within six months of your baby’s first steps.
   • If your baby still has pigeon-toed feet after six months, ask your pediatrician about stretching exercises to correct the problem.
4. Check your baby’s feet to make sure she can flatten them. Some babies will have a natural desire to walk around on their tiptoes, which actually helps them develop their sense of balance. This is almost always a quirk that will go away on its own, but rarely, it can be an indication of a too-tight muscle in your baby’s heels or feet.
   • If your baby cannot physically flatten her feet on her own, or if she is walking on her tiptoes past the age of 3, let her pediatrician know, as this could be a sign of a developmental issue.
5. Consult with your pediatrician if your baby falls excessively, her legs seem very stiff, or she continually stumbles to one side. There may be signs of possible nerve, joint, or spinal issues.
6. Let your baby explore as she gets more comfortable with walking. As she gains more confidence and becomes more comfortable with walking on flat, smooth surfaces, allow her to also try walking on an incline or on uneven surfaces. These new environments will help to develop your baby’s sense of balance.

Sources and Citations

See also

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