Greetings, friends! In our article today, we will talk about the first steps of your baby. You take care of him every day, rejoice in his first successes, watch how he develops. You are probably very curious and want when your baby takes his first independent step. Or maybe he needs help with this, what if he can’t handle it himself? Now we will try to answer all these questions together.
At what age do children start walking and what does it depend on
Now I will upset you and say that there is no exact age. Moreover, the approximate interval between the deadlines is quite impressive, because some children start walking at 9-10 months, while others postpone this significant event up to a year and a half. It's all very individual. It may be that your child will only learn to sit normally, and the neighbor will already be trying to walk.
The period when the baby began to walk will not affect the future formation and physical shape of your child. If we return to the neighbor's baby who is already walking, then it is not a fact that in 20 years he will be as active. Yours may become the champion of the country in some sport, and the neighbors may become obese due to improper diet or lifestyle.
There are several reasons for when a child goes. Individually, they seem to be insignificant, but if taken together, then, in principle, all these factors can affect significantly.
- Gender of the child. Everyone probably knows that boys are lazier than girls (at least in childhood, for sure). It follows that girls should be expected to go earlier.
- Weight and physique of the child. Chubby babies are less mobile, it will be harder for them to keep themselves on their feet. From this it follows that full children will go later.
- Influence of parents on the process. Some mothers and fathers want to quickly teach their child to take the first steps and begin to read a bunch of auxiliary literature on how to do this, plus everything else and buy a bunch of all sorts of devices. Other parents, on the contrary, do not take care of the child at all, do not do any exercises, gymnastics, etc.
In the first case, too much and the baby can really go ahead of the due date, and this is fraught with consequences, which you will read about below. I specifically even singled out a separate paragraph for this article.
In the second case, it will be difficult for the child, because no one has prepared his muscles for walking. Therefore it is important to know golden mean and help the child learn to walk, and not force him to do it by all means.
- Baby's temperature. Yes, in such young children the temperament has already been determined and character is being formed. Some of them are calmer, while others are more mobile, they are interested in everything, they study everything, try to crawl somewhere, fall, then get up and they will go, of course, faster.
- Heredity. You might not particularly do any exercises with your child, and he may go early. All this is due to the fact that you or the baby’s dad also took their first step early.
If the child went too soon or too late
I have already written about the fact that one should not strive to ensure that the child goes too early. He still has an unformed skeleton, weak bones and muscles. The weight of a child at 8-9 months old can already be impressive, and the bones are not yet ready to hold such a mass without consequences.
What could be the consequences? Curvature of the bones of the legs, in particular the feet. You need it, I don't think so.
If the baby begins to walk, on the contrary, late, then there is nothing wrong with that, the main thing is that he has already gone. Here, the opposite is true, the bones and muscles have already grown stronger and nothing threatens the baby. If the child is already more than a year and a half old, and he is not even trying to walk, then no one bothers you to seek advice from a pediatrician, let him examine the baby for pathologies.
Although there are usually no pathologies, and babies start walking later due to the fact that:
- They suffered some kind of illness and walking training was postponed indefinitely. This happened to me in childhood, I became very seriously ill at 8 months and spent a long time with my mother in the hospital, as a result, I went late.
- Birth injury. Here, I think, and no need to explain anything.
- Complete lack of action on the part of the parents. You didn’t do any gymnastics in the morning for the baby and didn’t perform any massages, he didn’t swim in your bathroom. As a result, the child's muscles are unprepared and he went late.
How to help your baby learn to walk
Bicycle exercise. It is necessary to perform every morning: the baby lies on its back, and you alternately bend and unbend its legs, then the left, then the right.
Try to start bathing your child in the bathroom, he will work his legs very well there, which will help strengthen the muscles.
- Do a firming massage not only of the entire body of the child, but specifically also the muscles on the legs, massage his feet and lightly tap on them.
- You can buy a wheelchair for your baby. This is such a kind of toy that you can roll while also leaning and holding on to it. Then, slowly, you can sometimes pick up this toy and move other supports away so that the baby tries to walk on his own, without holding on to anything.
Safety
If you think that the child will just take it and go with a slow but sure step, then you are mistaken. His movements will be awkward, clumsy, he will, as it were, print a step. Because of this, the child will fall quite often, therefore:
The "first" shoes of the child, what it should be
It will be quite expensive compared to other models. After all, the shoes of the baby should be made of natural material. It is better to take soft suede, because it breathes and bends quite well.
Also take shoes with a hard heel and thin soles. The sole should not be hard, it should also bend well. A small heel won't hurt either.
In general, I have listed here, in principle, all the criteria for an expensive and comfortable shoes for an adult, a child needs about the same thing. At this age, you should not save on shoes. This is later, when the child grows up and starts running with the ball with other guys, you can, of course, buy him cheap sneakers for a change, so that it would not be a pity.
And that’s all for today, dear friends, I hope that I answered the question posed sufficiently informatively today, and now you will competently expect when your little one will go.
Most likely, there are no such parents who would not have to answer the question of how many months the child began to walk. This may be of interest to both doctors and relatives, "colleagues" in the playground. Of course, this indicator is important. So, let's get to the heart of the matter!
“At what age did the baby start walking?”: what is meant by this question?
Quite often you can hear from proud parents that their baby has been trying to walk almost from birth. In fact, this is a manifestation of a stepping reflex. And it cannot be called conscious steps. As a rule, by 4 months this reflex fades. If you put the baby on a hard surface, he will not raise his legs, as if trying to step. This is no reason to panic! Soon the child will take conscious steps!
When answering the question about how many months the child began to walk, you should not talk about when you put him in a walker. This is also not walking as such (by the way, walkers are a big load on the still weak spine).
It is more correct to answer this question by naming the day when the baby began to move along the support (for example, a sofa, bed, furniture). Most often this happens at the age of 9-10 months. Sometimes earlier, but often later. At the same time, it is interesting that the parents, answering the question about that, note that the baby can walk for a long time, holding on to a support, but has not learned to stand on its own. Such is the paradox!
Then the baby will learn to move, holding the hand of an adult. This is another stage of development that can go on for quite some time.
And finally, the baby walks (or runs) by himself! Don't hold on to anyone or anything! Even if there are only a few of these steps, and then a “soft landing” follows, but this is a huge achievement!
The child began to walk late: what does this mean?
First, you need to find out what the word “late” generally means in relation to the first steps of the baby. Experts say that until 15-17 months you can not worry that the child does not run. If he is cheerful, active, tries to stand, crawls, rolls over, manipulates toys, pronounces syllables (and possibly words), responds to your requests - everything is in order.
You should not be equal to those who boast of the success of their child, who ran at 8 months old! Children develop in different ways. No need to encourage the baby to walk. Maybe his spine is not yet strong enough to keep his body upright for a long time? Why oppose nature to please someone?
The child began to walk on tiptoe: what to do?
Of course, it does not hurt to show the baby to specialists (neurologist, orthopedist). But the chances are high that the child is playing so simply! If the baby usually moves normally, and only occasionally walks on toes, do not panic. Well, if you see such manifestations several times a day, or the baby generally walks like this, go to the doctor immediately. Massage and special exercises will help, which the specialist will select individually.
Good luck and peace! Remember that every baby is an individual. And your task is to help this individuality to open up!
Often, in an effort to help the child go as early as possible, parents make many mistakes.
When do babies start walking
Usually children start walking at the age of one, but it is considered normal if the child takes the first steps between 9 and 18 months. It depends on many factors, such as the temperament of the child, his constitutional features (proportional ratio of body parts) and even heredity.
Calm and well-fed children are often in no hurry to learn new motor skills; to explore the world around them, the already acquired skills of sitting and crawling are quite enough. And mobile and active fidgets sometimes move so quickly from one stage of development to another that parents barely have time to grab a camera to capture their successes.
It may happen that during the first attempts to walk independently, the child acquired a negative experience: he hit hard, was frightened of something or was sick during this period - then he can postpone the development of this important skill for some time.
Walking is a simple matter only at first glance. So mature-looking easy way movement is actually a complex and rather coordinated work of various muscle groups, motor (motor) zones of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and vestibular apparatus. Walking is impossible without the ability to maintain good balance and precise coordination of movements. Therefore, before the first steps, the child should strengthen the muscles of the legs and back, mature nervous system and the vestibular apparatus, and the bones of the skeleton and ligaments - to become strong enough to withstand the vertical load.
The beginning of walking is preceded by the acquisition by the infant of a number of important motor skills. At about 7-8 months, the baby begins to stand on its feet, holding onto the railing of the crib or playpen. The baby likes to stand so much that he tends to get up, using every opportunity to lean on something. After the child has learned to stand, holding on to a support with both hands, he gradually begins to let go of one hand to take a toy, and then (at about 9 months) tries to take his first steps, holding on to furniture or a wall and moving along it. At the age of 9-10 months, the child learns to bend his knees and sit up from a standing position. By 11-12 months, the baby is usually already quite strong and is quite able to stand, bend over and squat without support. And only having mastered these skills, the child will be ready to take his first steps.
Most babies crawl on all fours by 9 months. This method of movement contributes to the development of connections between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, the correct formation of the spine and is a training of muscles and the vestibular apparatus in preparation for walking, so do not be upset if the little one is in no hurry to change crawling to upright walking. There are also many children who are "not born to crawl" and move in space in a way that is convenient for them - someone "rides on the priest", someone "walks" on their knees.
If, when examined by a neurologist and an orthopedist at the age of 1 year, no pathology was detected in such children, the absence of walking up to 16–18 months should not bother parents, since any motor activity strengthens muscles and develops coordination of movements, which means it prepares the child for walking. It is important that the baby at the same time be active, cheerful, learn new and improve already acquired skills.
How does a child take their first steps?
Every child is unique and develops at their own pace. But parents often worry when their child acquires a particular skill much earlier or later than other familiar children. There is an opinion that if the baby starts walking early, he will have crooked legs. Studies have shown that there is no direct relationship between the age at which walking begins and curvature of the legs. The bone skeleton of the child is able to withstand the load of the weight of his own body, provided that the baby moves from one stage of development to another on his own. If the parents do not try to rush things, the baby will take his first steps only when his musculoskeletal system is strong enough and he is ready for it.
It should be noted here that an attempt to take the first uncertain steps is not yet walking. Parents can proudly say that their child really walked only when the baby learns, breaking away from the support, to walk several meters on his own, stop and change direction. The period of time between the first timid steps and independent walking sometimes ranges from several weeks to several months.
When to consult a pediatric orthopedist
Mastering the skill of independent walking is a very important stage in the development of the child. Some orthopedic problems are detected at the very moment when the baby begins to walk, so during this period, parents need to pay attention to the setting of the feet when walking, the shape of the legs, the gait and posture of the baby. Here are a few key points that should alert parents and become a signal for contacting a specialist:
- If a child, standing on legs or trying to take a step, does not rely on the entire foot, but only on the toes, crosses the legs, often stumbles on level ground. This may be a sign of impaired muscle tone. Muscular hypertension (excessive muscle tension) and dystonia (scattered tension of various muscle groups) are distinguished, which in the future can become one of the reasons for the crumbs to lag behind in physical development, the formation of incorrect posture and gait. Such children need the supervision of a neurologist and an orthopedist.
- Parents may notice that the legs of a child who is starting to walk are “bent out like a wheel”. O-shaped (varus) curvature of the legs is quite common in children of the first years of life. The cause of the development of varus deformity can be heredity, muscle weakness, underdevelopment of the ligamentous apparatus, softening of the bones due to a lack of vitamin D. If the changes are not very pronounced, this deviation may disappear on its own as it grows, increases motor activity and strengthening the muscles of the child. If the baby has signs of rickets, excess weight or other diseases associated with metabolic disorders, he must be under the supervision of an orthopedic doctor.
- Normally, the child puts the feet parallel to each other or slightly spreading the toes of the feet outward, while the load on the foot should fall mainly on its outer part. If the baby, when walking, “fills up” the feet inward, then, most likely, there is a valgus deformity of the feet, as a result of which the child may develop an X-shaped (valgus) curvature of the legs: when in a standing position with closed knees, the distance between the ankles of the baby is more than 4– 5 cm. The causes of valgus curvature are rickets, excess weight, as well as mechanical damage (injury). Such children should definitely be observed by an orthopedic doctor, who will assess the condition of the bones and muscles of the child and, if necessary, prescribe therapeutic massage, gymnastics, wearing orthopedic shoes or other corrections.
- If, when walking, the child's feet are strongly turned towards each other with socks, creating the effect of a clubfoot, or, conversely, they are strongly separated in different directions, then it must also be shown to an orthopedist.
If you notice any signs that cause concern, it is best to consult a pediatric orthopedist. Only a specialist can assess whether the abnormalities are serious and whether they require treatment. The sooner you see a doctor, the easier and more effectively it will be possible to correct the violations identified in the baby. In a planned manner, an orthopedic doctor should be visited at 1, 3, and 6 months, later - when the child is 1 year old, 1.5, then at 2 and 3 years.
Choosing children's shoes for the first steps
This is one of the main questions that arises in the parents of a baby taking the first steps. The foot of a child who is starting to walk is not yet formed, its muscles are rather weak, the ligaments are elastic and extensible, the physiological curves have not yet acquired their final shape, so an incorrect load can lead to violations of its development. That is why it is important that the baby walks at home and on the street in well-chosen shoes that will fix the child's feet, contribute to the correct distribution of the load and the natural formation of the arches of the foot, preventing the development of flat feet.
It is advisable to shoe the crumbs as soon as he begins to make attempts to stand on his feet. Home sandals and boots should be light and comfortable, but at the same time meet all the requirements for children's shoes.
Children's shoes perform not only a protective function, but also participate in the formation of the child's foot, so you need to approach the choice of children's shoes very seriously. The first shoes of the baby should be really "first" - i.e. new. It is not recommended to wear shoes inherited from older children, since when worn, they take the shape of the foot of their first owner and will no longer sit correctly on the foot of another child, which can lead to disruption in the formation of the “successor” feet.
It is better to choose shoes together with the baby, so that you can immediately try them on. It is better to try on in the afternoon, since by the evening any leg swells a little.
Children's shoe size
If the child's feet are slightly different in size, you need to choose shoes according to the leg, which is larger. When evaluating closed children's shoes, it is difficult to understand by the appearance whether there is enough room for fingers, so orthopedists recommend preparing a stencil in advance before going to the store in order to find a pair of the right size with it. To take measurements, put the child on a thick sheet of paper or cardboard, circle the foot and cut out the pattern along the contour. In addition, some specialized stores have stopometers that help determine the length of the baby's foot.
It is preferable to choose boots or summer sandals made of natural "breathable" materials.
Primary requirements:
- Rigid closed back, reaching to the ankle of the crumbs and securely fixing the heel.
- Moderately rigid flexible sole with a textured non-slip surface and a small heel (up to 0.5 cm high).
- Comfortable and secure fastener that fixes the leg in the ankle well.
- Absolutely flat insole.
- The toe of the boot should be rounded, wide and stiff enough to protect the toes from injury. When choosing between open and closed toe, it is better to give preference to closed. The distance from the edge of the toe to the toes should be 1-1.5 cm: in the summer, this stock will come in handy if the leg swells from the heat, and in winter it will create an air gap so that the crumbs' legs do not freeze. In order to save money, you should not buy shoes for growth (several sizes larger), the child’s foot will hang out in them, and it will be very uncomfortable for him to walk.
- Shoes, like sandals, should hold well and not fall off the foot, and also not be deformed when walking. To understand whether the baby is comfortable in the chosen shoes, before buying, give him the opportunity to walk in it for 5-10 minutes.
What mistakes do parents make when a child starts walking
Many parents in raising and caring for their child are guided by the judgments of the people, which are not always justified from a medical point of view. The practical application of such useful tips may harm the health of the baby. Here are some common misconceptions:
- A child who cannot walk must be led by the hand.
Some parents in an effort to early development of the child begin to lead him by the hand. Such a load may be unbearable for the fragile musculoskeletal system of the child and lead to deformation of the legs and spine.
- At home, the child should walk barefoot on the floor.
Many parents believe that it is good for children to walk barefoot. But here great importance has a surface on which bare feet stomp.
When walking on a flat surface of the home floor (linoleum, tile, parquet, laminate), there is no reflex contraction of the muscles of the foot, and the main load falls on the weak ligamentous apparatus, as a result, the natural formation of the arches of the foot is disturbed and flat feet may develop. Therefore, it is desirable that at home the child does not walk barefoot, in socks or soft slippers, but takes his first steps only in appropriate shoes. But sand, small pebbles or low grass on a country lawn well train the emerging muscular-ligamentous apparatus of children's feet, and it is very useful for a child to walk barefoot on such surfaces.
- Children's shoes must be with arch support.
There is a widespread opinion that correct children's shoes must necessarily have an arch support, meanwhile, orthopedists argue that for a healthy child, forced correction of the arches of the feet is not only unnecessary, but can even be harmful. An arch support that roughly supports the longitudinal arch of a healthy foot of a baby can interfere with the natural process of its formation and, conversely, lead to the development of flat feet.
Wearing medical orthopedic shoes for children is prescribed only by an orthopedic doctor according to indications, while the specialist takes into account individual characteristics feet of each individual child.
Why do you need a walker for a child
The modern baby products industry is doing everything possible to make life much easier for mom. One such helper is a walker. Parents are often in a hurry to get them, confident that in this way they will help the child learn to walk independently - as soon as the baby makes the first attempt to stand on his feet.
In favor of walkers, there are actually several arguments:
Their use frees up mom's hands and makes it possible to do household chores.
Walkers help the child to move to an upright position, opening up new horizons for him. The kid gets the opportunity to move freely around the house, satisfying his needs for movement and exploration of the world around him.
The diameter of the walker does not allow the baby to reach dangerous objects with his hand, and the bumper makes it difficult to open forbidden doors and drawers: that is, having the ability to move, the child is in relative safety.
But still, the help that walkers provide to parents is incomparable with the harm that they can cause to a child if used incorrectly. Therefore, mom and dad who are going to buy this vehicle for their baby need to know some common misconceptions about its benefits, as well as the safety rules associated with this type of transport.
Walkers help your child learn to walk
The mechanism of walking in walkers differs significantly from the mechanism of independent walking. In the first case, the child leans forward, pushing off with the toe of the foot, and not with the whole foot (which is important for independent walking), and this can lead to incorrect foot placement and affect the child's gait.
In addition, in a walker, a child does not learn to keep balance and fall correctly, grouping and protecting important parts of the body from impact.
Due to the fact that the baby is deprived of the opportunity to squat, rise and crawl, his muscles are much less trained and strengthened in a walker, and a long stay in an upright position can lead to overstrain of the back muscles, curvature of the spine and deformity of the legs.
In addition, by putting a child in a walker, parents can deprive or significantly reduce a very important and useful for its development period of crawling. A child in a walker does not stimulate the need for independent movement, because in order to achieve the goal, he does not need to make significant efforts.
Thus, the use of walkers can not only not accelerate, but also slow down the acquisition of new motor skills by the baby.
A child in a walker will not fall or hit
In fact, walkers are quite traumatic for a child. They can roll over, get stuck in doorways; accelerating, they hit the obstacle hard. Particularly dangerous are thresholds, steps and joints of one floor covering with another that is different in texture (for example, the transition from carpet to laminate). Developing significant speed in such places, the walker can tip over with the baby and cause injury, much more dangerous than if the child simply fell from his own height. Constantly being in a walker, the baby will not learn to be careful and avoid collisions.
In addition, even being limited in their movements, children manage to reach some dangerous objects that were previously inaccessible to them.
Walkers stimulate the development of intelligence
Although walkers expand the baby’s field of view and allow him to better explore the space of the apartment, they cannot be called useful for the intellectual and mental development little man. If the baby will be in a walker for a long time, he will not be able to adequately realize the boundaries and possibilities of his body. And given that the natural process of cognition in children of the 1st year of life proceeds through palpation with hands and testing “by the tooth”, not reaching out to interesting objects, the baby is deprived of the opportunity to fully get acquainted with the outside world.
In order not to harm the health of the child, you can use a walker, observing several conditions:
Do not put your baby in a walker before 8 months. The child should be able to sit well and confidently on his own, stand on his feet and preferably crawl.
The height of the walker must be adjusted so that the child's feet are in full contact with the floor surface. The baby's feet must be shod in properly selected shoes.
The time spent by the baby in the walker should not exceed 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a day.
Do not leave a child in a walker unattended.
Before buying a walker, you should consult with a pediatrician and an orthopedist. Children with symptoms of rickets, overweight, who are under the supervision of an orthopedist for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, stay in walkers is contraindicated.
Dangerous places in the house for the first steps of the child
No wonder they say: when a child learns to walk, parents forget what it is to sit. With a change in the position of the body, new horizons and corners of the home space open up for the tireless researcher. In order not to overshadow the delight of the newly-minted pedestrian from the acquired skill with endless shouts, prohibitions and avoid injuries, adults should protect the home environment surrounding the baby as much as possible. It is best to get down to the level of the child's height and from this height assess what objects may pose a threat to him.
The rooms should not have interior details that the baby could turn over or tip over, wires should be securely hidden, electrical appliances should be turned off from sockets, plugs should be put on sockets, sharp corners of furniture should be covered - for example, using special overlays.
The most dangerous rooms for a child are the kitchen and bathroom. In the kitchen, hot drinks standing on the edge of the table are a big danger. It is better to remove the tablecloth from the table so that the child cannot pull it off along with the dishes and its contents, and remove sharp and fragile objects away. The kid should not be in the kitchen when all kinds of kitchen appliances are turned on, which he can reach. Of particular danger is the oven and burners of gas and electric stoves. Hot surfaces that your baby can touch and splashes from cooking food on your baby's skin can cause severe burns.
The bathroom is no less dangerous than the kitchen. The door to the bathroom should always be tightly closed. Household chemicals, medicines, shaving accessories and other dangerous items should be kept out of the reach of the child. Do not leave the baby in the bathroom alone, unattended, even if he is passionate about some kind of safe, in your opinion, activity.
For the safety of the rebec taking the first steps, special devices can be bought in children's stores. A special leash will help protect the baby from falls and injuries on the street - a belt for children who are starting to walk (the so-called "reins"), and you can purchase a soft protective helmet to protect the baby's head.
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One of the most exciting events for parents, other than the birth of a baby, is when he takes his first steps. Everyone is waiting impatiently, because they know what time the children start walking. Parents carefully watch the six-month-old baby, so as not to miss the moment when the child takes the first hesitant steps. But for many children this moment comes early, for others later. No one can name the exact date.
The preparation of the child's body for walking begins early. Already from the first months, when the baby is placed on the stomach, when it begins to roll over, the muscles begin to strengthen. Therefore, at what age in a newborn the muscles of the lower extremities will be ready for walking, then he will begin to move independently. Naturally, readiness comes by 9 months, a year.
But even after a year, for some reason, most babies have the opportunity to take their first steps. Those who were born prematurely begin to walk late. They are slightly behind in physical development from their peers. Sometimes children cannot take a step themselves due to fear.
Therefore, it is impossible to specifically answer the question of how old babies begin to walk. Someone in six months perfectly moves independently, someone - only in 1.5-2 years, sometimes even later. The WHO norm is considered up to 1.5 years, so mothers should not worry if their baby does not walk in a year.
What do deadlines depend on?
Several factors affect when the baby will go. These include:
- child's illness;
- baby weight;
- the nature of the baby;
- baby's temperament.
Large children begin to walk later, as the muscles of the legs cannot support a large body weight. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, children may be afraid to move independently for a long time. The brisk guys start walking early, and the calm ones later. The earliest age when a child begins to move independently is 7-8 months.
How does this happen
There is a phased preparation of babies for walking. First of all, he must start to sit, stand up, crawl. Without this, the legs will not get strong enough. Those children who immediately switched from sitting and standing to walking have underdeveloped muscles. They develop pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, the spine is bent. The gait of a small person is different from an adult. The child tries to maintain balance, so he spreads his legs wide, placing his feet parallel to each other.
It is difficult to keep his back straight, he cannot balance, because he puts his entire foot on the floor, and does not roll from heel to toe. Hence the frequent falls.
If you went earlier or later, good or bad
How proud parents are when their child goes early. But don't be happy about it. The baby's still fragile spine cannot remain upright for a long time. Often in children there is a curvature of the supporting column, as well as legs.
If a child has a desire to walk, then this indicates his readiness for this. But it is necessary, when walking early, to try to give rest to the spine and limbs, to carry out exercises to strengthen the muscular apparatus. Those who have a late baby began to move independently should not be worried about this. It is worth worrying if after 2 years the baby does not even try to walk.
How to help your child take their first steps
Parents can prepare the baby for walking, help speed up the process of strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities and back. For this you need:
- encourage the baby to crawl;
- put it on its legs at the support;
- arrange large toys around the room and allow the baby to move from one object to another;
- take the handles and lead around the room.
By providing psychological assistance, you can speed up the time when the baby begins to walk on his own.
Exercises and activities to help your child learn to walk faster
It is advised that the child learns to move faster, engage with him daily:
- Holding the baby, help him get a toy that is located above his head. Exercise is performed from the age of 6 months.
- Dancing with a child to music will help strengthen muscles, coordinate movements. Can be practiced from 8 months of age.
- At 11 months, babies are attracted to walking on bubble wrap. It will also be a good massage for the heels.
- In a year, if the child does not walk independently, it is necessary to walk with him along the street with support.
It is necessary to start walking exercises from soft surfaces so that the baby does not hurt when falling. At home, it is best to walk barefoot or in socks. Shoes for the street are selected with an elastic sole that does not slip.
Warning signs in development
You should not worry about the development of the child if he does not walk on his own until 1.5-2 years. It also depends on the health of the child, on his character, weight. You should contact your pediatrician if:
- by six months, the child does not hold the body, cannot sit down;
- at 9 months of age, cannot rise by pulling up;
- by the year does not try to take steps with support.
It happens that the child is afraid to walk on his own, only moves when he is supported. But if the baby does not make an attempt to walk even at the age of one and a half years, then a specialist consultation is necessary.
Why is the baby not walking?
In order not to be upset about the fact that the child does not walk in a year, it is necessary to analyze the reasons for this. These include the fact that the parents themselves also went late. After all, heredity plays a big role in the development of the baby.
Later, those children who often get sick or have had a severe infection begin to take the first steps. Until the body gets stronger, they will not be able to walk on their own.
Mental trauma also affects the readiness to walk. Experiencing constant stress, the child is unlikely to begin to move independently. Parents need to think about what to do to prepare the child for walking.
What to do if the baby walks on tiptoe
The situation when the baby, when walking, does not step on the entire foot, but rises on tiptoe, is common. This is due to an increase in muscle tone in lower limbs. It is believed that there is a problem in those who suffered oxygen starvation at birth. Often this situation occurs with those who use walkers. It is difficult to put your foot on the whole foot in them. Over time, the problem goes away if a series of measures are taken.
Exercise at home
Of the exercises, the following are most effective:
- Holding the baby under the armpits, put his legs on a full foot so that he leans on it.
- Put your stomach on a big ball. The baby rolls and pushes off the floor with a full foot.
- When bathing, give the opportunity to swim, starting from the sides of the feet.
- Let the ball kick, putting it on the soles of your feet.
Exercise must be combined with massage.
Massage
For the procedure, stroking and rubbing the muscles of the lower leg and foot are suitable. Do not disregard the caviar, rubbing them. The foot is stroked from heel to toes. At this time, the child is placed on his back, bending his knees. Turning the baby on his stomach, bend his knees at an angle of 90 degrees. Fixing the ankle, press the hand on the foot. The Achilles tendon is stretched.
When the thumb is pressed on the foot, it bends. Extension occurs when held along the outer edge from the little finger to the heel. Massage is useful in the form of stroking from the fingers to the lower leg. Massage is carried out daily. And it is not necessary to interrupt it when the first positive results appear.
Choosing the right shoes
If at home children walk barefoot, then shoes are needed for the street. Its selection plays an important role in developing the correct walk. Baby shoes should be:
- from natural materials;
- with a flexible and thin sole;
- with a tight back and strong fasteners;
- on a small heel, fixed with arch supports.
Do not buy shoes for growth. She will fall off when walking, and the child will fall.
Correcting the wrong gait
Underdevelopment of ligaments, muscles, deformation of bones leads to clubfoot. You can see the defect by the way the baby puts his feet when walking. With a birth defect, it manifests itself immediately and occurs as a result of maternal misbehavior or diseases during pregnancy. You can correct a slight clubfoot by tightly swaddling a newborn with straightening the limbs.
While learning to walk, you need to monitor the setting of the legs. They should be parallel to each other.
When to See a Pediatrician
After a year of life, it is especially necessary to pay attention to whether the baby walks correctly or not. Deviations can be corrected if you consult a doctor in time. Only he can prescribe adequate treatment.
How to treat
Among the methods of correcting the wrong gait are:
- massage procedures;
- implementation of a complex of physiotherapy exercises;
- plastering with an average degree of defect, bandaging - with a mild one;
- treatment with electrophoresis, acupuncture, water procedures;
- wearing special orthopedic shoes;
- use of devices for fixing the foot in the correct position.
Only in severe cases, an operation is prescribed. Most often, it helps to correct a child's foot defect by applying a cast together with paraffin applications. The therapeutic effect lasts for a year.
So behind us is the first meeting with the baby, his first sweet smile, he is already sitting confidently and even has several teeth. How much he has already managed to master in the first months of his life and to please his parents ... The time has come for the first independent steps. Most moms look forward to this moment. Some people envy their friends whose children have already taken the first step, others understand that all children are individual and patiently wait for their moment.
It is worth remembering that there are no strict age restrictions. The child can go at 9 months and a year and a half. There is also an opinion that boys begin to walk independently a little later than girls.
At what age can a baby walk on its own
As mentioned above, no one can name the specific age at which your baby will go. This usually occurs between the ages of 9 months and 1.5 years. But most children still take their independent steps closer to the year. At first, the child learns to stand up on his own, leaning on objects or maintaining balance with the help of his mother. And then he tries to take a few steps. It is this moment that many parents try not to miss and capture on video so that in a few years they can watch a video with their baby with his first independent and still completely uncertain steps.
How many months the baby will go can be influenced by several factors at once:
- Genetic predisposition and heredity (in parents who took their first steps at 9 months, and the child will go early).
- The gender of the child and his body structure (a chubby baby will take independent steps a little later than his thin peer).
- The character of the child. Restless, hurried everywhere children begin to walk much faster than quiet peers.
Dangers and barriers when a child begins to walk
After the baby takes his first step (no matter how many months), parents can see that his walking is radically different from that of adults. First, the baby puts his feet in parallel. Secondly, he still does not know how to step from heel to toe and "prints" his step. Thirdly, the child, due to age, has not yet learned to balance and may fall. It is the last difference between children's walking and adult walking that poses the greatest danger. Parents should now carefully monitor the child so that he does not get injured. Often children fall flat and receive their first serious injuries - they smash their face and head, break their arms, landing unsuccessfully, etc. But still, most babies outgrow this period without much "loss". Therefore, you should not panic and keep the crumbs all the time.
If the baby fell, do not scream in horror and scare him even more (a frightened child may stop walking on his own and return to learning only after a few months). Try to hide all your emotions, take pity on the child and cheer up, they say, it happens to everyone - nothing terrible has happened.
After the mobility of the crumbs increases, it is worth removing all dangerous objects that he can now reach. Even leaving the room for a minute, you must understand that this time is enough for the child to be injured. Of particular danger now are heavy objects that he can knock over, wires and electrical appliances.
Sooner or later - which is better
Many mothers are madly happy with the first steps of their crumbs, who have just reached 7 months of age. However, at this age, the baby's body is still quite weak, the muscles and bones do not have the necessary strength, and the load on the spine is enormous. Therefore, many experts warn mothers and recommend not to put children forcibly and not to put them in walkers. All this can please adults and bring a lot of positive emotions to the child himself, but in the future, after a few years, he may begin to have serious problems with the musculoskeletal system.
A child who has taken his first independent steps closer to a year and a half is already considered strong. Therefore, everything should go on as usual, because the children themselves know (on a subconscious level) when and at how many months they should start walking.
Some experts are sure that a baby who begins to learn walking only after a year and a half is less likely to be injured. There is a very logical explanation for this - after a year and a half, the child's brain is able to control the balance.
Help Mom
If you see that your baby is not striving for new achievements, then you can help him. There are several ways to stimulate the emergence of this skill.
What should be the shoes
The baby's independent steps should be carried out in good shoes. Orthopedists advise purchasing the first shoes that meet certain requirements:
- in it, the leg should “breathe”, shoes made of suede and genuine leather are preferable;
- the sole should be flexible and thin;
- the back must be firm;
- boots should have a flexible arch support.
Thinking about what time the baby should go on his own, you should remember only one thing - your baby is individual and he has his own norm. Therefore, do not rush things and break the health of the crumbs. It is better to wait for the exact moment that you will be proud and admire in many years, watching with your child a video of his first hesitant steps.
When the child begins to walk - video: