Learning to Walk

Babies normally start walking some time between 10 and 18 months. Some parents get anxious when their baby shows no signs of walking at around a year of age. If that sounds a lot like you, then remember what Glenn Doman says about the importance of crawling in developing speech as well as reading and writing skills. If he’s right, then learning to walk late might actually be a good thing!

As your baby gets ready to start walking, she will grab the furniture and pull herself up to a standing position. She will begin “cruising” – moving around on her feet with the furniture for support – and occasionally standing for a few seconds unaided. Let her do so barefoot, as this will make it easier for her to develop her balance and coordination.

To promote his walking skills, there’s plenty you can do to help strengthen your baby’s leg muscles. Before he begins to stand (or even crawl), let him grip your fingers (holding his wrists as a precaution) and pull him up to standing, so that he’s supporting his own weight. Later, you can let him walk around while you support him under the arms. When he starts to cruise, encourage him to let go of the furniture by holding out your fingers and allowing him grip you with both hands. Before you know it, he’ll be holding on to you with one hand – or even letting go altogether!

Babies start getting up on their feet before they know how to get back down, so don’t be surprised if your little one cries for help while marooned in a standing position. Rather than picking her up when this happens, you can help her learn to sit down by gently bending her knees and supporting her weight until she reaches the floor.

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Enjoying the journey…