One of the biggest milestones in early parenthood, is the day you get to see your little bundle of joy take their first steps. This day is something which brings many to ask, "when will it actually happen?"
When it comes to your baby walking, there are a few stages they will go through before their big day, these stages being:
- Rolling over
- Crawling
- Standing
These stages will usually occur over their first twelve months in the real world, but they can occur sooner than this as it all depends on how quickly their muscle strength develops. Most infants begin walking at around 12 months.
One thing you may begin to see throughout these stages is your baby beginning to try things such as pulling themselves to a standing position and crouching or ‘bouncing’ in this position. These are signs that your little one is getting ready to take those wonderful first few steps.
If you want to speed this process along a bit, some things you can do which can help with this could be:
Buy a push along toy/baby walker (e.g., trolleys, carts).
Make them try reaching for a toy whilst holding onto a nearby piece of furniture.
Encourage ‘cruising’ along or between pieces of furniture.
As mentioned before, to encourage unaided walking, do not walk behind them holding their arms above their head, as it affects their ability to balance by themselves, as well as increasing the risk of joint dislocation.
Depending on your baby’s development, these steps can result in your little one walking on their own anywhere between 12 and 18-months old, but this can be longer for some babies. This would be nothing to worry about, so get ready. Once they get started, they won’t ever seem to stop!
