When a child begins to walk independently - norms and features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The first year in a child's life is a very responsible and exciting time. The first smile, the first word, the first step… All parents are worried about whether their baby is developing correctly, whether he is lagging behind. Young mothers discuss together when the child should start walking, and often they are guided by a neighbor whose son went extremely early. Pediatricians warn that all children are different, and suggest parents not to panic ahead of time.

Generally accepted norms

Doctors warn parents against trying to push their child to upright posture. All he althy children master this skill in due time. The kid knows better than you whether his musculoskeletal system is ready for new loads. Premature stimulation of walking leads to curvature of the spine or legs, incorrect setting of the feet by the child.

At what age does a baby start walking,according to the rules? Pediatricians focus on age from 9 months to 1.5 years. They urge parents to remain calm when their one-year-old baby is not yet taking independent steps. If he actively crawls, is interested in toys, enjoys exploring the world, everything is fine.

Factors to consider

Someone at 9 months confidently stomps around the house, and someone at 1, 2 years old is afraid to break away from the support. What factors determine at what age a child begins to walk? Pediatricians point to:

• Heredity. If all the children in the family start walking after a year, then there is a chance that the youngest will do the same.
• Weight. It is more difficult for overweight children to keep their body upright than for thin and nimble babies.
• Temperament. Fidget will go faster than his calm, phlegmatic peer.
• Being surrounded by other kids running confidently around the apartment. If there are older brothers or sisters in the family, the baby will imitate them.
• Unsuitable conditions. If a child spends the whole day in a crib or walker, he will go late.
• Developing other skills. It is difficult for children to master several areas at the same time. If the baby is actively learning to speak, then walking can be delayed.
• Presence of diseases. A sick baby is not up to learning new skills. Often he forgets what he knew how to do before the illness.
• Prematurity. Such children lag behind their peers and begin to walk closer to a year and a half.

Deviations from the norm

Moms often put too much emphasis on how many months old a baby started walking. Although there is no need to rush here. You can often hear boasting about a baby who went at 7-9 months old. Pediatricians, on the contrary, are alarmed by such a statement. If the early mastery of a skill was provoked by the active participation of parents, the fragile spine and leg bones are not ready for the increased load.

Another thing is if the baby began to walk on his own initiative. This usually happens with active kids. In this case, do not force the child to sit down, but regularly arrange crawling games. This is a very important skill during which the baby learns to coordinate the movements of the right and left sides of the body. Both hemispheres are involved. It has already been proven that children who skip the crawl stage have poorer coordination, more dysgraphia and dyslexia.

Late mastery of walking does not necessarily mean lagging behind. Keep calm and don't rush things. But if at the age of one and a half the baby does not try to stand up and take the first steps, it is better to visit a specialist. This will help eliminate the suspicion of hidden birth injuries and weakened immunity.

Is it time already?

Why does baby start walking? He is driven by natural curiosity, the desire to get an interesting toy, to get to the forbidden cabinet. Moving independently, the baby acquires greater freedom. However, before he can go, he needs to strengthen the muscles of his legs, back.

About whatthe child is ready to walk, indicate the following signs:

• He crawls confidently.
• He often gets on his feet and stands for a long time, holding on to a support.
• Baby can sit up from a standing position.
• Holding onto the bars of a crib or sofa, he steps over.
• With the support of the handles, walks confidently, placing his legs parallel to each other.

How can I help?

Many parents ask what should be done so that the baby quickly mastered a new skill. In fact, the child will cope with the task without help. The main thing is to provide him with free space to move around.

Slippery floors can turn into big problems for the crumbs. Parquet or linoleum is better to cover with carpet. When the child begins to walk on his own, remove from free access breaking and piercing objects, medicines, household chemicals, wires. Think about how to protect your baby from sharp corners of furniture, electrical outlets. If you care about your mobile phone, don't leave it in plain sight.

After preparing the space, give the child freedom. If the baby fell and is now afraid to walk, be there, secure. Many babies take their first steps walking a short distance from mom to dad. To create the need for movement, place interesting toys around the room at different heights.

Barefoot or boots?

A lot of controversy raises the question of what shoes the baby should take the first steps in. Pediatricians, including the famous Dr. Komarovsky, believe that at homeyou can walk barefoot. This is an excellent prevention of flat feet. There is no need to be afraid that the child will get sick playing on the cold floor. When in contact with it, the vessels of the legs involuntarily constrict, so the heat from the body slowly leaves.

If the floor is slippery, wear rubber-soled socks. And of course, think about the first shoes. When a child begins to walk, it is better for him to buy orthopedic shoes made from natural materials. A hard back is important, which will fix the heel, a stable and flexible sole with a small heel, and an elastic arch support. Pick the right size. Shoes should not pinch or rub your feet. But it is also impossible to allow the foot to dangle in the boot. It is optimal if the insole is 5-7 mm larger than the crumbs' foot.

Preparing muscles

When a child begins to walk, the load on the muscles and skeleton increases dramatically. Parents are not recommended to actively stimulate the baby to walk until he is ready. But it is in their power to encourage his physical activity, do massage, gymnastics, thereby strengthening the body of the crumbs.

These procedures should be carried out regularly. Massage begins with stroking, which is replaced by light rubbing. At the end, lightly tap on the legs, feet, back of the baby, without touching the knees. This relieves hypertonicity.

To strengthen the muscles of the legs, bend them one by one while the child is lying, lift them up, ask the baby to reach the stick that the adult holds on weight with his feet. Fitball exercises are useful for back muscles when a baby lying on his stomachroll back and forth. Then it is turned over on its back and the same thing is repeated.

Special exercises

When children begin to walk, it is difficult for them to keep their balance. From 9 months, you can include special exercises in the daily gymnastics complex that prepare the baby for the first steps.

These include:

• Tilts. An adult puts the child with his back to himself, puts a toy in front of him. With the words "take" encourages the baby to bend over, supporting him under the stomach and knees.
• "Dancing". An adult holds the baby by the hands, offering him to "dance". By moving his hands, he encourages the child to step from foot to foot.
• Squats. Toys are laid out on the floor. Mom asks to pick them up, crouching and standing up again. The child is supported by the hand.
• Arm curls. The adult holds the rings. Putting them in the hands of the baby, encourages him to stand up, and then alternately bends the child's arms at the elbows.
• Learning to stand. The kid stands with support. If he does this confidently, the adult removes his hands for 20 seconds.
• Walking with support. We lead the child, supporting both hands.
• Climbing. An adult offers the baby to climb onto the sofa, and then get off it, providing assistance.

Special accessories

There is an opinion among mothers that modern devices like walkers can affect what time children start walking. Is it so? Consider the most popular fixtures:

• Wheels with handles. The child pushes them in front of him, using them instead of support, and steps over with his feet. Such a purchase can be very useful in the early stages of training.
• Walkers. They are very convenient for mothers, as they are able to occupy the baby for a long time. However, the child sits in them and only pushes off the floor with his feet. He does not learn to keep balance, to stand on his foot correctly, to strain his muscles. This device slows down walking rather than helps it.
• Reins. The design consists of straps that are attached to the shoulders, chest and back of the child. An adult with the help of a leash controls the movements of the crumbs, preventing a fall in time. The reins are convenient to use if the baby is afraid to hit while walking. The only negative is that they will not teach the child to fall correctly, to group, and this is a very important skill that will come in handy more than once in the future.

A little about walking

When the child starts walking, watch how he puts his feet. In babies, they are located parallel to each other. The legs are not yet ready to roll from heel to toe, so children step on a full foot. It is very difficult for the baby to maintain balance, which leads to frequent falls. However, the elasticity of children's bones and muscles minimizes the risk of serious injury.

You should beware if the child walks on tiptoes. This may indicate both increased activity of the child, and the presence of hypertonicity, birth trauma. It is better to consult a pediatrician.

It really doesn't matter whatage the child began to walk. This does not affect his future life, academic or sports success. Therefore, refuse to participate in the competition "whose baby is the most developed" and enjoy communicating with him. Everything will happen in due time. A little more - and you will have to run after the baby all over the playground.