How to teach your baby to walk? Parents should not rush

Many mothers are envious when they see other people's babies learning to walk at about the same age as their own, and they also want their babies to learn to walk as soon as possible. In fact, there is no need to rush. Every child learns to walk at a different age, some early and some late. Mothers just need to pay attention to guiding their babies in life.

How to teach your baby to walk

1. Before learning to walk, let your baby lie down, crawl and move freely more.

Motor development is a continuous process. After the baby learns to lie on his stomach and lift his head in bed, he will gradually learn to turn over, crawl, sit, stand, walk, and run... If we often hold the baby in our arms and the baby lacks the opportunity to exercise, his entire gross motor development process may be delayed. Therefore, if you want your baby to walk well, you must lay a good foundation.

2. Create a safe environment for learning to walk

Pediatricians recommend that babies learn to walk by "supporting to stand and walk", that is, let the baby learn to stand and walk by holding the edge of the sofa, wall, table, etc. If you are worried about the baby's bumps and bruises, you should do the following: wrap the corners of tables and chairs, corners of walls, etc. within the baby's range of activities with anti-collision sponges; use fixed table mats instead of tablecloths to prevent the baby from pulling the tablecloth, which will hurt the baby. Various objects that may cause accidents, such as kettles, glasses, knives, etc., must be stored well. The most important point is that an adult must accompany the baby at all times.

Things to note when your baby learns to walk

1. Don’t learn to walk too early

Many parents want their children to grow up quickly and think that the sooner they learn to walk, the better. Parenting experts say that it is not the earlier the better for children to learn to walk, and that the time it takes for each child to learn to walk is different, not all children are the same.

Children need to learn to walk after they have learned skills such as standing up, squatting, and crawling on their own. If you let your child learn to walk too early, when the muscles and bones of his big feet are not yet fully developed, it will affect the load-bearing capacity of his thigh bones, causing pressure on his lower legs and affecting his healthy growth.

2. Children learn to walk and clear roadblocks

When children first learn to walk, they stagger from side to side and may fall to the ground accidentally. Therefore, when children learn to walk, it is best for parents to go to a relatively open place and clear some obstacles around them, so that even if the child falls, it will not cause harm.

Parents should also be careful not to scare their children. Some children will not walk for a long time after falling. After a child falls, parents should check whether the child is injured and comfort the child. Parents can give up learning to walk and wait until the child is in a good mood. At the beginning, you can lead the child by the hand, and then slowly let go and let the child walk alone. Don't be anxious, take it step by step.

3. You can practice leg strength first

Some parents are afraid that their children will fall, and are reluctant to let them learn to stand. As a result, the children's leg muscles are not effectively exercised, which affects their future walking.

Parents can let their children practice standing, crawling, squatting and other movements that require waist and leg strength in advance, which will be very helpful for children to learn to walk in the future. Let the child stand behind the chair and slowly stand up, then slowly squat down, or walk a few steps while holding the chair, which are all good learning methods.

4. Hold your baby less and walk more

Don't hold your baby in your arms or keep him in one place. Give your baby more opportunities to move freely and encourage him to wander around and explore. Clear away clutter and items that are prone to accidents and give your baby a safe space.

5. Nutritional reserve

Give your baby more calcium-rich foods to ensure the normal development of his bones and help him learn to walk.

When is the best time for babies to learn to walk?

The baby's learning to walk stage is 11 to 15 months. Walking is completed on the basis of standing. Parents should pay attention to whether the child can stand and walk. It is not just to observe whether the child can stand up and take steps forward, but to focus on observing the child's standing and walking posture.

Learning to walk requires not only mature leg muscles, but also good balance. At first, babies will try to walk by holding onto something, and they may only move one or two steps left and right. After they have mastered the feeling of controlling their feet, they will continue to try to hold onto a table or sofa and move towards a certain goal.

Can the baby just walk if he can't crawl?

There is a certain developmental process for babies to progress from lying to sitting to crawling, and finally to standing and walking. Experts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of "crawling" to babies. However, many babies "leapfrog" their development and start to learn to walk enthusiastically before they can crawl. What should parents do when they encounter this problem?

In fact, the seven-year sitting and eight-year crawling refers to the development time of the baby's physical ability. Some babies are faster and some are slower, but it doesn't matter much. When crawling, the muscles, joints, bones and internal organs of the whole body are exercised. Babies who can only walk without crawling will not have the same sense of balance and intelligence as children of the same age when they grow up. In fact, some babies are not unable to crawl, but are too lazy to crawl. Parents can design some interesting games (crawl with them or use toys to induce them) to increase the baby's willingness to crawl.