Milestones develop when your baby starts learning to walk

Walking stage not only brings joy to the baby but also the happiness of parents. Learning to walk for your baby is extremely important to forming a standing gait when growing.

For many parents, toddlers are a milestone in their development. At this time, the baby is capable enough to learn communication skills, especially motor skills. Parents play an important role in helping and keeping safe when babies learn to walk. Please refer to the following article for more details!

When can baby walk?

During the first year, babies will develop strength and muscle coordination, master their physical flexibility and be able to roll, sit, and crawl. At this stage, the baby will only practice lifting the person upright and holding on to support objects to walk around the room. After a while, the baby can confidently stand and maintain balance on his feet without the need for an armrest.

It takes a long time for parents to learn to walk. However, when mastering her feet, she will become more independent.

12–18 months old

Most babies will take their first steps around  one year old . Do not worry too much if your baby is slower than other babies, it is important how his skills develop. If your child learns to flip, learn to crawl more slowly than others, he or she will need a few more weeks or months to learn to walk, as long as you help him learn new things continuously.

After your baby's first steps, he'll learn to squat down and get back up. If your baby is already walking steadily, he or she may enjoy push or pull motion toys.

You should not buy a walker for your baby. A walker can be dangerous because it is easy for your baby to fall or encounter other dangerous situations. Moreover, supportive devices like this will make the baby dependent and when he has to learn to walk without any support, he will be very discouraged.

19–24 months old

When limbs are strong, babies will enjoy walking while holding something in their hands (eg a ball, stuffed animal). If you want your baby to lift something heavier, do not be surprised because he is also very interested in challenging himself with heavy objects such as a briefcase.

Children will also be extremely excited when one day discovers that they can not only walk but can run from place to place.

25–30 months old

At the age of 2 , the baby walked easily and also participated in some games such as chasing, practicing singing funny songs. The steps are now more balanced and the baby gradually uses the heel to walk fluently (no more tiptoes).

At this stage, babies often like to climb, run and jump. Therefore, parents should make the rules when the baby climbs, jumps on furniture in the house.

31–36 months old

At the age of 3 , it is very natural and normal to walk now for children, there are only a few actions that require high concentration and effort of the baby such as balance or standing on one leg.

Children do not need to use too much force to walk, stand, run or jump because their feet are much more agile than before. You can stop and start sprinting immediately or run to the left and right without hesitation. In addition, the baby can hop on a hop (jumping on one leg).

Parental concern

Skill development is different for each baby. If your baby shows signs of growth retardation or the baby has not been able to walk well over the past 18 months, parents should consult a doctor immediately.

Some of the reasons why babies are slow to walk during this stage can be mentioned as:

Your baby is developing another skill like talking instead of learning to walk;

Babies who are overweight or born prematurely tend to walk later than other babies.

Most babies are on tiptoes when walking, probably because they feel happy, but they should not walk on tiptoes for long periods of time. If you notice that your baby is walking all the time on top of his toes, he or she is more likely to have a physical problem (such as a short tendon connecting the calf to the heel) that prevents him from placing his entire foot on the floor. This is a sign of a serious motor muscle disorder, such as mild cerebral palsy .

Your baby's feet may be slightly deflected when walking (unable to control balance while walking). This is called the "inner toe" condition. However, this will improve on its own over time, otherwise you should take your child to see the doctor.

Babies also tend to have bent legs (bowed legs ) in their early years but their legs will stretch out by 2 years old.

What is the next stage?

At 4 years old , babies can stand on one leg for 2 seconds. At 5 years old, the baby can jump. This may sound very natural, but it is actually a complex skill that requires hand coordination and balance. As your baby's physical skills develop, enroll your child in organized activities such as soccer or gymnastics.

Learning how to walk your child is a patient process for parents. You should not push your baby to be as fast as his peers, but do not let your baby grow too slowly. When your child is slow to develop compared to other babies, you should take your child to see the doctor to find out the reasons and how to fix it.

Hope this article has provided you with lots of useful information. Wish your baby soon knew to go!