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One of the most awaited baby development milestones is walking. Walking is a much-anticipated milestone for babies. This is a sure sign that your little one is entering toddlerhood, Mother.
The period when a baby learns to walk is an exciting time, but also challenging for parents. One of the most stressful, especially if your little one falls.
You need to know, Mother. The age range for babies starting to be able to walk independently is 9 to 18 months. This range is actually quite long, so mothers don’t need to panic if their child cannot walk at the age of 12 months.
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Quoted from The Bump, a 2015 study looked for a link between learning to walk and increasing language skills during infancy. However, the research shows that there is no proven link between walking early and becoming a great person later in life.
In fact, according to a Swiss study in 2013, children who started walking early did not perform better on tests of intelligence and motor skills between the ages of 7 and 18, when compared to babies who couldn’t walk earlier.
Even though the ability to walk has nothing to do with a child’s performance, mothers still need to stimulate this ability. Especially if the child has started to stand on his own and is ready to walk by holding on to furniture.
Signs the baby is ready to walk
Babies who are ready to walk will generally show signs, so mothers can prepare to stimulate them. Here are 3 things that indicate a baby is ready to learn to walk:
1. Pull the body upright
Babies can’t walk until they learn how to stand upright. When they are seen pulling their body upright, it could be a sign that your little one is ready to walk with assistance, such as a sofa.
“Usually, babies are getting ready to walk when they start to pull away, they want to stand up,” says pediatrician at Children’s Medical Group in Georgia, Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP.
2. Practice standing
Another sign that a baby is ready to walk is that he has often practiced standing on his own. Babies may only stand for a second or two before falling over, but that’s a sign they’ll be walking soon. Walking requires a pattern of motor skills, balance and confidence in one’s own two feet.
3. Start climbing
Creep walking occurs when a baby takes tentative steps while holding on to furniture, such as a sofa or sturdy table. However, keep in mind that there are some babies who can only walk while holding on to furniture for months, while others start walking practically when they stand on two legs.
Stimulation of babies learning to walk
Mothers can help children learn to walk by stimulating them. Stimulation can be done when you see signs that the baby is ready to walk.
Here are 7 stimulations for babies learning to walk that can be applied to your little one:
1. Strengthen your child’s limbs and muscles
The first step to stimulate a baby to learn to walk is to strengthen its core limbs and muscles. This method will help your little one build the strong balance needed to walk.
Even if the baby is still too small for the exercises, try to implement them slowly. Mothers can ask them to sit on a small exercise ball, then train them to support or use their own back and most importantly, keep the baby’s body upright.
2. Let them be barefoot
Mothers may worry about the floor being dirty when they want to free their child to go barefoot when learning to walk. However, many pediatricians recommend letting babies go barefoot in the early years of a child’s life.
Quoting the Times of India, according to experts, going barefoot can help your little one feel the surface they are standing on, so they can develop certain postures that may not occur when children wear shoes. This method will also help your child stand with a little support, and eventually be able to walk.
3. Give the baby something to hold
As babies start to stand more, they may hold your hand or reach for other objects to support their bodies. If you want to encourage them to take steps without support, then let them work hard.
Try giving them something small in their hand, they may try to walk without help. Examples of toys that can be given are small stuffed animals or favorite toys that they don’t want to let go of.
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