One of the most important milestones for a baby’s development is when they learn how to walk. After all, walking gives them a little “confidence booster” and it allows them to slowly leave babyhood behind.
When do babies walk?
When your baby is still a year older or less, her muscles are still developing. She first learns on how to sit without support, then crawl, until, finally, her leg muscles are developed enough to allow her to stand and walk. Most babies start to take their first steps between 9 to 12 months, and begin to walk properly without support when they reach their 14th or 15th month. It’s not a problem, though, if your child is learning a little longer since baby’s developmental stages differ from one another.
Newborn babies still have weak muscles. You can help your baby develop her muscles by holding her upright with her arms, allowing her to push her tiny feet on the ground.
Developmental milestones along the way:
By the time she’s 5 months old, she begins to bounce up and down if you hold her with her hands as you let her balance her feet on your thighs. As she her muscles strengthen, she begins to roll over, sit without support, and eventually learns how to crawl.
At 8 months, she may try pulling herself up by holding on to some furniture. You can help her move from one support to another, but just make sure that the furniture within her reach are strong enough to sustain her. If this continues, after a few weeks, she can now begin to cruise around the house by holding from a piece of furniture to another. As her muscles become stronger, she may even be able to stand without any support at all. When she’s finally able to do this, she can be able to take fewer steps, or be able to scoop up a toy from her position.
When she’s about 9 or 10 months old, your little one may now be able to bend her knees or even sit down from her standing position, which is a little harder for babies to figure out easily.
At 11 months, she may begin to become used of standing alone. She may also start walking, while holding your hands of course! She will most likely continue like this for a few weeks until she can finally let go of your hands.
By 13 months, most toddlers are finally able to walk without any support at all, but still a bit trembling.
Don’t worry though if your baby still needs support by the time she’s 13 months old. Not all babies are the same with their development. You shouldn’t rush her with her walking. This only means that walking alone is just taking a little longer. To find out more about your baby’s milestones, check out these baby milestone books!
