When should babies learn to walk? – What to know about development & tips

Until your little ones take their first independent steps, a few months usually pass. The timing is very individual and depends on the your babies' developmental stage . While some children reach this milestone as early as eight months, it can take twice as long for others.

Often babies first learn to turn, sit, and crawl before they discover their own walking abilities. Generally, for learning to walk other physical abilities are a prerequisite.

Muscles still have to develop and so every step in your babies' development is something completely natural, which you should not force.

When your children learn to walk, is therefore entirely individual. However, the following sequence of Developmental stages of babies is usually assumed:

Already during your pregnancy babies try out the first preparatory steps out. Because in the womb your little wonders paddle energetically with their arms and legs. In the first eight weeks after birth they then begin to kick.

Especially when you lift them and their feet come into contact with a firm surface. The so-called attempts at walking are referred to as the stepping reflex .

The stepping reflex usually disappears by three months. From the third month your babies learn to turn onto their stomach. They can also slowly lift their head – entirely by their own strength. At first this will only be very brief, but gradually they hold their head up longer and longer to perceive everything around them.

Around the fifth month of life around then your children notice that they can bounce on your lap. They learn to balance on their thighs, while you hold them upright on your legs – they enjoy that and it incidentally trains their leg muscles.

From the sixth or seventh month your babies will feel like accompanying you on every step of the way. To be able to move around, they try out various movements. Thus many children in these months begin to army crawl, roll and learn to crawl.

Even if they don't always succeed right away, it helps them immensely if you encourage them with various incentives to encourage them to crawl.. Because giving up is never a solution. Also baby playgroups you can now attend together.

Once your children have learned to roll over, sit up and crawl independently, they discover at about eight months their walking potential. Due to their developed grasping ability they can now pull themselves up on furniture and other objects. The first steps won't be long in coming.

Around the tenth month around many children can already manage short distances with small steps. Whether to the couch or to your outstretched arms – no distance seems too far, because walking is fun.

All further steps of your babies depend on their strength, self-confidence and previous walking experience.

At 13 months some babies already walk without any help. Thus in the following months the side step is practiced. They also manage to get from sitting to standing on their own.

On average at 15 months it is then time and your children stop at nothing. Walking increasingly becomes a matter of course.

shift weight, balance, build momentum and take a run-up – nothing now seems impossible to them. With much practice and skill they grow into walking toddlers . If your babies initially have bowlegs, that's no reason to worry. The first attempts at walking just look a bit different.

Climbing stairs are only attempted by many children only from 16 months. At one and a half years, often the first movement games are tried out. Playing soccer, dancing or hopping, now it really begins. In toddlerhood they perfect their gait so that it nearly matches yours.

However, note that all the mentioned developmental phases vary from child to child.occur. All babies have their own learning pace that you can perceive naturally and support accordingly.

Never let yourselves be influenced by other families and their milestones and focus only on yourselves.

If your child by 18 to 20 months still hasn't taken any steps, visit a pediatrician.

What skills does my baby need to learn to walk?

Children require various physical prerequisites and motor skills to learn to walk properly.

Their body is naturally so arranged that they develop all by themselves and thus also in their own pace to become little walkers. As parents you can only support them to a limited extent.

For learning to walk, various body parts must work together perfectly.

Tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles as well as senses and nerves can only ensure a successful movement sequence through strong cooperation. Babies learn to walk by training their fingers (fine motor skills) as well as legs and balance (gross motor skills).

Of course, such a complex learning process also requires sufficient energy, a good body awareness and patience – this also applies to you as parents. The development of the mentioned body parts and abilities begins already during pregnancy. After birth, however, all your babies' muscles are still very weakly developed. They need to be trained.

Through their curiosity and the incentives you provide, your little ones strengthen their musculature step by step. Their back and neck muscles develop already in the first months of life, so that they can lift their head independently. They learn to turn onto their stomach on their own and eventually army crawl and crawl. During these processes their legs become ever stronger and more robust, so that they can now also bend and stand up.

For your children's muscles to grow strong and thrive, a healthy and nutritious diet for children is essential. It gives your babies sufficient energy and strength, which is also reflected in their willingness to learn.

Give your children enough opportunities to be active. Your babies should stimulate their sensory perception, by engaging with their environment. With enough movement you help them to get to know their own body awareness better, so that they can keep their balance and balance their body weight. You as parents can best assess your babies and how they react in different situations.

In general: Babies who follow their natural urge to move learn to walk more readily than babies who do not get enough movement.

How to encourage your children's first attempts at walking

As a rule, parents cannot force learning to walk. However, there are some possibilities and behavioral tips, which make it easier for your children to explore their own abilities.

This is therefore much more about increasing your babies' motivation than supporting the actual process of learning to walk.

Keep in mind: babies learn from successes, but also from failures. Therefore, as in so many areas: 'Practice makes perfect!'

6 useful tips: How your babies learn to walk more easily

1. Give your babies time

It can take a while before your babies dare to take their first steps. Regular practice and your encouragement to move remind them, however, to continue experimenting and to try small tentative steps.

At the beginning it's not about the manner of locomotion. Your kids should simply feel the urge to move. In addition, the playful learning is the focus. Never be impatient with your children. If you take part in their development calmly and relaxed, your little ones will gladly make progress and be much more relaxed themselves.

2. Set up rescue islands when learning to walk

In addition to a safe environment that minimizes the risk of injury, also small homemade and cleverly devised rescue islands are important for the learning process.

The rescue islands are to be understood as a small pit stop to be understood as a small pit stop when your babies take their first steps and cover short distances.

They provide seat cushions, stools and the like. a breather to possibly get back upright and to gather strength for the next attempt.

3. Only be the helping hand when necessary

Your babies don't necessarily need you when learning to walk. At least you don't have to lift or hold them when they attempt their first steps. Only give your little ones a helping hand when they signal that they need your support. In general, your praise is the greatest motivation for your children. Encourage them if it doesn't work immediately and give them lots of praise.

First and foremost, it's important that you do not overwhelm your children and do not demand anything from them that they are not developmentally capable of yet. Help them, for example, by sitting on the floor with them or kneeling down to them and encouraging them with outstretched hands to come toward you. Once they've managed small steps, even under their own power, it makes your kids beam with pride.

4. Consider the needs of your little ones

Let your children decide when, how and where they want to practice their walking attempts. Your little explorers themselves know best when they need a break and whether certain exercises are simply too tiring for them.

Their attention span is also not yet fully developed, which is why their interest in certain things can fade after a short time and they want to turn to something new.

That you let your babies test things out themselves and let them decide motivates them and at the same time gives them a strong sense of self-worth. So, if they want a toy, you shouldn't just give it to them, but encourage them to reach it themselves.

5. Fall down, get up & keep going

The safety of the children always comes first. Since your little ones are still quite wobbly on their legs, you should take care to have no tripping hazards or objects lying on the floor.

In general, the rooms in which your babies diligently practice should be childproof made. If your kids do fall down, you should encourage them to get up again immediately and continue.

6. Use everyday training and walking aids

To learn to walk, you need no special aids. Pieces of furniture like tables and sofas are your kids' favorite walking aids.

They can pull themselves up on them, straighten up and attempt small exercises and first steps.

Also suitable as training aids are sturdy boxes, stools or doll prams, that can be easily pushed around the room. push-along walkers are, of course, also fun for the little ones.

Learning to walk made easy: Explore the surroundings safely

Once your toddlers have figured out how to move around independently, they stop at nothing. To ensure that they enjoy complete freedom of movement during their exercises and that you know your kids are safe, there are various ways to make your rooms child-safe.

Put everything that is within reach of your little ones away safely – especially valuable and dangerous things. This also includes heavy items that your kids could pull down. To make your rooms safe, there are various childproofing devices, that you can attach to sockets, table edges and stairs.

Also pay attention to tip-resistant furniture, so that you can allow your children to pull themselves up with peace of mind. If necessary, these can also serve as good rescue islands. You should preferably pad sharp edges and corners with foam or soft cushions. You should also remove tripping hazards. Also largely avoid tablecloths so that your little walkers don't accidentally clear the table.

In general, you should always keep an eye on. Never let them roam, crawl, or walk unsupervised. To really eliminate all sources of danger, it's a good idea to do the same as your children and also scoot around on the floor. That way you can see from a child's perspective whether you need safety gates for stairs, corner protectors for table edges and outlet covers for sockets.

Learn to walk safely — let's go!

Are baby walkers useful?

Baby walkers come in a wide variety of designs and colors. Gängelwagen, Gehfrei or baby walkers all essentially share the same concept and are characterized by a plastic frame on wheels out. In these, your babies sit or stand, and then move around by kicking their little legs.

But as helpful as the models may seem, Gehfrei and the like are, according to pediatricians, not an optimal choice, to support children in learning to walk. Because they delay the natural development of babies. The back and spine are often forced into an upright position by baby walkers, for which they are actually not yet physically ready, causing the muscles to be strained improperly.

The consequences: Incorrect loading of the spine, foot deformities, muscle shortening, and even a delayed development of gait.

In addition, baby walkers pose a high safety hazard. Tipping over, falling down stairs, or getting to dangerous things with their help — with these aids your children are moving very quickly. This is often underestimated, so you can't act in time and minor accidents happen even faster.

Learning to walk – with or without shoes?

Your children should generally learn to walk barefoot at first. It is a very healthy option because barefoot walking trains coordination and balance better than walking in learning-to-walk shoes.

Therefore let your babies walk barefoot as often as possible. That way

not least also the foot muscles are strengthened. In addition, your little ones learn through nerve impulses to balance the body from the feet upwards. The natural body awareness is only very limited or not present at all in learning-to-walk shoes.

Children who learn to walk barefoot on different surfaces can balance out unevenness. The spine and the foot muscles also work together, so that movement sequences coordinate and eventually function completely automatically.

Learning-to-walk shoes are, however, in certain situations a

helpful support, to protect the delicate little feet of your kids. Especially in meadows with bees and thistles, on cold surfaces, in public places, or with minor injuries, learning-to-walk shoes can be beneficial for the foot health of little ones.

Learning-to-walk shoes or crawling shoes should generally not be worn all day, but only for a few hours at a time be worn. In the home, non-slip socks are often sufficient.

Pay attention when buying learning-to-walk shoes, that they have a flexible, non-slip sole and are soft and pliable. They should not restrict freedom of movement and the natural rolling of the feet. Ideal are shoes with a leather sole and non-slip rubber reinforcements on the heel and ball.

The first shoes should be bought when your children

already can take confident steps and now want to explore the world outside their own front door. When buying, pay attention to the right fit as well as a soft, breathable material. Children's shoes should also have a firm but not too hard sole. Secure support and freedom of movement are the motto here.

Breathable upper materials such as leather (especially in winter), cotton or canvas (in summer) are best suited for the first shoes. Instead of laces, you should opt for Velcro fastenings and buckles. The fastenings are easier for your children to open and close.

For learning-to-walk shoes as well as children's shoes, the following applies: They must

fit and allow your children's feet maximum freedom of movement. Correctly measuring children's shoe size is fundamental. A shoe should be at least 12 to at most 17 millimetres longer than your toddler's foot so that they can roll their feet optimally.

Image credits

Baby walking while holding someone's hand, in the nursery © eggeeggjiew - stock.adobe.com

Baby is held by both hands while walking © Evrymmnt - stock.adobe.com

Baby stands up and is supported © Robert Kneschke - stock.adobe.com

Child stands on the mother's legs © Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com