One of the great milestones of babies is the moment when they leave crawling behind and begin to stand and even walk. It usually happens approximately when they have a year of life and, next to the moment to start eating and start talking, I would say that It is one of the most exciting moments for parents.
To learn to walk you don't have to do too much, basically, because you learn alone. In some publications (magazines, blogs), I have come to read things like “tips to help them learn to walk” or similar, as if the fact of walking depended on our expertise as teachers.
However, as I have said on other occasions, not everything a child does or learns is going to come taught by adults, and walking is one of those things they would do even if we didn't want to. So, how to teach them we can't, the important thing is to keep in mind some things that can help children, or at least not hinder them, in that time interval in which they begin to walk without going too loose yet (the phase of "take some steps").
1. When will you walk alone?
50% of children take their first steps when they are one year old. Between 13 and 15 months 95% of children are already able to take 5 steps without any help. If we ask you to walk more than 5 steps, that is, to do what is called “free march”, 50% of children do it between 13 and 14 months, and between 14 and 16 months 95% ago
In other words, at 16 months only 5% of children do not walk, which does not mean that it is something pathological, but it has to be assessed if it may be due to something specific (an anemia, for example, or a neurological problem) or if it is simply a child who has a more progression rate Slow to give more time.
2. Should we encourage them to walk?
Some professionals suggest that it may be beneficial to encourage babies to gain strength in their legs, giving them their hands to stand and walk (well bent, logically).
Others, with a more logical discourse, argue that It is not necessary to train children to walk, because they will walk when they are physically and mentally prepared for it. Between 4 and 6 months many babies begin to exert strength with their legs to the point that they stand on our lap, then they gain strength as they crawl on the ground to get things, and when they crawl.
Finally, when they are able to climb walls and furniture, they begin to stand up to, when they have a sufficient balance, begin to stand without support, and then take the first steps.
All this they do alone, without us doing anything, and when so, the movements are fluid because your body is prepared to do so. It is different when we force them from small to do things for which their bodies are not ready ... the movements can be more erratic and less balanced. So no, you should not encourage them to walk.
3. Security measures that we must adopt
Walk It means that a child about 75 cm tall will reach places that are 70 cm above the ground (more or less), areas that until that moment did not carry greater danger because, basically, it did not arrive. You have to protect the corners of the furniture or remove the tables that are at that height, be careful with the furniture with many drawers because, if they open them all, the furniture can tip over, remove carpets and objects that can trip over (toys , cables, etc.) and not leave it alone without adult supervision (most things happen when they are alone).
4. Walker, yes or no?
I will not extend too much at this point because we have already spoken long and hard about the walkers, but as a summary comment that no, not recommended for two reasons, the danger of accidents that they entail (every year thousands of American children end up in the hospital because of a walker) and because of the comments above: the best way to learn to walk is to learn without help or bras. If they learn to walk with a walker then they have to learn again without it.
5. And why do they walk with legs so open and feet out?
For a matter of balance. They have not walked so far and as their muscles are not experts in walking or standing they need to open their legs a lot (compared to adults) to maintain balance. If they put themselves like us, with their feet close together, when they took the first step, they would probably fall sideways, because they don't have the ability to hold on with one leg as support.
6. What shoes do I wear?
When babies start walking, they usually wear soft-soled shoes (without soles, come on), or socks, which could be dangerous depending on the fabric, in case they slip. Ideally, if you are at home, do not wear slippers or shoes, go barefoot, because the foot is designed for it (that's why it has so many bones that allow an adaptation to the ground) and because as they are learning, the more sensitivity they have the better.
When they go out on the street, the ideal thing is to buy low-top sneakers or shoes (no booties that reduce freedom to the ankle) with a well moldable, thin sole, which can be folded well, so that it allows the shoe to follow the movements of the foot . If the sole is too hard and does not bend when walking, it is likely that they are very uncomfortable and even fall more often.
By the way, it is recommended to buy shoes in the afternoon, because it has been seen that the foot grows about 5% throughout the day, the result of weight and walking, to decrease again at night.
