Newborns rely exclusively on your care, but once they go into toddlerhood and start crawling, you will wonder if they ever stayed still. One of the milestones every parent waits for is seeing their child take their first steps.
It is crucial to note that each baby is different by nature and they will reach milestones at their individual time. You will know that your toddler is ready to walk when they are already crawling, they can climb the stairs while crawling, can stand up supporting themselves with stationary objects, can stand freely without support.
However, it is possible to give your little one the boost they need to take those first steps. Here are a few ways that you can try to help your toddler take their first steps.
Go to the Beach
One important aspect that gets little tots ready for walking is their muscle strength. Your child needs to build the muscles on their feet so that they can walk. Trips to the beach might just help out with building their feet muscles.
The uneven surface of sand will force your young one’s muscles to work harder to balance when on their feet, which in turn makes their muscles stronger.
Sand also provides a softer landing in the event of falls. Apart from that, the beach environment will undoubtedly spark the desire for your child to move around. One of the important aspects that get a toddler up and walking is their ambition sparked by a desire to walk.
Practice Balancing and Coordination
Balancing is an important aspect of walking. Once your tot is standing with the aid of stationary objects and eventually free-standing, you will notice that they wobble a bit. You can help them build on their balance with simple baby balance exercises.
One of the ways to practice on balancing is to put on some music and dance away with your child. Young ones will often make a bounce like movement up and down when dancing. This motion helps them work on their balance.
Once again, work with uneven surfaces like sand at the beach to work on your toddler’s balance.
Coordination is another important aspect of walking. Once your little one is climbing the stairs, with supervision, it encourages muscle development and independence.
Get them Moving
If your baby isn’t quite moving yet, you can help them to get around by playing crawling games with them.
‘Catch Me’ is a great game to get your little one moving. Crawl around and have them follow you.Soon enough they will have a desire to keep up with you and explore more by moving around.
Dancing is also another great way to get your child moving. Go for baby jamborees and other activities that will encourage your little one to keep on moving.
Encourage Motor Skills Play
Get your toddler toys that promote use and development of motor skills.
If you do get a baby walker go for one that features child development activities. Go for one that also encourages them to go from sitting to standing to develop their fine motor skills.
Play classic games like Ring around the Rosy to help develop your child’s motor skills. Holding your baby’s hands and going round in a circle encourages them to move their feet in readiness for those first independent steps.
As a parent, nothing will warm up your heart as much as seeing your baby make it through their milestones including taking those much treasured first steps. Once again, do remember that each child grows at their pace and will go through milestones differently.
You might want to have a comfortable baby jumper to keep your kid happy and active. When it comes to walking, you can help your little one get a head start using some of the tips discussed above.