Your child's not walking yet: Should you be worried?

As a new parent, a lot of things may seem disconcerting and you’re not sure what’s “normal.” While every child is different in how quickly they develop skills, such as taking their first steps, there are guidelines time-wise when it comes to proper development.

When you start to worry as a parent

Are you looking around a class and wondering why other children of the same age are walking while your little one is still scooting around on their bottom? Or maybe your daughter or son is crawling around and seems like they will stand on their own two feet any moment.

Only that moment isn’t coming this week… or the following week. You wonder when they will be able to stand without any assistance.

The baby-walking guideline

Research reveals that the typical age when little tots start to walk in between 8.5-20 months. The average age is 12 months.

As you can see from this timeline, there’s considerable variation in the timeframe for learning to walk independently. It’s not a specific month; each child develops at their own rate within their unique environment.

And it’s a process as well, which means there’s usually learning to sit and then crawl first – although there are always exceptions. Crawling might not even be part of your little one’s development.

So, be patient as likely your child will get there.

But let’s say that your little bundle of joy is 13 or 14 months old, which is past the 12-month mark, and still isn’t walking. Are there ways to encourage your child to walk?

Exercises to help baby walk

To prepare the youngster for walking solo like a pro, parents can use a few of the following techniques.

Sitting and reaching movements

As earlier explained, sitting comes before walking, so it makes sense to strengthen the sitting position to encourage the development of walking afterward.

When they’re sitting, for example, hold up a toy close to them in the air and encourage them to reach for it. With time they can build up their leg muscles to help them with walking.

Use a baby walker

Get your toddler moving toward unassisted walking by using a baby walker – the name says it all. Help them avoid the frustration of rolling over carpet that gets them stuck in the fibers by choosing the best baby walker for carpet.

Then there’s no need to switch chairs between the rooms with hardwood or tile floor and the carpeted areas of the home. Baby can wheel around the house and practice moving their lets and feet on the floor.

Childproof the home

Now that your sweetie is exploring by crawling and scooting around, they’ll soon be walking. Make sure they can move on to the next developmental stage by childproofing the home so they can explore freely.

This childproofing checklist has you covered when it comes to organization, from putting up window guards to using safety locks. Then you can rest well knowing your little tyke can roam around the homestead, preparing to walk with confidence.

Reach out to the doctor

If you worry that your child isn’t progressing at the rate that you expected, err on the side of caution and see a doctor. This point is especially true if you notice the youngster limping.

Walking independently is a big milestone that you’re looking forward to and it’s easy to compare their progress to others the same age. But sometimes kids just need a bit more time to reach a certain state of development, and they’re likely to catch up soon.