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Help
Your Child to Walk
 Chitra's
friend once said, "Oh, my little Arjun started walking when he was just
ten months old!" So when Chitra's son did not start walking by the age
of one, she hit the panic button. She rushed to the family doctor, and
though he assured her that nothing was wrong with her child, she spent
endless nights worrying and praying. She couldn't get rid of the nagging
fear that something was wrong, and just when she was contemplating visiting
a specialist, her baby took his first step at 13 months.
A baby's muscles
take time to develop.
Muscle development starts from head
to toe. Your child will first develop control over the neck muscles. He
will then learn to control the torso, and finally, the leg muscles. Your
baby will first start sitting up, crawling and turning over. He will enjoy
being bounced on your knee. By the time he is around 8 months, he will
start learning how to stand. He will try to pull himself upright by holding
on to furniture.
The normal age range when a child
starts walking is 9 to 15 months, and most children start walking just
after the age of one - between 13 to 14 months. So if your 14 month child
cannot walk, but can crawl, sit, stand, there is no cause for concern.
Some babies skip the crawling stage altogether, and may start walking when
they are 16-17 months.
Every child is
unique, and develops differently.
While most children are walking by
the age of 18 months, it is perfectly normal if your child cannot do so
- IF his other milestones are developing properly. Your child may not be
able to walk at the age of 18 months, but can he sit up, stand and crawl?
If not, yes, there may be cause for concern. It makes sense to speak to
a doctor if this is the case, just to make sure that everything is normal.
What is important to remember is that different babies develop different
skills at a different rate so once again, don't go by fixed charts. Give
your child some developmental leeway.
Try and remember that late milestone
development is not an indicator that your child will be a slow learner
as well.
How can you help
your child to start walking?
Walkers are definitely NOT recommended,
because babies tend to rely on them too much. As a result, their upper
leg muscles don't develop as well as they should, and this could lead to
a delay in the development of the walking milestone. In addition, each
year there are around 200,000 injuries sustained by children due to walkers,
and around 30,000 of these injuries are severe - they include fractures,
dislocations etc.
Canada has banned the use of walkers,
and the American Medical Association and various other organizations have
proposed a ban on walkers in the United States. DON'T get your child a
walker.
Don't make your child wear shoes
indoors. It is easier to learn waking barefoot.
When holding your child while trying
to make him walk, don't hold his legs or hands. Hold him by the torso.
Try and encourage your child to develop
by calling him to you, or placing a chocolate piece just out of reach,
so that he crawls towards it.
Make sure the floor is not too slippery,
as your child may not find it easy to balance on such a floor.
Many parents believe that they require
to get their children expensive aids to toys to facilitate early development.
Nothing could be further from the truth. What you need to do most is interact
with your child, especially to facilitate brain development. Children love
to hear stories. Instead of explaining your child a story in your own words,
read it aloud to him. This will help him develop his vocabulary. Play with
him, sing to him, talk to him - The reason younger children develop faster
than their older sibling is that they have someone to interact with constantly.
This makes all the difference.
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