First-time parents often await the first steps of their baby anxiously. After all, what could bring more to your heart than seeing your adorable baby taking their first independent steps? The first year of a bay is filled with plenty of important milestones. It is important to keep track of their milestones to make sure that they are healthy and on track. They are often ready to stand on their own and take the first few steps when they are about to turn one year old. You can encourage your little one to start walking soon with the help of the following tips:
Plenty of Floor Time
No matter how much you enjoy cuddling your baby and carrying them around, it is essential to give them plenty of floor time. It helps with their physical development and also encourages them to use their muscles which ultimately help them to stand on their own and start walking gradually. Offering floor time also means that you need to reduce the time your baby spends in car seats, bouncers, bumbo chairs, and so on.
Sitting on a Stool with no Back Support
Once your baby is able to sit on their own for a long duration, introduce them to the stool which has no back support. This encourages your baby to sit while her feet touch the ground. You can encourage your baby to move about on the chair by placing toys on the floor and asking them to pick it up by bending over.
You can keep the toys further and further away as they start stretching their body. This strengthens the muscles in their shoulders, legs, and back and also teaches them how to support their body using their feet. However, always be sure that you are nearby when you place your baby on the stool. They are still learning about balancing their little bodies and might topple over any minute.
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Cruise Control
Once your baby is able to stand with support, allow them to cruise around the room by holding on to the sofa or anything that offers support. Once they walk back and forth like this several times, they will take the initiative to let go of the support and try a few steps gradually. You can encourage them by placing a favourite snack or toy at the far end of the sofa. This will entice them to walk.
Push Toys
The baby market is booming with toys for babies of every age. These toys are designed to help encourage motor skills, muscle development, better hand-eye coordination, and so on. Similarly, push toys are designed to offer your little one enough support to walk without tipping over. Most push toys have big wheels and a handle. They help your child stand up and even encourage them to start walking. However, Avoid Walkers, studies have shown they can cause a lot of head injuries and do not assist in walking.
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Peer Models
What is the best way to get babies walking? Take them someplace where they get to see toddlers walking about. Some good options include the local playground, the library, the local mall, and so on. When you spot a toddler walking, point them out to your baby, and praise them. This will create an innate desire in your child to start walking as well. After all, motivation is a powerful tool.
Dance Classes
Dance classes for babies and mommies are a great way to squeeze in some exercise for yourself and encourage your baby to shake, wiggle, and groove. The environment at dance classes for toddlers is baby-proofed, keeping your baby safe in case they stumble or fall. The ability to explore the different movements of their bodies is a great encouragement for babies on the verge of walking.
Squeaky Shoes
Have you noticed those squeaky shoes that toddlers wear? They make a squeak each time the child takes a step. These are a great way to encourage babies to start walking. Being extremely inquisitive, babies continue taking steps to figure where the sound is coming from. Remember to get the shoes with the removable squeakers so that you can pull them out when the noise starts driving you batty.
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Swimming Classes
The best way to make sure your baby is on track for walking soon is by making sure that they are using all of their muscles. Swimming is a great way to get this done. It helps strengthen and condition their muscles. Swimming classes for babies introduce them to water and teach them to kick their legs. You can even help your baby walk in the shallow end of the pool with your support.
Pets
Studies have shown that babies who have pets around tend to learn how to walk faster than other babies. Having a pet at home introduces your baby to animals from a very young age. As they learn how to interact with the pet, they tend to start walking earlier than expected. Walking a dog is often a favourite activity among toddlers.
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Cheer Them On
Always keep encouraging and cheering for your child. This plays a huge role in attempting to take those first few precious steps. One way of encouraging them to start walking is by staying a few steps away and calling them towards you. You can even use a snack or a toy to offer some incentive. Kids thrive on encouragement. So continue cheering for your child and you will be able to see those first steps very soon
Fun Games
You can use fun games to encourage your child to walk sooner. For example, you can scatter a few balls in the room and ask your baby to collect these balls and drop them in a basket. This will encourage them to use their leg muscles and have a better balance.
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As your baby learns to walk, it is essential to check that your home is completely baby-proofed. A baby who can walk has easier access to everything in your home, making it very important to keep an eye on them all the time. Once you start putting the above-mentioned tips to action you will be able to notice an improvement in your child. Soon enough it will be time to capture a video of the first baby steps.
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