When Will My Baby Walk?
Most parents I meet want to know two things: “When will my baby walk?” and “When will my baby talk?” My answer is the same in both cases: “Be careful what you wish for.”
If only I could turn my physical therapist license into a crystal ball and make those kinds of predictions. Naturally I’d want to know what to expect next from my own adolescent children, both of whom walk and talk more than I ever thought possible. To the mothers of twins, who can’t wait for not only one, but two babies to get up and walk; I repeat: Be careful what you wish for. Most toddlers who are just beginning to walk are unsteady and likely to fall down frequently. When it comes to walking, baby is just as impatient as mom, ready to test-drive his or her newly discovered mobility skills, in multiple directions, with or without purpose. Toddlers remind me of adorable windup toys that move in straight lines almost robotically, with no rotation, rhythm, rhyme or reason, until they reach an obstacle. At first their preferred destination is mom, where they’re free to lose control as they receive a big hug and a smile for their effort. They’re bound to wobble, fall down, get back up, wobble and fall down again. All this is quite natural, just as it’s natural for parents to hold their hands, guide them, and be there for all those falls.
A baby learning to walk is like a teenager learning to drive. You learn through practice – through routine “test drives.” I can’t imagine teaching both my teenagers how to drive at the same time. Similarly, if you’re the parent of twins who are just starting to move around, you’re better off working on mobility skills with one twin at a time. Get the first one off to a safe, smooth, confident journey toward independence, and worry about the other one later. Most twins have individual mobility clocks anyway, so don’t worry if one baby starts to walk before the other. After all, you can chase behind only one toddler at a time, unless you’re lucky enough to have help on standby.
With 18 years of experience as a pediatric physical therapist, I still can’t answer the question, “When will my baby walk?” I can, however, always reassure parents of this – babies walk when they’re ready to, just as they came into this world when they were ready to. How truly amazing it is that these cute little creatures have the innate ability to walk, without verbal instructions, a permit, or a training manual. We are born with the mechanisms we need to develop mobility and language – we are destined to walk and talk. Walking, much like talking is the result of a developmental process that generally takes about 12 to 15 months. Your baby is smart enough to know when that developmental process is complete. Some babies complete it earlier and some later. Every baby is special, and it’s that uniqueness that adds so much beauty and excitement to our world.
So many things need to happen before a baby takes that first step. Walking requires being able to stand up. Standing up requires being able to sit up. And sitting up requires being able to hold the head up. Babies develop stability before mobility. They learn to move forward in a creeping motion after learning to stabilize and bear weight on their hands and knees. Once this is mastered, they creep or crawl to a safe and interesting place and learn to pull themselves up to a standing position. When they master pulling themselves up to a standing position, that skill becomes less interesting for them. Moving sideways along the table or sofa – or “cruising” – becomes the next challenge.
Babies must be ready to deal with that inevitable fall, so balance and postural responses are developing the entire time. Postural responses are how our bodies automatically adjust to displacement or shifts off center.
Even while babies are cruising from one piece of furniture, they know at some level that they’re not quite ready to walk. At this developmental stage, it’s important to work on their confidence. Babies are proficient while there is ample support in front of them. So what would happen if you picked up baby and placed her with her back to the table or sofa? Of course, this is not a position baby would ever put herself in, because it would require her to turn around and there’s no reason for her to do that. What if you then distracted baby with a song, a game of “patty cake,” or an interesting toy? This would enable her to work on her confidence and her balance simultaneously. If she were able to bend over and pick up the toy without falling onto her knees, her confidence would double!
When baby’s back is to the sofa, table, or wall is the perfect time to give him a brand-new (or hand-me-down) push toy. Today, push toys are also ride-on toys, educational devices, shape sorters, cause-and-effect toys, language facilitators, musical toys, and even computers. I prefer keeping it simple – perhaps a car or sturdy toy shopping cart. Walking skills usually are developing at 12 months, so what more useful first birthday present could there be than a simple push toy? If it’s also a ride-on toy, so much the better, as it will be used well past the second birthday.
Baby may be tooling around with his lovely push toy, but he still knows he’s not ready to walk. Although walking with the support of a toy is a good start, it’s not really walking.
As parents, we’re conditioned to think in terms of giving to our children – giving toys, nourishment, love, and anything else they need to for thriving physically and emotionally. Sometimes, however, it’s in their best interest if we “taketh” away.
If you’re really anxious for your child to walk, take that push toy away and hide it in the closet for two weeks, but only after your child is proficient with it. What do you think your child will do? Revert to that slower, less energy-efficient mode of mobility – crawling? Not a chance! Surely she’s still interested in moving around with the same alacrity and skillfully navigating her environment. Remember, we are destined to walk!
Many people ask about walkers, and there are many different opinions about them. Pediatric physical therapists are not supposed to like traditional walkers, and the truth is, walkers don’t help baby learn to walk. They do, however, satisfy baby’s need to move about in his environment, while allowing mom two free hands to do other things. This can bring great joy to both mom and baby! Safety is a major concern, and if you choose to use a walker, be sure it is always with adult supervision. If the topography of your home is such that there is even a slight chance that baby and walker could fall down stairs, I would avoid a walker altogether. Today, walkers come in a variety of fancy, cute styles and have adorable little attachments. This selection, coupled with the fact that we are a “baby container” society, makes them hard to resist. Even if you don’t buy one yourself, you’ll probably get one as a gift. Baby bouncers are another good alternative for keeping baby occupied, if not mobile. All of that spinning and rocking is good for baby.
What will ultimately help your baby learn to walk are lots of opportunities to crawl (creep), pull up to a standing position, and cruise. In other words, limit baby’s time in those “baby containers” and give him floor time to move on his own.
Another question I’m often asked is, “What should I have on my baby’s feet?” I have found that bare feet are the best thing for “walkers in training.” Babies flex their toes to grip the surface and for balance. We have sensory receptors on the bottoms of our feet that give us input and feedback on where we are in space, often referred to as “kinesthetic awareness.” These receptors help us with balance and postural reactions; hard-bottom shoes decrease these sensations. You’ll want to get rid of those hard bottom shoes the first time you’re kicked with them anyway. Once your baby is walking, a supportive yet flexible-sole sneaker is a great choice. Save those hard-bottoms for dress-up.
Now that baby is barefoot and ready to go, she must be able to stand by herself. Remember, we develop stability first, then mobility.
Before you know it, baby will be standing in the middle of the floor for several seconds at a time. Soon after that she’ll be standing for a full minute without even realizing it. When that happens, you’ll probably smile, cheer, and applaud as she acknowledges your praise with an unsure but accepting toddler gesture. She’s well on her way, and will be running before you know it! Now is the time for you to hurry up and make sure everything is secure, safe and baby-proofed. Remember . . . be careful what you wish for!