Somewhere around 9-12 months your baby will be ready to take his first steps : They can start building the skills as early as 8 months if they are provided with the right kind of simulated environment. Walking is a huge milestone for the baby, this one skill alone expands the baby's world and pushes him towards independence and phase of exploration. But to walk, a baby needs to learn how to stand upright and balance his weight and put their arms out to protect himself when they are about to fall.

Let’s look at what all we as parents can do to encourage walking in babies.

1. Pulling up to stand - This is one of the first signs of readiness towards walking. This strengthens the core muscles and teaches coordination. You can encourage the babies using words saying, “Up” as they pull themselves up and “Down” as they try to sit by squatting. You can put toys at a height that challenges the baby to look for it and try to reach for it. This would encourage them to practise how to squat and stand.
2. Cruising around - This means your toddler would hold on to furniture and would walk along with it or would push it as he takes his baby steps. This shows that your tiny sport is learning how to shift weight and balance while taking steps. It also prepares for the ability to propel forward, which is required for walking. We discourage use of walkers with wheels and suspended seats.
3. Try to keep the distance between pieces smaller, increase them as the bay grows more confident. Make sure your house is baby proof with no sharp corners to avoid any accidents.
4. Once your baby can cruise in a straight line, create play setups that involve new challenges. Arrange furniture so that your baby needs to round a corner or move between two parallel surfaces, like a couch and low table set far enough apart that your baby needs to reach from one to the other.
5. Keep them barefoot - Paediatric therapists generally recommend that you keep the baby barefoot as often as possible. Babies rely on ‘feel’ to guide them, and by feeling the ground they can adjust their standing balance as needed. Different surfaces require different use of joints, muscle and posture, and when your baby can’t feel through their shoes, it hinders this learning process.

Most importantly cheer them on, praise their new achievement ❤️