Before you know it and while you are skill asking yourself the question that how to make your baby walk or how to teach your baby to walk, your baby will be learning by itself how to walk and toddling all over the place. This milestone in development requires your encouragement, attention and safety precautions.
Most babies take their first steps and make an attempt of learning to walk during the end of their first year (between nine and 12 months). Don't worry if this development comes a little later for your baby. Many children don't walk until they're 16 or 17 months old. If you feel as if your baby is lagging behind significantly, however, you should bring it up with your doctor. Teaching your baby how to walk is not as simple as it seems.
How Walking in Babies Develop
Most babies begin by crawling, although some skip this stage altogether and jump right into standing up and eventually walking. If your baby is an experienced crawler, he may be trying to attempt more challenging maneuvers such as crawling up stairs. While stair-climbing may help him in learning how to walk and learning how to judge height and depth and develop his sense of balance, for safety reasons it is important to install stair gates so he can't attempt climbing them without you on hand to help.
Before Walking Your Baby Will “Cruise”
Very mobile babies next attempt to stand up and take a few steps while holding onto a piece of furniture, a technique known as "cruising." If your baby is becoming confident, he'll soon discover how to move across a room using pieces of furniture as balancing aids. Learning how to cruise like this is the last physical skill your baby needs to master before he begins walking without assistance. Encourage him to cruise and eventually walk by holding out your hands. Show him how to bend at the knees to sit down. If he reaches a favorite toy by maneuvering himself across the room, remember to give him lots of praise.
Childproof Your Home
As your baby gains mobility in learning to walk, be sure your home is childproofed. A cruising or walking baby can get into a lot of mischief. Also, as your baby uses her hands, legs and feet to move around, she's much more likely to get dirty, her skin may get dry from the extra friction that can occur with walking, and she can become more prone to nicks and cuts.
For a quick and easy way to keep your baby clean, use JOHNSON’S® TOP-TO-TOE® baby wash to gently cleanse your baby.
To keep your baby's skin moisturized after the bath, try a gentle moisturizer such as JOHNSON'S® baby lotion.
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