The Ever Anticipated Feat Of Walking
We make such a big deal out of when a baby takes his first
steps. In fact, the age at which your child took his first steps
will be ingrained in your Mommy memory forever, just like your
child's birth weight and time. Personally, I think walking is a
bit overrated, since you can't manage to keep them out of
trouble ever again once they start, but here are some things you
might want to know, anyway.
For some reason, everyone seems to think that a baby should be
walking by his first birthday, but the fact is that most babies
don't walk until after this time. There are a few who walk as
early as nine months of age, but a great many who don't take
their first steps until fifteen months. And, if your child is a
late walker, it has absolutely no bearing on his intelligence.
The age at which a baby walks is often genetic. Walking very
early or very late often runs in the family. My husband walked
at nine months, and I walked at ten months, so we were unlucky
enough to have a daughter who also walked at ten months. She was
very petite, so she looked like the world's tiniest walking
human. She also scaled the kitchen counters before she was a
year old, so you can see what I mean by "unlucky".
When your baby walks is also often related to his size. Babies
with short legs usually walk sooner than those with long legs (a
balance issue) and thinner babies usually walk sooner than their
more plump counterparts.
Pushing your baby to walk is not a good idea, but providing him
the opportunity to learn is critical. If you force your child to
endure daily practice sessions, he may just rebel and refuse to
walk for quite a while. On the other hand, if you keep him in
swing or playpen all day, he'll never have the opportunity to
try out his skills. Give him some supervised time on the floor,
and he'll figure the rest out with or without your help.
If, by chance, your child is not walking by the age of eighteen
months, it is best to have him checked out by a doctor. There is
not necessarily anything wrong, but most babies are walking by
this age, so have him examined as a precaution. But, don't be
too eager, because once he starts walking, all the rules change.
Someone, though I don't remember who, once said, - "We spend the
first two years of our children's lives teaching them to walk
and talk, and then the next sixteen telling them to sit down and
shut up." It's so true.