When you are a parent, many times you want to live all the experiences at the same time and all at once, but the truth is, as much as we want this is not so, our little ones have a rhythm, their development is on the rise and although each child carries its own rhythm, developmental milestones also take their own time.
Motherhood can be overwhelming, especially during the first year of life, between breastfeeding, growth spurts, the sensory stimuli the baby should receive and the secure attachment (the baby will most likely become attached to the mother because she is the one who feeds him), there is little time to rest.
Many parents feel the imperious desire to see their baby talk, walk, eat alone, sleep alone, learn to regulate himself quickly, give up the diaper, give up the pacifier, in short, go to school and soon come back with a degree in engineering.
Let him walk soon so that he can rest a little!
The success at this point is not how much you can do to achieve it, the success in reality is how much you allow the child to do so that he can achieve it by himself, just as everything has a maturation time, in the same way children prepare themselves to take this big step or rather their first steps.
So what can I do to help him?
There are certain things that you can do to help him, although the decision to walk will depend entirely on your little one, as parents you can help him, pay attention:
- Stimulate free movement: it is not about leaving the baby alone and let happen what has to happen, but if you can create a safe environment where the little one can stretch his arms and legs freely and where he has the feeling of freedom (comfortable clothes, safe places, pleasant environment).
- Prepare him for crawling: it is the first step for him to walk safely, crawling allows him to develop his motor and physical skills, allowing the child to have an adequate perception of space and his movements.
- Allow him to walk barefoot: The ideal for those first steps is that your little one feels safe and what better footwear than his feet feeling the cold of the floor, or the different textures or the security of feeling with his little feet the ground where he has to walk.
- Don’t show your insecurities, stay calm: If the child feels that his parents trust that he is capable, in a short time he will be able to do it. Give him that backing, encourage him and don’t give up, in no time there will be a little one running around the house.
- Don’t use walkers: This could delay the process, anything that offers him a false security will kill his self-esteem and self-confidence.
Let him fall down and get up
There is an old saying “the habit does not make the monk”, your baby will not be an expert with the first steps, but we are sure that after a short time his small and insecure legs will take the necessary strength to walk firmly.
Finally, always remember that children should crawl between 6 and 8 months, they will walk between 8 and 12 months, it can be earlier or later.
