How to teach your baby to walk
Autonomy in movement is probably the first great achievement of a child. But like all great achievements, a lot of patience and dedication are essential to obtain it. comfort of the cradle to start "exploring" the world by moving "on all fours". Then slowly you move on to the second step, standing up, before crossing the final finish line: walking alone. Not everything, of course, will go smoothly: you have to take into account many falls, a few screams and a few small moments of discouragement after the umpteenth tumble. And it is precisely during these absolutely normal moments that mum and dad are called to do their part, supporting and indulging your child in all phases of the process towards autonomous walking, while creating the necessary conditions for everything to happen in the most natural way possible.
From crawling to the first steps: the steps to learn to walk
Most babies begin to crawl between 6 and 12 months: in this phase the baby must be left free as much as possible, just making sure that there are no obstacles or dangers in the spaces where he moves. use a soft carpet for crawling, which protects and does not roll up because it has rubber underneath. There is no need to be alarmed if, instead of crawling, babies crawl on their stomachs or move while sitting with the help of hands and feet: it does not exist in fact, a precise "crawling technique", each child follows a personal psychomotor process that leads him to experiment with different modes of movement. In other words, the actual crawling is a common but not essential step to learn to walk correctly.
After gradually gaining confidence in movement, the child is ready to stand on his own. He stresses himself "alone" because he must autonomously reach the upright position without the help of his parents, as only then can he be said to be actually ready to get up. From standing to take the first steps the ... step is very short! Obviously, you shouldn't expect the child to be able to walk right away and balance alone. You need to go through the walking phase first, in which he begins to use furniture and other surfaces or objects (push toys are great for this. purpose) for walking, while pediatricians have long advised against using the old walker. At this point it is only a matter of time: by the age of 18 months (but no fear if you overdo it a little) the baby will have learned to walk perfectly.
Dos and don'ts to teach a child to walk
Children learn to walk in an absolutely natural way respecting the normal growth process.However, this does not mean that parents cannot or should not interfere in this process, on the contrary it is up to them to stimulate, support and encourage their little ones in a phase as delicate as it is exciting that will lead them to take their first steps. But what should be done (and what should not be done) to teach a child to walk?
As already explained above, during the crawl period mom and dad have to intervene as little as possible, making sure only that their little one can move in complete safety. When the child finally manages to stand up on his own, more support is needed, but always with a playful and reassuring attitude and never worried or over protective. The number one rule for helping a child to take the first steps is not to anticipate the times and not to force him to get up if he cannot make it or simply does not want to. Conversely, it should be encouraged and praised for the results achieved. In this phase you can use some "tricks" to push the child to stand up by himself, such as placing the toy he likes best in a place where he is forced to get up to reach it.
Well, having reached the goal of standing alone, now our child must be stimulated to take a few shy steps by leaning on a piece of furniture or other safe objects (therefore not chairs that could tip over), or on the fingers of a parent or holding him from under his arms. It is wrong to take him by the hand, as there is a risk of dangerous tugging in the event of loss of balance. As mentioned before, no to the walker and no even to the box, yes instead to the mat or a trolley with wheels equipped with a handle to which the little one can cling.
When it seems that the child has achieved good coordination in the movement of the legs, he should be encouraged to walk alone, without hassle and with a lot of patience. A great idea to get him to walk is to stand on the other side of the room and encourage him to be reached, applauding him and giving him lots of cuddles in case of success. Don't worry if it falls: the diaper and its soft bottom work great as an airbag!
Learning to walk: better barefoot or with shoes?
In the crawl phase, the question does not even arise: there is absolutely no need for shoes, at most non-slip socks. But how to choose the right shoes for a child who starts walking? At home, bare feet (on carpet or parquet) or non-slip socks (on marble and tiles) are always good: d "On the other hand, walking barefoot helps him to strengthen the muscle mass of the feet and ankles, and to develop the soles of his feet, balance and coordination. If the child has to walk outdoors, it is better to prefer shoes with light and flexible soles, slightly high at the back, rigid in the heel and with an insole equipped with soft reliefs designed to reproduce the stimulation necessary for the formation of the plantar arch. Also choose shoes for children lined internally with natural materials that let the foot breathe, especially in summer. The toe must then be wide, in order to allow the complete articulation of the fingers: however, avoid too large shoes that could create abrasions due to the rubbing of the foot.
Problems that can arise when the baby learns to walk
Normally the gradual process that leads the child to walk alone occurs without particular problems: the only discriminating factor concerns the timing that varies from child to child and falls between 10 and 18 months. In some cases, however, obstacles may arise that usually do not cause concern but which must still be monitored and possibly brought to the attention of the pediatrician.
It may happen, for example, that the child gets into the habit of walking on his toes or with his toes inwards. Is it serious? Generally no, indeed they are quite common characteristics in the very first years of life: many children walk on toes or with their toes 'inside rotated' because they find a greater balance, but over time (and weight gain) they spontaneously return to rest on the ground the entire sole of the foot. Only in some rare cases can walking on toes be an indication of too tight muscles in the heels and feet, and in the eventuality it is absolutely necessary to consult a specialist. Other possible problems that can alarm parents when the child starts walking are flat feet, clubfoot, varus (arched) knee and valgus (X-shaped) knee. These are all phenomena that fortunately tend to regress progressively (unless they are very accentuated, in which case they require specific care), but must be kept under control especially if they persist after the child's 3/4 years of life.
We close by remembering that an osteopathic visit can help the child to unblock himself if he has various types of stiffness that prevent the normal growth process, bringing a visible benefit and improvement.
