Are you looking for signs your baby will walk soon or ready to start walking? Continue reading as we reveal to you those signs your baby will stand soon and walk, and also how to trick your baby into walking.
Signs Baby Will Walk Soon – Signs Your Baby Is Ready to Walk
The anticipation for your baby to walk is overwhelming you, we know lol. It’s an exciting thing when your baby starts walking. Here in this article, you will discover signs that let you know when your baby is ready to start walking. Before then, let us answer first some question relating to baby walking, such as when do baby start walking and few others.
When Do Babies Start Working?
On the average, babies take their first few steps within a year. However, your baby may be clumsy and it will take a few more months before he/she can start walking without any assistance.
Babies differ in when they start walking. Some may start walking early, while some may take up to 18 months to learn how to walk. There is no cause for alarm, every child is different, and once your baby starts walking, it will be hard to stop him/her.
Also Read: How to Stop Unwanted Behavior in Children
How To Trick Your Baby Into Walking
There are ways you can trick or encourage your child to walk; And below are some of them:
1. One of the first signs that your baby is ready to walk is making attempts to crawl. You can trick or encourage your child into walking by giving them more floor time. This will ensure that they start exercising their muscles, and this, in turn, will make them ready to walk.
2. Motivate them using their favorite toys. Put your baby at one end of the room and their favorite toy at the other end of the room. It may look like you are frustrating your baby, but the truth is that your child will be quite thrilled knowing that he can crawl and get his toy independently.
3. You can help your baby improve his balance by improving the difficulty level gradually as he gets better. First, you hold him with both hands while he walks, then you use only one hand once he has a good grip. After this, you allow him grab your clothes as he walks and then finally, you can stand close by just in case he falls while walking. These tips will trick your baby into walking.
4. Don’t wear your baby tight clothing or use too much clothing on him because it can constrict the limbs and make it difficult for him to walk or regain balance. Wear comfortable clothing for your child.
5. When supporting your baby, hold them first by the upper trunk, and then you gradually move to the hips. You can also hold them by the fingers to give them proper direction.
Signs Your Baby Will Walk Soon
Below are some of the common signs that your baby will soon start walking:
1. They overcome obstacles
It is difficult for babies to walk on their 2 legs because their muscles are not yet developed for this. But if you notice that your child frantically tries to overcome obstacles by going over them, congratulations, your baby is one step closer to walking.
In the process of overcoming obstacles, your baby is making use of his leg muscles and also strengthening them in the process. This will also help your baby to start walking soon.
2. Your baby takes a stand
Do you see your baby trying to lift himself/herself off the ground? If yes, then know that the day where your baby will start walking is near.
Babies use their arms to hold on to raised platforms to support their efforts or to pull themselves up. This raised platform could be anything, it could be the furniture or your leg.
Despite this, they still won’t be able to stand independently but it is a great sign that your little one is ready for walk soon.
3. Cruising
Cruising is a sign that your baby is determined to start walking and isn’t going to wait for you to help him/her out.
Your baby will look for anything sturdy like pieces of furniture or the wall to balance himself and stay off the floor. They may even try handholding by reaching out to your hands for support.
But know that, this cannot be done on the first try, they are likely to fall. So this is why they need your hands as help so that they can balance themselves while walking.
Once your baby is confident that he/she can get up without any support, he/she is going to attempt to walk immediately. You can help your baby by assisting him/her while they work.
4. Standing
It is only a matter of time before your baby starts walking if he/she can stand without any external support or help. But at this stage, they are yet to master balance, so they stay upright independently for a while.
Very soon, you will find your baby taking little steps and even performing daredevil acts like climbing the stairs, jumping, and engaging in other activities just to improve his/her balance.
5. Fussiness
Babies don’t only get fussy when teething, they also do this when they want to start walking. In fact, anytime babies reach a new milestone, they get fussier.
When you see your baby getting fussy, it can be a signal that he/she will soon walk.
6. Sleepiness
You may notice that your baby sleeps a lot more than usual. If this extra sleepiness happens around 10 or 11 months of age, it is a sign of growth that your baby will soon walk.
A lot of parents attest to this. This extra sleepiness is often caused by their exploration, like climbing the furniture, cruising, etc.
All these activities are exhausting to them, and they also go through a growth spurt at this age, and this also can add to their tiredness.
7. Sitting unaided
Once your baby can sit on his/her own without any help, and they have perfect head control in addition to coordination and balance, they are ready to start walking.
All these are needed for the next stage which is walking. So when you see these signs, know that your little one will soon start walking.
8. Your baby balances on one foot
If you see your baby trying to balance on one foot while the other foot is in the air, your little one will soon walk. Learning balance is a big part of learning to walk, and babies who are on the verge of walking will shift their weight from side to side and try to balance on one of their legs.
Also Read: How to Keep your Baby Warm At Night Without Swaddling
19 Months Old Not Walking? What To Do
This is abnormal, even pediatricians agree to this. And most times, the problem is in the environment. It may be that both you and your spouse are working, and don’t have time to encourage your baby to start walking.
There is another extreme to this, it could be that you and your spouse are overindulgent. You treat your baby on par with royalty and carry him/her everywhere. This will make the baby give minimal exertion in trying to walk.
The role you play in your baby’s development is very important. With the right approach, you can even remove a few months from your baby’s learning process.
Make sure that your baby practices how to walk everyday with your support and under your supervision. Remember that the more floor time you give your baby, the more opportunity your baby will have to be mobile and start walking independently.
Some people advise the use of baby walkers but pediatricians do not recommend them because they are not safe. It may surprise you to know that baby walkers even delay walking in babies.
Some babies have even been injured by their walkers. We advise that you use a push toy instead, but make sure your baby only uses it under your supervision so that they won’t tip over and injure themselves.
Also, some parents think wearing shoes on their babies’ feet will make them walk faster. This is not true. In fact, shoes will make it harder for babies to take their first steps.
We only advise shoes for outdoor walking. And a lot of babies learn to walk faster when they are barefoot inside the home.
If you do all these rightly, you will be glad and rewarded with the sight of your little one exploring the world on their own independently.
However, if you’ve done all these and your baby isn’t walking or showing all the signs baby will walk soon, then you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Related: When Do Babies Crawl And Rollover
Possible Reasons For Late Walking In Babies
Remember that most babies reach milestones and develop at different ages. So, if your baby isn’t walking by 14 months, it isn’t usually a problem.
It becomes a problem when your baby is 19 to 20 months old and not walking or showing signs of walking soon. In this case, it is advisable that you seek medical attention immediately to ascertain what the cause may be.
Sometimes, late walking in babies is caused by leg or foot problems such as rickets (a medical condition characterized by soft or weak bones), developmental hip dysplasia or conditions that affect the muscles like muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.
Muscular issues and dystrophy are one of the most common causes of delayed walking in babies. They are usually hereditary and progressive in nature.
Down’s syndrome can delay walking in babies. Seeing a doctor will help you pick up the cues early and start treatment immediately.
Another cause of delayed walking in babies is vitamin D and calcium deficiencies. These nutrients play an important role in the development of strong bones and shortage of these in the body can lead to delayed walking.
Hypothyroidism in babies can delay walking. Underactive thyroid or poor thyroid functions can cause weak muscles and poor muscle tone, thereby leading to delayed walking in babies.
Other reasons for late walking in babies are:
1. They may have delayed motor skills and this may be due to their personality.
2. Some babies would rather wait and feel confident before they start walking.
3. Hypotonia can make babies walk late. This is a condition in which the affected individual has poor control over their bodies. Hypotonia can happen in babies and it is caused by an infection, brain damage, or muscular disorder.
4. Also in the area of motor skills, some babies have a learning disability and this can lead to delay in walking. You will need a top physical therapist to build strength and teach walking skills to your baby.
5. Either you or your spouse may have a history of delayed walking during your early childhood. So it is possible that your child may have the same condition. This is not a disease; it is a maturational delay caused by genetic or familial influence.
6. Was your baby born prematurely? Children who are born pre-maturely will have some degree of developmental delay. And the extent of this delay depends on the level of prematurity.
So you have to check with your doctor to rule out these conditions or to see if your baby has weak or uneven legs or if the baby even limps.
Also Read: What You Should Do When Baby Swallow Bath Water
Signs Of Delayed Walking In Babies
If your baby isn’t walking by 12 months and isn’t showing the signs of walking above, you need to look out for these signs and report to a medical doctor as soon as possible.
- The baby cannot sit down without support by the age of 9 months
- The baby cannot stand without support by the age of 12 months
- The baby is not walking steadily by the age of 16 to 23 months
- The baby is consistently walking on their toes (toe walking/walking on tiptoes)
- The baby is consistently late in every developmental stage such as lifting the head, rolling over, and sitting up.
- At 23 months, the baby is not yet walking.
You need to see a doctor ASAP to conduct medical examination to know the root cause and start treatment early or rule out these mentioned disorders.
Conclusion On Signs Baby Will Walk Soon
We hope you’ve learned a lot from this article. But always remember that no two babies are exactly alike, not even identical twins. So don’t compare the progress of your baby with that of another baby or babies.
And don’t be anxious if your baby doesn’t start walking when you expect it. Even if your baby is a slow learner, just know that he won’t stay too far behind.
