Walking is the major achievement of kids this age and over the
course of the year they'll get much better at it.
As kids' mobility improves, so does their ability to
investigate where they couldn't before. Once again, take a look
around your home from a kid's vantage point and update
childproofing measures to keep pace with your child's advancing
skills.
How Is My Baby Moving?
Though some babies take their first steps before their first
birthdays, most children learn to walk well in the months after
they turn 1.
Kids who are learning to walk are called "toddlers"
because that's exactly what they do - they toddle, keeping
their legs wide apart and seeming to hesitate between each step,
jerking from side to side as they move one foot forward, then the
next.
About 6 months after taking the first steps, toddlers develop a
more mature gait, holding their hands at their sides (rather than
out in front for balance) and moving with their feet closer
together. They also tend to move their feet in a way that looks
more like walking - moving from the heel to the toe.
During these months of practice, most toddlers take a few
spills, but this is part of learning to walk. You can't protect
your youngster from every fall, but you can reduce the risk of
injury by keeping exploration in areas with soft carpeted surfaces
and away from sharp corners of furniture.
To get back up from a fall, toddlers often place their hands out
in front, lift up their bottom, and then pull their feet under. It
may not look very graceful, but it works.
After walking for a couple of months, your child will begin to
feel more confident about walking and take on new challenges - such
as picking up and carrying objects, moving while pulling a toy
behind, and climbing stairs.
By the middle of the second year, your child may learn to run,
start to kick a ball, and even attempt to throw a ball overhead. By
2 years, your child may jump in place.
As kids develop the ability to move, they're also learning.
You'll notice that your child seems extremely interested in
finding out how things work, so offer safe opportunities to do
this.
Helping Your Child's Development
Give your child lots of things to do and see in this new upright
position. Take walks around your yard or through the neighborhood
together or hold hands and climb up and down the stairs together.
You can even make an obstacle course of pillows or boxes and
encourage your child to walk, climb, and crawl through it. Buy a
few balls for kicking and throwing.
The National Association for Sports and Physical Education
recommends that toddlers should:
- accumulate at least 30 minutes daily of structured physical
activity like playing on the playground, going for a walk, or
being in a parent-and-child tumbling class
- also have at least 1 hour of unstructured free play each day
when they can explore and play with toys
- not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time, except
while they're sleeping
- have indoor and outdoor areas that meet or exceed recommended
safety standards for all of their activities
As their physical skills develop, toddlers also learn to use
their hands more. Toys and objects that can encourage this
include:
- paper and crayons
- sculpting dough
- simple stacking toys that kids can build up and knock
down
- simple puzzles
When to Call the Doctor
Normal child development follows a certain pattern, and the
skills that babies develop early are building blocks for later
skills. But the time it takes for kids to develop them can vary
widely.
Your doctor will talk to you during routine check-ups about your
child's progress. But if you have concerns before then, call
your doctor, especially if your child does not:
- walk by 18 months
- walk in a pattern after several months of practice
- walk any way but on the toes
- climb stairs while holding on
Reviewed by:
Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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