Baby Cruising

Cruising is the word used to describe the period of transition when your baby is moving between standing and walking. In fact, your child may already be doing it right before your very eyes without you realising that it is an important developmental milestone.

So, if you see your baby standing up using the sofa and then shuffling sideways by holding onto various pieces of furniture for support, that’s what they’re doing: they’re cruising!

Cruising represents one of the final stages on your baby’s journey to walking independently so don’t be concerned if there are slips, trips and falls along the way. As long as you have made a safe space for baby cruising, everything should be fine – it’s all part of the learning process.

At what age does cruising happen?

There is no set timetable for your baby’s development and cruising is no different. (See our article on gross motor function developmental milestones – written by Dr Rachel Varughese.) Some children will begin their first wobbling steps towards cruising as early as eight months and some will not begin until they are around one year old.

But don’t worry, there is no pressure and no hurry. Not only will your child need to develop the required upper body, core and leg strength before they can cruise, they will also need to become more familiar with the process of bending their knees.

How to create a safe space for baby cruising

Begin by creating a safe, secure and supported environment for cruising. Be sure that there are plenty of safe objects for support around your room – for example, chairs, coffee tables and sofas. You should try to remove any objects that might topple over when pulled upon or anything that has wheels, as these could cause potential injury; both physically and emotionally by knocking any new-found confidence.

It is vitally important that any table corners or hard edges are padded to prevent the possibility of a nasty head or eye injury. You will need to prevent your little one from grabbing onto glass-topped coffee tables and from getting too close to glass-fronted cupboards.

And it should go without saying that now your child is getting more mobile you will need to keep any potential choking hazards out of reach, as well as any toxic or poisonous items such as laundry detergent, bleach or antibacterial spray. And, as your child stands taller, their scope for pulling at wires and ornaments increases, so you may need to move everything up or clear things away for a while.

If your home has stairs, make sure that you have stairgates installed at both the top and the bottom. It can be tempting to think that you only need a gate at the top, but all it takes is for your baby to climb three or four stairs and there is an increased risk of a tumble back down to the bottom.

How to encourage baby cruising

The best way to ensure that your child develops confidence in their ability to stand and cruise is to provide a stimulating environment but without pressure. Babies are no different to adults in that if you press them to do anything in particular, it can impair their performance.

You can create interest and encourage cruising by placing favourite toys and objects around the room on top of low tables, chairs and other support objects – children are naturally curious and determined, and doing this can really help to entice them to pull themselves up.

Remember, small gains are everything at this time of life so be sure to offer plenty of encouraging noises and praise even if your child only manages to balance on their feet for a few seconds. Very soon, your child will get the hang of standing unassisted by holding onto furniture and walls and this will develop into walking, perhaps with your assistance when holding their hands above their head.

Again, don’t be tempted to rush things, even if your child is getting the hang of cruising. It can be tempting to encourage them to walk further and faster each time or to give them a walker or wheeled toy for support, but there is no need: your child will learn at their own pace.

Does your baby need shoes for cruising?

The more time your baby spends learning to stand, cruise and walk without shoes, the better it is for their development. This is because being without shoes helps to develop balance as well as strength in the legs, arches and ankles. Of course, if your baby is outside, this may be different, but, as a general rule, there is no need for shoes until your baby is able to walk several steps unaided.

Does your baby need a walker for cruising?

Baby walkers are a little misleading, this is because they are generally more likely to confuse or impair your baby’s standing, cruising and walking development than help it.

Walkers – baby seats on a wheeled frame or specifically-balanced toys with handles – can prevent babies from making the repetitive movements necessary for development. They provide artificial assistance that overemphasises the role of the toes in walking and prevent babies from learning to balance themselves. They may also hinder the natural development of muscles used in the transition from crawling to cruising and then walking.

Furthermore, there are a number of dangers inherent in using a baby walker. For example, statistics show that more than 40% of children who use a baby walker sustain injury at a UK-wide rate of around 4,000 injuries a year. This is because they enable babies to move very quickly while also raising them to a height where dangerous objects and substances may be in reach.(1)

However, some families use walkers successfully and some babies enjoy them immensely, but the bottom line is that a walker alone will not teach your baby to walk and you will need to remain vigilant whenever your baby is using a walker.

Summary

Cruising is a atural progression in the journey to independent mobility. Your baby may start pulling themselves up using furniture as early as eight months, but it can start at around 12 months. It is important to create a safe environment for cruising; you will need to move hazards out of your baby’s reach and cushion any furniture with sharp corners or hard edges.

You can encourage cruising by putting toys and interesting objects on sofas and low tables. Be prepared for a few stumbles and always give lots of praise and encouragement as your baby learns this new and exciting skill.

1. https://www.shb.scot.nhs.uk/departments/physiotherapy/Myths_About_BabyWalkers.pdf