Every baby will learn to walk at their own pace. But whether your child is an early or a later starter, they will almost certainly be toddling before they are two and it is likely that within a few months of those first independent steps any worries you might have had about their development will have been put aside.
Learning to walk is part of the development of a baby’s gross motor function: crawling, sitting, turning and generally interacting with their surroundings, babies are constantly learning important motor skills, building muscle and core strength, and developing balance, all of which will help your baby to walk.
There are a number of developmental milestones your baby will cross before taking its first steps. From tummy time (head, neck and core control) through to crawling and eventually standing and cruising, your baby’s journey to fully-fledged toddlerhood will encompass several stages.
But remember, it is not the same for every child. For example, children will spend different amounts of time in each phase, with some crawling for only a few days or weeks before learning to stand and cruise and some skipping the crawling phase altogether.
However, once your baby is cruising, you should be aware that the first steps could occur at any minute!
The Guinness Book of World Records has confirmed cases of babies walking as early as six months. However, the earliest a child is likely to walk is around nine or ten months, and even this is pretty rare. Most babies will take their first independent steps at the age of 12 months with many more learning as late as 18 months; you should only be concerned if your child is still not walking at 20 months although in many cases even these children may simply be late starters.(1)
There are many reasons why children may learn to walk at different ages. These include the following:
You and your baby already have everything you need, so investing in a baby walker is not a necessity and some reports even suggest they can be harmful to development.(2) However, there are a number of things you can do to encourage your child’s first steps:
You can read more about baby cruising here.
Young children are still nearsighted so don’t have your expert depth perception. This can make it harder for them to orient themselves and spot hazards. They also have only very basic balance and motor skills, so it is inevitable that trips and stumbles will happen as they learn to walk. Don’t worry, though, as long as you create a safe environment for baby to walk and cruise, these minor mishaps will just be part of honing walking skills.
Children are built of pretty stern stuff and have enviable “bouncebackability”. They are chubby enough to be cushioned (and that’s without the extra padding of a nappy!) so are made to weather the inevitable accidents that go with learning to walk.
It is also important to note that young children are typically quite flat-footed until they are two or three and that they may be bow-legged or pigeon-toed until they are a little older. You may also notice that your child spends a lot of time walking on tiptoes. Again, this is usually normal, helps develop balance, and will only be worthy of investigation if your child is older than six or seven years.(3)
It is crucial that your home environment is safe enough to allow your baby to learn how to walk. For example:
Remember, every baby is different — some learn earlier and others learn later. However, if your baby is around 18 months and has still shown no sign of standing or taking steps and seems uninterested, you should speak with a health professional.
Signs of a potential problem such as dyspraxia at this stage include:
Babies learn to walk at different ages, but many start around 12 months. If your baby has not shown any interest in standing or walking by the age of 18 months you should speak to your doctor.
You can encourage walking by letting your baby interact fully with the world around them, and by limiting time in playpens, pushchairs and baby seats.
Once your baby starts to cruise and then walk, you will need to be fully safety conscious. Protect your baby from accidents by using corner protectors, covering plug sockets, installing baby gates wherever necessary, and securing hazardous objects that could cause harm, including heavy objects that could be pulled onto baby and chemicals and substances that could be ingested.
1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328075702.htm#:~:text=The%20results%20show%20that%20children,months%20(average%2012%20months).
2. https://www.shb.scot.nhs.uk/departments/physiotherapy/Myths_About_BabyWalkers.pdf
3. https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/podiatry/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Toe-walking-in-children.pdf
4. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/symptoms/