Someday you'll be frantically chasing a runaway munchkin down the aisle at a grocery store, longing for the days when a stroller was enough to keep them contained.
For now, though, you are eagerly awaiting that first step from babyhood into toddlerhood. You're just waiting for that first real step, period!
So, what are the signs that the first toddling step forward is coming?
- Your baby will be sitting up all alone, without needing a trusty teddy bear to prop up on.
- The little tyke can stand alone, holding onto a coffee table or your pants leg.
- From sitting on the floor, your child can pull up to a standing position using said table or pants leg.
Once all three of these steps are accomplished, walking is only a matter of time!
How can you help?
You don't have to wait until the first step is imminent to begin teaching your baby some tricks that will help exercise the walking muscles.
No lazy babies!
It's not great for your little one to spend all day long lounging around on her back.
Even before she can roll over alone, you should help her onto her tummy at least a few times a day. Just a half hour each day can help her strengthen those muscles in her back and neck, building a strong core that will be ready for walking when the time comes.
Have a barrel-baby!
Nothing is cuter than a little baby barrel-rolling across the floor to get where she wants to go. This is how not-quite-crawling babies manage to explore their world, and they can go a lot farther and faster than you'd think!
This step builds even more muscles that will come in handy later, and teaches your little one to control their arms and legs. You can help by playing keep-away with a toy. Hold it just out of reach over your baby while she's lying down... when she reaches for it, move it steadily to the side, encouraging her to roll to reach it.
Have them take a seat!
Sitting up alone is just the next step toward freedom for a baby.
At first, there will need to be a pillow or a patient parent arm in place to lean on, but your baby won't need help with this one for long. You can teach your little one to get into a sitting position by pulling both hands up and helping her perform a sit-up.
Once she gets better at sitting, you can move toys around in front of her to grab at and practice leaning forward and to the sides. This is a great exercise for core-muscle building.
Play keep-away!
Another step in the game of making the baby reach out for toys is to make her reach further... as in completely out of leaning range. A favorite teddy bear sitting just out of reach will entice a tot to lunge forward, which is just almost a crawl!
Training for the marathon!
When you begin to see your little one pulling up and standing using furniture, it's time to start building some muscle in those little legs.
Holding her hands and helping her bounce, either on your legs or the floor, is a great exercise. Helping her sway and lean also helps. Be sure to show her how to sit get back down without falling...she can bend her knees to get lower and lower till the floor isn't so very far away!
Go for a cruise!
The very last step before actual walking is cruising, which is basically walking with help. Whether it's your hand or the edge of a table, most babies take first steps while holding onto something.
Encourage this practice and it will only be a matter of time till those steps are completely unaccompanied! Toys that can be pushed along are great for this stage.
Enjoy the hand-holding as you walk around like a duck, helping your child cruise around... all too soon your baby will be a walking toddler who wants to run along by herself!
Cheer for that first step!
Whether you're sitting in the floor just a bit too far from the coffee table for your little one to use it to get to you, or you sit a few feet from another helpful adult, the first steps will likely be into your encouraging arms.
Play the "Come to Me" game to get your baby away from the furniture and walls and out into the floor to come see you!
Don't Forget: As your little one becomes more mobile, you'll need to update and add child-proofing measures to keep ahead of the game!
This article is from Amy Brown, an editor of Livesnet, a site specialized in parenting tips and baby product reviews. Read her recent hot article onexpired car seats since child car seats are necessities of families and some families have difficulty in dealing with expired child car seats.
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