When Do Babies Start Walking? Baby Walking Timeline and Tips

How do babies learn to walk?

Your baby learns to walk as a result of these actions —

• By the time your baby is about 4 months old, he/she learns to roll on the bed or crib. He/she understands that it is possible to move from one place to another this way.

• When a baby is about 7 months old, he/she learns to crawl on the floor. A baby uses his/her arms and legs to move forward and backward easily to reach certain objects or to be near his/her favourite people.

• When a baby is about 9 months old, he/she grabs nearby things and tries to draw support from those things to stand up on his/her own. In the initial stages, you will notice your baby tightly holding onto the objects nearby. This is to get the required balance to stand steadily.

When your baby is able to stand on his/her own, he/she is ready to walk. Your baby needs your support to develop his/her walking routine. Encourage your baby to walk and come closer to you, and you can see him/her take a few steps forward. Give him/her your hand when your baby is just about to fall.

However, if your baby cannot stand on his/her own, don’t force him/her to do that. Some children may do this only when they are about a year old. Deal with your child patiently, and wait for his/her walking milestone.

How to help your baby to walk?

While the child walking timeline differs for each kid, you can help your baby put his/her first foot forward without any discomfort using the following tips —

• Train your baby to stand on his/her own. More importantly, you should train your child to sit properly from his/her standing position. If you don’t do this, your baby will sit down abruptly, hurting himself/herself. This may stop your baby from trying to stand up on his/her own again.

• You should try to bend your knees and sit on the floor so that your baby can mimic your actions and avoid suddenly sitting down.

• Once your baby is comfortable sitting down after standing for a while, you can push his/her favourite toy forward so that he/she starts to walk and get to that toy.

What to do when the baby doesn’t walk?

In most cases, babies may start standing up and taking a few independent steps when they are 10 to 11 months of age. This timeline can be stretched to a maximum of 15 months. If your baby doesn’t walk even beyond this period, take him/her to a paediatrician immediately.

Babies born prematurely may take longer to walk than others. Don’t encourage the use of walkers in such cases, as they stop babies from using their legs properly for movement.

What to expect when the baby starts walking?

What can you expect in the different stages of walking a baby in your home? See below for more details.