Training a One Year Old Child to Walk

For Mommies, identifying the children’s development stages is essential. By the time the children are able to do something certain ages, this will be the benchmark, whether the children have normal development as others. 

The children’s motor skill is the ability to move. This skill starts from the body coordination, sitting independently, standing, and eventually walking. The children’s movement skill is determined by the development of bone, muscle, and brain coordination in which children start to learn how to balance the body. 

Stimulating the motor development may be done in a variety of ways, including using some kinds of tools, such as toys adjusted for certain ages. 

Stages of Motor Development 

The coordination between the ability to see, hear, and touch in children occurs gradually. From birth to the age of one month, the baby's hands are still in the clenched position. After 2 months, he starts to open his fists. At the age of 3 months, the baby can hold objects.

At the age of 4 months, the baby begins to play with both hands and starts to lift his head between hand and eye coordination is formed at the age of 5 months when baby can direct his hands to an object and wants to reach it.

At the age of 6 months, the baby is able to move the toy with his palm. Besides, at this age, the baby is usually able to prone. At the age of 9 months, the baby loves to throw objects which he holds. At this age, he has also begun to sit independently. 

After that, the baby will learn to crawl and at the age of 10 months the baby will crawl. The peak of the motor development of the baby is when he starts walking. 

Generally, the baby can walk from the age of 10-18 months. To help the baby, Mommy needs to train the baby to walk starting from the moment he is able to stand up. 

Tips on Walking Practice

Actually, there are many ways to train the walking ability when the baby is one year old, as this is the expected moment for the baby to learn to walk. 

When the baby has begun to lift his body from a sitting position to standing by holding on to something, he may be confused about the way he can sit back. Well, Mommy can help him by showing how to bend his knees.

In addition, Mommy can also stand together with the baby face to face. Let the baby hold Mommy’s hands and let him walk toward Mommy. Or, Mommy can stand behind the baby by holding hands while letting walk as he likes. This is usually called the baby stepping practice. 

To make the baby more eager to learn to walk, Mommy can give a toy or something that is safe to push while walking. Preferably, Mommy also familiarizes the baby to walk inside the room without wearing shoes.

The development of one child to another is somewhat different so Mommy needs to be patient and don’t force the child to practice walking continuously when the child hasn’t managed to walk.