Teaching children to walk: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Tuan - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital
For many parents, early walking is a sign of good development. In fact, being able to walk early is just a sign of muscle strength. This is just a sign that some children's motor skills develop relatively early, not mature intellectual development.

1. When should children learn to walk?

Most children take their first steps at the age of 1 year, some children a little earlier or a little later. In order to take their first steps, a baby must go through several stages:
Starting with rolling (3 months) Learning to sit (6 months) Learning to crawl Learning to walk These milestones are approximate and no two babies are alike. which baby. Some babies skip the crawling stage and go straight from sitting to getting up and walking.

2. How to teach children to walk?

In the first stage when your baby is learning to walk, the baby will stand in a position with feet wide apart, with toes pointed out, arms outstretched and elbows slightly flexed. At this time, the child does not walk in a straight line, but often walks in the direction from one side to the other.
Although at first your toddler will keep tripping and tripping, by the time he's been walking for a few months he'll be confident enough to perform a series of complex maneuvers such as side-stepping or back-stepping, bent down to pick up objects, and threw the ball as he walked.

3. Should children use a car to learn to walk?

There are many toys for toddlers. However, this is not recommended and not strictly necessary. In the list of practical baby guides, health experts do not recommend parents to use walkers for the following reasons:
Toddlers do not help babies learn to walk sooner. The reason is that being able to move without effort will make the child really lazy to walk when the time comes. In addition, children are used to moving without lifting the whole body weight, long time making muscles - bones not grow as normal. Babies learn to walk by watching how their legs move, but when they sit in a walker, they can't see how their lower body moves, and their nervous system is deprived of sensory information. needed for the baby to learn to walk effectively. The baby's posture in the walker is not a natural standing position of humans, the way the baby moves in the car is also completely unnatural. You need to observe the way the baby stands in the toddler stroller, the baby is usually half standing and half sitting, the legs are bent and only moves by pushing the tip of the toes, not like the normal walking movement that puts the whole heel down. If you stay in a car for a child to learn to walk for too long, the baby will have deformed bones, causing O- and X-shaped bow legs deformities and affect later gait. According to the natural development process, the baby must know how to roll/flip (and it takes a lot of time to freely roll/flip) to exercise the neck and shoulder muscles, then the baby can crawl (and it takes a lot of time). free time to crawl/crawl) to exercise arm and leg muscles, especially hand-eye coordination. If using a baby walker, the baby will not have the opportunity to crawl around the house much to exercise his muscles, even many families let their baby sit in a walker very early (5 months), so they have skipped the stage. cow. This is a huge loss for the child. Strollers for toddlers also limit the baby's exploration and development. At the stage of 6 months onwards, babies can crawl and often crawl around the house, touch any object, find ways to reach for things, know how to play with toys, know how to find things that their mother hides. go, ... through which, the baby develops cognitive and emotional. If you let your baby sit in a car for a baby to learn to walk a lot, he will not have time to play on the floor and explore on his own, but for him, the "big world" is only limited to the walker and a few minutes. car toy only. That is a real loss. Strollers are very dangerous and can cause injury to children.

4. What should parents do when teaching children to walk?

Teach your baby to walk on the floor and without wearing such shoes, he will be in direct contact with the ground. Only when the baby is a little more stable, should the mother let her walk with shoes. From 0-3 years old, baby feet are made up of 70% cartilage. This age is also a decisive period for the development of the baby's foot bones. If you teach your baby to walk incorrectly, or wear uncomfortable shoes, it will lead to the wrong development of the foot bones and easily lead to syndromes such as flat feet, bow legs, hammer toes, ingrown nail. Help and support the baby to go step by step, but do not push or pull the baby along, easily causing dislocation of the baby's wrist or shoulder bone. You can kneel in front of your baby and support him with both hands when he moves around the house, when he has mastered walking, you can use your hand to guide him. When you change your baby's clothes, let him stand. Children who stand a lot will have strong muscles, leg bones are a very good premise for them to learn to walk. The floor should be lined with foam pads and cushions to make the baby's footsteps more stable, non-slip, and at the same time protect the baby when falling. When your baby is able to stand and hold onto objects, you can train her to hold onto the chair, the edge of the bed and step by step, moving from one chair to another. Limit holding the baby, should only hold when necessary. In addition, you let your baby be free to sit, lie down and play. Babies who are used to being held will not like to practice walking anymore. Watch out for tall objects: Never leave your baby alone on a bed, table, or other tall furniture in the house. A seat belt should be used when your baby is in a stroller or baby car seat. Avoid letting your baby play alone on the balcony. Using stairs and door stoppers is also a way to keep your baby safe. For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, adversely affecting the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiency causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption,... If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
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