“My child LOVES pulling up to stand and is walking along our couch, but they just won’t try to walk independently!”
*Guest blog
In my role as a Pediatric Physical Therapist, I have had this conversation countless numbers of times over the past 12 years. Walking is a complex motor skill with the typical emergence starting at 12 months. Walking is a big deal for our little ones as it requires the greatest level of strength and stability to stay balanced against gravity!
There has been some great content on Sprout + Thrive about play positions to prepare your child for walking for those early movers who need more work with getting upright.* For the purpose of this article, I want to take it to the next step (literally!). If your child is close to their first birthday and you are wondering how ready they are to start walking by themselves, consider a few of these questions:
Can your child easily pull-up to a standing position by stepping forward with one leg?
Can your child pull-up to stand at a flat surface (i.e. the wall or your kitchen cabinets) or do they still need some extra arm support provided by a couch or table?
Can your child cruise (walk or sidestep) along furniture?
Is your child able to let go with (at least) 1 hand to play in a standing position?
Is your child able to walk with a push toy?
If you answered ‘yes’ to the majority of these questions; your little one is likely READY!
Walking involves many body systems including our vision, our vestibular system (the balance system in the ears and brain), and our musculoskeletal system. These three systems work together to help our bodies learn how to stay balanced and react to changes in our center of gravity as we start to move through space. There is a lot quietly going on under the surface of our complex bodies as we attempt to move, considering our little one’s only motivation for movement is to ‘go get that toy’ or ‘snuggle Mama.’
I’d like to share some of my favorite PT activities with you to get your mover to the next level. Without diving too deep into the science behind each activity, please know that as a Pediatric Physical Therapist I carefully craft activities and ideas to support progression and growth in each of the abovementioned body systems with the goal of more safe, independent and efficient walking.
Have your child work along a flat surface (i.e. the sliding glass door or the refrigerator). Practice putting on and taking off reusable stickers or magnets. Bonus: Try to find items that have some extra ‘stick’ on them as the attempt to pull them off will create some additional balance challenges!
Work on climbing skills, but have your child put weight through their feet & not their knees! Sometimes, kiddos need a little more work with getting input into those feet muscles as they are the first line of defense in our balance systems when standing. One way to encourage this would be to have your child climb up the stairs and help them place a foot on the next step instead of a knee!
Instead of cruising along surfaces set up activities to practice having your little mover go between surfaces. For example, place an ottoman your child’s arm length away from the couch. This way they can easily reach both surfaces, but they have to get a bit more fancy with their balance by turning, letting go with 1 hand, and taking a small step towards the other surface. As your child becomes more comfortable and proficient with this set up, slowly increase the distance they need to travel.
Practice activities that require them to be on 1 leg for a brief period of time as this is a great way to challenge & grow their balance systems. Age appropriate ideas include: getting on/off a riding toy, stepping in and out of a small box (with their hands on the box for support), stepping up onto an elevated surface.
My motto is always to play & have fun!! Kids learn motor movements best when they are actively participating and engaged.
* This blog post was written and submitted by guest Author, Jennifer Bastian, for Sprout and Thrive.
Ms. Jen
Jennifer Bastian, PT, DPT, C/NDT
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We’re Jaclyn & Bree
Pediatric therapists and moms with a mission to empower you with knowledge to encourage your baby’s development and continue confidently into your parenthood journey.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below and we will get back to you. As always, the information we share is meant to provide general education and tips and is not intended as medical advice. If you have a specific question or concern about your child’s development, please speak directly to your child’s doctor or therapist.
