When the child begins to walk. When does a baby start to sit up on its own? At what age do girls start walking?

Greetings, friends! In our article today, we will talk about the first steps of your baby. You take care of him every day, rejoice in his first successes, watch how he develops. You are probably very curious and want when your baby takes his first independent step. Or maybe he needs help with this, what if he can’t handle it himself? Now we will try to answer all these questions together.

At what age do children start walking and what does it depend on

Now I will upset you and say that there is no exact age. Moreover, the approximate interval between the deadlines is quite impressive, because some children start walking at 9-10 months, while others postpone this significant event up to a year and a half. It's all very individual. It may be that your child will only learn to sit normally, and the neighbor will already be trying to walk.

The period when the baby began to walk will not affect the future formation and physical shape of your child. If we return to the neighbor's baby who is already walking, then it is not a fact that in 20 years he will be as active. Yours may become the champion of the country in some sport, and the neighbors may become obese due to improper diet or lifestyle.

There are several reasons for when a child goes. Individually, they seem to be insignificant, but if taken together, then, in principle, all these factors can affect significantly.

Gender of the child. Everyone probably knows that boys are lazier than girls (at least in childhood, for sure). It follows that girls should be expected to go earlier.
Weight and physique of the child. Chubby babies are less mobile, it will be harder for them to keep themselves on their feet. From this it follows that full children will go later.
Influence of parents on the process. Some mothers and fathers want to quickly teach their child to take the first steps and begin to read a bunch of auxiliary literature on how to do this, plus everything else and buy a bunch of all sorts of devices. Other parents, on the contrary, do not take care of the child at all, do not do any exercises, gymnastics, etc.

In the first case, too much and the baby can really go ahead of the due date, and this is fraught with consequences, which you will read about below. I specifically even singled out a separate paragraph for this article.

In the second case, it will be difficult for the child, because no one has prepared his muscles for walking. Therefore, it is important to know the golden mean and help the child learn to walk, and not force him to do it by all means.

Baby's temperature. Yes, in such young children the temperament has already been determined and character is being formed. Some of them are calmer, while others are more mobile, they are interested in everything, they study everything, try to crawl somewhere, fall, then get up and they will go, of course, faster.
Heredity. You might not particularly do any exercises with your child, and he may go early. All this is due to the fact that you or the baby’s dad also took their first step early.

If the child went too soon or too late

I have already written about the fact that one should not strive to ensure that the child goes too early. He still has an unformed skeleton, weak bones and muscles. The weight of a child at 8-9 months old can already be impressive, and the bones are not yet ready to hold such a mass without consequences.

What could be the consequences? Curvature of the bones of the legs, in particular the feet. You need it, I don't think so.

If the baby begins to walk, on the contrary, late, then there is nothing wrong with that, the main thing is that he has already gone. Here, the opposite is true, the bones and muscles have already grown stronger and nothing threatens the baby. If the child is already more than a year and a half old, and he is not even trying to walk, then no one bothers you to seek advice from a pediatrician, let him examine the baby for pathologies.

Although there are usually no pathologies, and babies start walking later due to the fact that:

They suffered some kind of illness and walking training was postponed indefinitely. This happened to me in childhood, I became very seriously ill at 8 months and spent a long time with my mother in the hospital, as a result, I went late.
Birth injury. Here, I think, and no need to explain anything.
Complete lack of action on the part of the parents. You didn’t do any gymnastics in the morning for the baby and didn’t perform any massages, he didn’t swim in your bathroom. As a result, the child's muscles are unprepared and he went late.

How to help your baby learn to walk

Bicycle exercise. It is necessary to perform every morning: the baby lies on its back, and you alternately bend and unbend its legs, then the left, then the right.

Try to start bathing your child in the bathroom, he will work his legs very well there, which will help strengthen the muscles.

Do a firming massage not only of the entire body of the child, but specifically also the muscles on the legs, massage his feet and lightly tap on them.
You can buy a wheelchair for your baby. This is such a kind of toy that you can roll while also leaning and holding on to it. Then, slowly, you can sometimes pick up this toy and move other supports away so that the baby tries to walk on his own, without holding on to anything.

Safety

If you think that the child will just take it and go with a slow but sure step, then you are mistaken. His movements will be awkward, clumsy, he will, as it were, print a step. Because of this, the child will fall quite often, therefore:

The "first" shoes of the child, what it should be

It will be quite expensive compared to other models. After all, the shoes of the baby should be made of natural material. It is better to take soft suede, because it breathes and bends quite well.

Also take shoes with a hard heel and thin soles. The sole should not be hard, it should also bend well. A small heel won't hurt either.

In general, I have listed here, in principle, all the criteria for expensive and comfortable shoes for an adult, but a child needs about the same. At this age, you should not save on shoes. This is later, when the child grows up and starts running with the ball with other guys, you can, of course, buy him cheap sneakers for a change, so that it would not be a pity.

And that’s all for today, dear friends, I hope that I answered the question posed sufficiently informatively today, and now you will competently expect when your little one will go.

From birth, the baby lies only on the back and its main activities are eating and sleeping.

Then the baby goes through the following stages of development:

The child learns to lie on his tummy.
Grab toys.
roll over.

Every time, parents look forward to their little one's next new skill.

An important indicator of development is the ability to sit. When does the baby start sitting? This process is different for everyone. It is important not to rush the baby and not specifically sit down, but only support and guide him in a new endeavor.

When does the baby start to sit up?

For most children, the desire to get up and see something new begins at the age of six months. Starting to sit, the baby sees more interesting things around.

The baby can pull the neck forward to the chest, lying on its back, as if it wants to sit down. At this moment, the parents want to help the baby and take to sit down by the handles. This should not be done.

First, the child's back muscles should get stronger and this will not happen immediately. The baby learns to roll over, roll from back to stomach and back, thereby training his muscles and back.

Then, from the “lying on its side” position and leaning on the arm, it will try to raise the body. It may also happen that at first the child learns to crawl, and from the position on all fours he begins to sit.

No need to rush the baby and seat him, this process can take up to nine months, which is considered the norm.

Can a child be seated?

You should not put the baby in pillows if he does not make attempts to rise, or easily collapses on his side. Sitting, he has more opportunities to play, but later his posture may deteriorate and there will be an extra load on the unprepared spine.

Only people have such a disease as scoliosis, from walking upright. There is no need to pre-load a fragile children's body.

In the arms of an adult child, it is better to have it reclining, without sitting down.

The myth that it is dangerous to sit down girls early and is fraught with the wrong formation of female physiology has been refuted by doctors. However, it is better not to risk it and wait until the girl sits down herself.

No need to try to sit down until the age of six months, if the crumb has not yet begun to roll over. It is better to develop the arms and strengthen the back with:

special gymnastics,
correct carrying on the hands, in accordance with the age of the child,
stimulate the presence of the child on the stomach, enticing with interesting toys and conversations.

To understand when the child is ready to start sitting on his own, you need to see how he does it. It is too early to sit down the baby if he collapses on his side, strongly rounds his back when sitting.

According to doctors, the later the body takes a vertical position, the better for the spine.

What are the stages of learning to sit a child goes through?

Some children develop faster than their peers, others a little later. Doctors believe that the age at which a child begins to sit ranges from 6 to 9 months. This skill is followed by other skills in physical development.

The baby learns to kneel, pull up the body, holding on to a support, stand and then walk. All these actions are associated with the ability to maintain balance, which is not achieved immediately:

At 6 months, the baby most often still does not sit on its own.

Lying on the stomach, raises the chest. Can keep head in line with body. Without support, he falls on his side, because the muscles are not yet strong enough.

It can be pulled up by the handles for a short while, as a workout. The baby gurgles and coos, plays with a rattle for a long time.

At 7 months, the baby sits more confidently.

He can sit for a while without falling over, play, turn to the sides with his whole body. Makes snorting sounds. The baby is able to sit down independently from a prone position, pushing with his hands.

At 8 months, most babies sit up on their own.

Twist and roll from belly to back. Easily sit down from the "lying on the side" position. Shift the toy from hand to hand.

At 9 months, the child makes an effort to reach the rattle he needs, lying at a distance.

He plays patty, sits without support and tries to get on all fours. Pulls up from a sitting position to a standing position. Indistinctly pronounces "mom", "dad". He enjoys playing peek-a-boo.

Mom's anxiety: what to do if the child does not want to sit?

Many mothers begin to worry if the baby does not comply with generally accepted standards in physical development and think about how to teach the child to sit on their own. Shouldn't we start babysitting?

Most often, the baby himself learns the next skills and he just needs time. If the baby does not begin to sit by 11 months, you should contact a good pediatrician.

Until this time, do not worry, it is better to help the child's body get stronger. Regularly engage in gymnastics with your child, wear it correctly on your hands, allowing your back muscles to get stronger.

Sitting at the table and feeding the baby, you can hold him in a position that helps train the back. How to do this correctly, you will learn from the course on the introduction of complementary foods to the baby.

You can often lay the baby on his stomach and lay out toys in front of him so that he can reach for them.

Parents should help develop the baby physically from birth. Often a course of restorative massage helps a child learn to sit.

It is better to have it done by a specialist. The results will be visible immediately. Such a massage is carried out for the necessary impetus in the physical development of the child.

ADVICE OF EXPERIENCED MOMS:

you should not sit down the child even on your knees, it is better to keep him reclining;

pillows are useful to protect the child from hitting the corners of the furniture;

it is necessary to carry out massage and gymnastics daily, which will help in strengthening the muscles of the whole body and the baby will begin to sit;

approve the crawling of the crumbs, spreading out his favorite toys around him so that the baby tries to reach them.

When is it worth worrying?

Sometimes the reason why a child does not sit at 8 months is a delay in psychomotor development. Then you need to urgently contact a neurologist. The inability to sit is not the only symptom and is most often the result of:

fetal hypoxia;
early birth;
anemia during pregnancy;
prematurity of the fetus;
intracranial pressure.

How can you help your child learn to sit?

Sometimes the baby sits well, but it’s hard for him to do it on his own. Many parents do not know how to guide the child and teach him to sit. There are a number of exercises to strengthen the back muscles.

Gymnastic exercises should be carried out every day, along with bathing and massage:

Pull-ups by 30 degrees. It is necessary to give the baby the thumbs of the hands so that he grabs them. From the “lying” position, slowly lift, but do not sit down. Thus, the muscles of the press and arms are trained.
Help from the prone position roll over and back. This exercise will be easier to perform if the child is interested in a bright rattle.
Keep the baby on his knees reclining so that he leans on the palms of an adult. This is how the balance of the body develops and the muscles are toned.
Helps strengthen your back exercise "airplane". Having laid the child on the tummy, you should put your hands under the chest and under the stomach. The legs at this time should rest against the parent. At the same time, the head is raised, the muscles of the back and priests are in tension. Hold on like this for a few seconds.

ADVICE OF EXPERIENCED MOMS:

First, crawl! Put the child on all fours and teach to move. When he learns to stand on all fours from this position and push to sit down.

In order to teach him to crawl, you can lift him under his chest on a four-folded diaper, as if teaching him to stand on all fours. And the child is well - they support him, and the mother does not need to bend over much.

Do not interfere with the natural process in order to brag about how early your child sits. This child does not need to be taught.

Exercises on the fitball remarkably strengthen the muscular skeleton of the baby. This is a fitness ball. You should choose a smooth fitball without ears and bulges, large diameter.

Exercises should be performed half an hour after eating:

wiggle. In the position of the stomach on the ball, gently rock the baby in the directions forward and backward, holding the lower back. Later, you can put a toy on the floor in front of him so that he can reach for it while rocking.
Rocking right to left, slowly increasing the slope.
Spring on the ball.
Swinging in a circle in one and the other direction.
Spring back to the ball.
Perform swings with your back to the ball.

With regular massage with light strokes, combined with gymnastics and water procedures, the baby will learn to sit on his own.

There is no need to push the child, because all children are different and do not fit into clear standards. The main task of parents is to always be with the baby and support him at every stage of development.

After successfully mastering the skills of raising his head, turning over, crawling and sitting down, the child begins to move on to discovering new horizons and tries to stand on his feet, and then take the first step in his life.

This stage is very important for both the baby and his parents, because it is not for nothing that the first steps are awaited with the same joyful impatience as the first smile or the first tooth.

Of course, adults have many questions, disputes and even fears regarding the onset of such a significant milestone in the development of the child. Especially if the baby is in no hurry to start walking.

Child development norms: at what age should he start walking on his own?

Like other skills, the walking skill and the first steps are absolutely individual for each child, therefore, in no case should you compare your child with the children of friends, acquaintances or neighbors who brag with might and main about their early successes and achievements, and you think at the same time that something is wrong with your baby.

Pediatricians focus on the fact that, as a rule, each child will have his own development schedule, with a permissible deviation in one direction or another from existing medical standards. Therefore, studying all kinds of literature and these very norms, remember that they are just approximate averages.

In fact, very rarely a child grows and develops “according to the book”, starting at a clearly appointed time to raise his head, roll over, sit down, crawl, get up and finally walk, moreover, in such a correct sequence. Many children may skip some stage altogether, for example, not to crawl, but to get up immediately after mastering the skill of sitting, and this will also be a variant of the norm.

It is believed that a physically and psychologically healthy child can start walking between the ages of nine months and sixteen or eighteen. As you can see, this range is not in vain so wide, because the speed of mastering a skill depends on many important factors.

If we consider in detail the process of getting up and starting to walk, then usually everything happens as follows:

At nine months, the baby tries to stand on its feet, holding on to the crib or other support.
During the ninth to tenth months, children will improve in the ability to stand up and gradually be able to do it more confidently, as well as stay on their feet longer and longer.
At the same time, the baby can take the first trial steps, holding on to furniture or your hands. You can also keep it handy. Sometimes you can see how the child suddenly releases the handles and stands for several seconds, staggering, but not holding on to anything.
At eleven months, the baby masters bending the knees. He may even try to squat from a standing position to pick up a toy from the floor. Another discovery for him is slopes.
By the age of one, the child will learn to coordinate his movements, to keep his balance. Perhaps he is already stomping with might and main with you by the hand, but is still afraid to take the first step on his own. This also takes time - soon the moment will come when the baby will let go of your hand and go on his own.

What factors influence development?

Among the most significant are:

Heredity or genetic factor.

Remember or ask your mother how old you were when you took your first steps, because if the closest relatives of the baby did not differ in early development, then the baby will not be an exception a priori.

How active and physically developed the child is.

If he is overweight, and he was too lazy to crawl or sit down, then it will also be difficult for him to start walking, and a slender child will jump to his feet much faster, moreover, endurance, development and strength of muscles and joints will undoubtedly be useful for the baby to move independently .

Don't forget about the difference between boys and girls.

The latter are slightly ahead in the development of their peers-boys.

The temperament and character of the baby is also very important.

Lively and energetic choleric or sanguine people, being incredible fidgets, simply cannot sit in one place, which means they will try their best to discover new horizons for themselves and get on their feet or go even without your help. But slow melancholic and balanced phlegmatic people will absolutely calmly crawl or sit, knowing the world like this - not in a hurry.

In addition, of course, the health and general condition of the child, the emotional background and atmosphere in the family, as well as the direct participation of parents in the development process, matter.

Why can a child start walking earlier than expected?

It happens that the baby may try to rise to his feet and much earlier than the due date, for example, at seven months. A few weeks pass, and he will already try to take the first steps.

For many pediatricians, the issue of a significant lead in the norm is controversial. They give quite weighty arguments that the body of a small child is not ready for such loads. Indeed, everything has its time, but if your baby still gets up or tries to walk earlier than normal, then you won’t force him to sit down. Therefore, let the baby develop, but do not provoke yourself to get up or walk.

Today the world is developing much faster than even ten or twenty years ago. The pace and speed of life is increasing, and you won’t surprise anyone with children’s acceleration.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that often small children who have learned to get up, holding on to the sides of the crib or playpen, do not yet know how to sit back on their own. If you do not seat the child, then he can stand like this for a very long time, and this is fraught not only with fatigue, but also with an unbearable load on his fragile spine and other bones.

Consequences of early walking

Doctors and opponents of early walking argue their position by the fact that in this case there is a risk of occurrence or development of the following problems:

rachiocampsis;
problems with the back, hip joints;
curvature of the legs with the letter O or X;
clubfoot and violation of the formation of the foot;
injury.

However, many of these dangerous consequences are more far-fetched, because if a child can rise to his feet or take a step, then his muscles are already strong enough for this.

Remember how, being very small, the baby tried to push off with his legs from a hard surface when you held him under the handles in an upright position. Nevertheless, despite the presence of a reflex, he could not go, because the muscles were not yet so developed at that time.

Therefore, you should not worry if everything happens naturally, but you also do not need to force events.

Why is the child late in development and starts walking late?

But now you have already celebrated the first small anniversary of the child, another six months have passed, and the baby still does not make attempts to get up or walk. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor and undergo a complete examination.

As a rule, the conclusion should be given by: pediatrician, orthopedist, neurologist, surgeon and psychologist. You may need to consult with other experts.

Sometimes it turns out that the child does not have any serious problems or pathologies. It's just that he, being quite healthy, does not want to walk at all.

This condition can be caused by the following reasons:

the baby has very weak and undeveloped muscles;
critically low weight, the cause of which is malnutrition or malnutrition, a deficiency in the body of vitamins and vital substances;
excess weight is the other side of the coin;
the child was born prematurely;
no one deals with the crumbs, he lacks motivation and incentives to master a new skill;
the child constantly stays in a confined space (arena) or is kept only in a walker;
stress or nervous shock - not a single child will take the first steps if he does not feel safe;
the baby has already tried to get up or walk, but something negative happened that scared him a lot, for example, he fell and got injured, they shouted at him, etc.

By the way, the parents themselves can be the reason for the delay in the development of their child, overprotecting him or demonstrating an example of incorrect behavior.

These reasons are not dangerous, because they can be solved quite quickly and simply. It is much worse if the problem is some kind of pathology or developmental anomaly that causes a delay.

These can be all kinds of congenital or acquired diseases, and the consequences of a difficult pregnancy or childbirth, and serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and neurological disorders. In this case, full treatment and a whole range of additional measures and actions will be required.

Consequences of delay

If your child is completely healthy, but has not begun to walk in due time, do not panic. He will definitely go when he is ready for it. Just try to eliminate all possible delay factors and work with the baby, develop him, motivate him, help him with all available methods.

Pediatricians also note that sometimes it is difficult for children to master two skills at once, for example, a child may go later, because just at the same time his speech is developing intensively, which means he will speak earlier.

Of course, if the reason for the delay in development is still in a pathology or disease, then there may be a lag in the development of other skills.

Is it possible to help the baby go on time: the main methods and recommendations of doctors

Since mastering a new motor activity may not be an easy task for a child, you should help him as much as possible.

Note an important point - do not force or teach to walk when you want, but support and help when the baby himself is ready physically and psychologically, expressing the desire and desire to go.

There are several easy ways to do this.

Gymnastics and exercise

The more you do with the child, the stronger and the development of his muscles will be.

It is much easier for a physically active baby to master each stage of development, so be sure to do simple gymnastics with him first, and then, as you grow older, all kinds of special exercises that help strengthen the muscles and prepare them for stress, developing a sense of balance and coordination of movements.

After six months and up to nine months, fitball classes are suitable. Complicate the exercises that you did with the child on the ball earlier. Now he can sit on it with your support, and lie on his back or tummy.

Now it's time to practice standing. First, put the baby on the fitball with his back to you, supporting him under his arms, swing the child on the ball in different directions, back and forth. Then put it on the ball and swing it in that position.

After nine months, in addition to standard developmental exercises such as "bicycle", "scissors" or swings with legs and arms, begin to perform more complex, complex gymnastics.

Show your child how to stand.

To do this, sit next to him on the floor or other hard surface so that he squats facing you. Then grab it in the chest area and lift it up - the child should completely straighten his legs and rest them on the floor.

The previous exercise is much more fun to perform to the music, just doing rhythmic jumps.

You can also tell the baby some kind of thematic nursery rhyme.

If the child crawls quickly and confidently, and can also rise to his feet, holding on to a support, give him a real chase for his favorite toy.

Let her move first along the floor, as if "running away" from him, and then hide somewhere higher, for example, on an armchair, sofa or chair. Then the baby will have to stand up to get it.

From ten months, if the baby has already tried to take the first steps, holding hands, you can do the exercise with a wheelchair or stroller.

The bottom line is that the child follows the rolling stroller, holding on to its handle.

When the baby begins to stand confidently, you can use sticks, like skis, or two poles.

The child needs to take hold of these sticks, and the adult needs to put his hands on top and walk with the baby, rearranging the sticks and leaning on them, as in skiing.

Walking in a hoop also helps a lot.

Have the baby stand inside it and you move the hoop in different directions to encourage the baby to move in different ways, for example, walk in a circle, go forward or backward.

If the baby is already stomping with might and main with you by the hand, make an obstacle for him in the form of a rope stretched between the furniture.

He must learn to step over the rope. Gradually increase the height of the obstacle.

Swimming will be very effective for the overall development of the child, which will strengthen all the muscles of the baby's body and temper it.

Massage and other methods

For some difficulties or abnormalities in walking, neurological disorders or other problems, the child is usually prescribed therapeutic massage.

Be sure to find a good specialist who could do it to the baby, since you cannot perform such a procedure on your own.

In addition, try to interest the child in walking, motivate him:

choose new and interesting routes for the crumbs to explore the new space of your house or apartment;
play with the baby - move away from him a few steps and call to you, but secure in case of a fall;
if there is no stroller or wheelchair, use natural supports, like a small stool, to take independent steps;
do not panic and do not show your fear to the child if he suddenly falls - this way you can discourage him from walking at all. If the baby fell on the ass, just smile, say "boo" and help him get up;
if it is possible to communicate with peers, let the children play together - looking at each other or at slightly older friends, they will learn to get up and walk much faster;
be sure to praise the baby for every small success.

Walkers and other devices - more good or bad?

You can also find various devices that should help in learning and contribute to the speedy development of the skill of walking. Among such devices there is the above-mentioned stroller or wheelchair, as well as walkers and reins-leashes.

Despite the fact that many consider them very useful and necessary for the child, opponents of such products give a lot of arguments, proving that the same walkers or reins actually only harm the baby and, on the contrary, slow down learning.

As for walkers, they can be dangerous in the following cases:

if the model of the device does not meet safety standards and can lead to injury to the child;
if the baby is not yet sitting on his own, and he is already put in a walker;
if the child is left in a walker alone for a long time and unattended;
if he is in a walker for a long time without a break, this creates an unnecessary load on the baby's back.

In fact, the benefits of a walker are more tangible for the parents than for the child. Being in this device, the baby is insured against falls, he is in sight and will not go anywhere, as if he were crawling on all fours.

But this is unlikely to help learn to walk, because the child simply rides in a walker, pushing off the floor with his feet. In addition, in the future he will be too lazy to walk on his own, accustomed to relying on his "assistant".

As for the wheelchair, it was written above. Usually, kids like to push it in front of them, plus - it fits in height, unlike a toy stroller. Using this device, you help the baby move independently, while he will feel quite confident and will not lose his balance.

The reins-leash is a rather peculiar device that exactly repeats the design and appearance of a dog leash. Many parents do not get the reins for this very reason.

But if your child takes only the first steps, and his coordination of movements is not very good yet, the leash, like a safety bed, will not allow him to fall. However, falling is also part of the training, because without learning to fall, he will not learn to get up either.

Preparing a room for a child in compliance with all safety measures

After the baby starts to get up and take the first steps, you must create all the necessary conditions for his high-quality, but most importantly, safe movement around the house or apartment.

The floor must not be cold or slippery.

Limit at least for the first time the movement of the child on linoleum, tile or parquet. Soft carpeting is ideal.

Since the furniture will be used as a support, there should not be anything unstable or that could fall in the way of the baby.

Remove any wobbly shelves and racks, large flower pots or vases, etc.

Protect the corners of furniture and walls with special rubber or silicone pads.
Put fuses or locks on cabinet doors and drawers.
All valuable, heavy or fragile items should be hidden away and securely.

The same applies to sharp, piercing and cutting objects, household chemicals, medicines.

It is better to remove the tablecloths from the tables, because they are so fun to pull together with all the contents on the floor.

Long curtains can be laid on the windowsill.

Electrical sockets must be blocked with special plugs, and the wires must be hidden.
If the house has stairs, buy gates or put blockers.

It's hard to predict everything, but try to give your baby as much room to move as possible and expand his or her capacity for safe and fun walking.

Causes and features of deviations from the norm

When starting to walk, a child can move in different ways, and this will not always be correct. Some children walk with their feet parallel to each other, while others walk with their toes apart. Many people can notice how they try to “print” every step while walking, because they still don’t know how to roll a small foot from heel to toe.

Be sure to have routine check-ups with your pediatrician and consult an orthopedist if you have any doubts or questions. The child may put his feet apart with his toes, because he is trying to keep his balance, and over time, when he learns to do this, he will begin to put his legs more evenly.

At the same time, sometimes those kids who initially put their feet straight, then can clubfoot. Your task is to notice the problem in time and show the child to the doctor.

Another deviation from the norm may be that the baby is trying to walk on toes. Nothing wrong with that. Often the cause of this feature is hypertonicity, which is easy to remove with the help of massages, baths, physiotherapy and other preventive therapy.

Dr. Komarovsky will dispel all doubts and fears associated with mothers walking on tiptoe.

Baby shoes - is it worth buying at an early age?

As for shoes for a child, this point is also controversial among doctors. Many podiatrists advise purchasing special shoes with a supportive arch support for a baby who is starting to walk in order to support the arch of the foot and prevent the development of flat feet.

The other side appeals by the fact that the instep support can only form an arch mechanically, moreover, wearing shoes at an early age will significantly weaken the muscles of the feet. Whereas a small child should walk barefoot for the maximum amount of time. This is what helps to strengthen the ligaments, joints and muscles and form the correct arch of the foot in a natural way.

When the baby learns to walk on his own, you can buy him sandals, shoes or slippers. Before that, you can get by with booties or socks.

When choosing shoes, be guided by the following criteria:

it should be only natural - soft leather or suede will do;
check - the shoes were free enough so that the child could move his fingers inside;
so that he does not stumble, choose shoes with thin and flexible soles;
if there is a small stable heel, the baby will not fall back when walking;
if the back of the shoe should be hard (it will help not to fall off the foot), then the side and upper part should be soft;
the supinator should also be flexible.

The first steps are always difficult, which means that the baby will make mistakes and fall, but he must definitely go through this path of his mistakes and falls on his own in order to learn to get up and move on. Just be there and rejoice in his success. Very soon he will march resolutely towards new discoveries.

The first smile, the first tooth - all these little achievements of the baby are actually very important in the development of a new little man. The first word, the first independent step. What time do children start walking? Why did the neighbor's child already walk without support at eight months, while yours still needs support? Does he really have hydrocephalus, which is often talked about on the forums!

Remember, every baby is unique and starts walking at its own time. Hydrocephalus is not such a common ailment to panic.

At how many months will the baby take the first step on his own, without support? Every mother is waiting for this event with special trepidation. It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously: the range of the “correct” age ranges from twelve months to one and a half years. If hidden hydrocephalus does not interfere, your little one will definitely go after a year.

What influences belated attempts to take independent steps? There may be several reasons:

genetic feature;
overweight crumbs;
features of temperament;
the habit of "walkers";
change in habitual conditions;
inability to keep balance;
in extreme cases - hydrocephalus.

A genetic trait that is transmitted by gender can also affect the time of the start of independent travel around the apartment. If dad or mom started walking on their own early, and the baby can repeat their experience. Chubby children with a large body weight can also walk on their own later than slender peers: their musculoskeletal system simply cannot withstand excess body weight. Chubby children are generally less mobile.

Phlegmatic peanuts also begin to walk on their own late: they are more inclined to contemplation and reflection. They put them on their legs - they stand, they put them in a crib - they lie. Such babies need to be purposefully taught to take the first step, otherwise they will be content with crawling on the floor and sitting on their ass - as much as they like!

The craze of parents with walkers has a negative effect on the formation of the correct stepping skills of toddlers.

It is convenient for mom to use this device to do housework: the baby is “at work”. However, the suspended position of the body does not contribute to the development of the musculoskeletal system: the baby hangs above the floor and touches it with socks. So he will walk on toes for up to two / three years.

If a child has endured a stressful situation (and children from six months old begin to experience the first fears), he may show passivity and be afraid to do something new - to walk. The same applies to changes in the environment of the child: he feels uncomfortable in a new room or among new people. Do not try to force the baby to walk: you can teach the first steps when he calms down and adapts to new conditions.

Sooner or later?

Many young mothers are proud that their first-born went before anyone else: how smart he is, he already knows how to walk! Question: how many months did the little one go? If earlier than nine months, there is nothing good in it. The skeletal system of the baby is not yet able to endure such a load. There is nothing to rejoice.

Is your child over two years old and unable to walk? There is no reason to relax and wait for things to get better on their own. This is an occasion to be examined by a pediatric neurologist. Perhaps the baby's muscles and spine are not strong enough, or the immune system is not developed. There is also such a disease - acquired hydrocephalus: this can be the cause of a lag in psychomotor development.

If you are afraid to do the wheelchair exercise, do so. Dad sits on the floor and calls the baby to him with his hand. Mom brings the little one to dad, and then lets go. By inertia, the kid will take an independent step, and dad will catch him. Kids love this game. The main thing for the baby at this moment is to feel that you can walk without the support of your mother, and this is not scary!

When do babies start sitting? Most babies can start sitting when they are 4 to 7 months old. Up to this point, the child has definitely learned to roll over and hold his head. Upon reaching the age of 8 months, the baby should sit upright for several minutes without tipping over.

However, tipping over is not uncommon, even for those children who have already learned to sit up by themselves, as they may be tired of sitting for a long time.

Gradually, the baby's muscles become stronger with each coming month, he will be able to sit without support for a longer time. When the baby is eight months old, he tries to sit up on his own, leaning on his hands when he lies on his stomach. During these attempts, the muscles of the back are strengthened, and the ability to balance improves. However, most babies should be able to sit up on their own by eleven months.

Babies who spend a lot of time lying in bed or without much physical activity reach this stage around the ninth month.

3 – 4 months

At this stage, the baby's neck muscles are strengthening rapidly and have enough strength to allow the baby to raise his head while lying on his stomach. Soon, the baby's shoulder muscles will become strong enough to support the body, and the baby will begin to load them and lift the chest off the support, as if doing a mini push-up.

5 – 6 months

When the baby reaches the age of six months, he will be able to sit properly, keeping his head straight. However, the baby will not be able to stay in this position for long and will need support to stay in this position.

At this stage, it is best to surround the baby with pillows so that if the baby tips over, he will not be hurt.

Always keep the baby in sight. Don't use overly plump pillows. This will reduce your risk of suffocation.

When a baby reaches six months of age, he will learn how to balance while sitting in an upright position and will begin to use his arms to provide support.

7 – 8 months

At the age of 7 months, the baby can sit upright without support, without even relying on his hands to keep his balance. He will most likely be able to turn around while remaining in a sitting position to reach for the toy with his hands. Soon, using his hands, the child will sit up confidently from a lying position.

How to teach a child to sit?

At what age a child begins to sit independently depends on the readiness of his muscles to support the body. Therefore, you will not be able to teach the baby to sit ahead of time.

But parents can help the baby train the muscles so that sitting is easier for the baby when his body is ready for it.

1. Let the child spend more time lying on his stomach.

The first step to an ideal sitting position begins with the ability to keep your head steady. The best way to achieve this is to strengthen your neck and back muscles while lying on your stomach.

Lay the baby face down on his stomach and place his favorite toys in front of him. Encourage your baby to look at these toys with their head slightly raised.

When the baby learns to sit, repeat the exercise. This will help the infant learn to support and shift body weight while sitting. Hide the toys and have your baby look for them while he is on his tummy. This will make the baby lift his body.

2. Move the baby yourself.

One way to introduce a child to movement is to first show him the movement itself. Place your baby on a soft surface and move gently. This will help the baby develop a sense of orientation in order to make the movement himself.

3. Sitting with support.

In the sixth month of a baby's life, you can teach him to sit with support. The best way to do this is to use your body as a backrest for the baby.

Sit on a bed or soft rug and place your child's favorite toys in front of you. Let your baby sit on your lap with their back against your chest and belly. Let the baby play with his toys.

This will strengthen the muscles of the back and accustom the child to the sensations when sitting.

4. Use the baby's curiosity as a tool.

By the ninth month, the baby will be able to sit up on his own. Now is the time to encourage him to stay in that position as much as possible.

Place objects of interest within his arm so that the toddler can access them while sitting. You can also sit next to your child and play with him.

5. Focus on strengthening your muscles.

Any movement of the body is associated with the use of muscles. Stronger muscles mean that the child will learn to sit faster. Massage the baby regularly and use active games daily to strengthen the muscular frame of the baby's body. In addition, activities such as crawling, rolling over, and lying on your stomach are natural means of strengthening your baby's muscles.

How to teach a child to sit. Exercises and games to help your child sit up

Here are some simple but great games and activities you can use to help your baby sit up.

Find a rattle

Age to play: four months.

Exercise: Place the baby on the tummy and bring the rattle into view. When the baby begins to turn his head in the direction of the sound, rattle the toy over him so that the baby takes the trouble to bend back to observe the rattle.

Advantages: Work is underway on the muscles of the neck, lower back and on the bone skeleton. The baby can use their arms to move their torso and also use their shoulder muscles in the process.

Twisting

Age to play: four months (when the baby can hold his head).

Exercise: Position the child on your feet, turning his legs towards you. Hold the baby's arms and gently pull him up in a motion that resembles a tummy swing.

Make sure you move the baby smoothly. To add some rhythm to the activity, recite a poem.

Advantages: The exercise will work on the muscles in your lower back and abdominal muscles, which are essential to helping you learn to sit.

flipping

Age to play: 6 months.

Exercise: Lay the baby on your back. Place the toy in front of him and slowly turn the baby on his side so that he does not take his eyes off the toy. By this age, many babies can roll over. Therefore, the child will try to roll over to get a better view of the object. When the baby does this, praise him. Repeat this exercise regularly, especially when the baby shows willingness to play.

Advantages: Strengthens the back and oblique muscles that help the child to sit up.

Bike

Age to play: 6 months.

Exercise: Lay your baby on a soft surface. Carefully lift your legs up. Slowly make circular movements with your legs, simulating cycling. Add some fun sounds and noises to keep your baby interested. Pause for a few seconds after five cycling actions.

Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the lower back.

Help getting up

Age: Eight months.

Exercise: Plant a baby. Hold the baby by the arms and gently lift him to a standing position. Repeat this three to four times and then lower. Wait a few seconds before resuming the action.

Advantages: Strengthens the muscles of the back, abdomen and hips. By eight months, babies can sit up on their own and make their first attempts to stand up.

Caution: Your baby's body is delicate. Perform these exercises only when you are sure that you are not harming the baby. Do not overdo it. In addition, precautions must be taken for the safety of the child.

Respect the child's natural developmental process.

You will never give solid food to a child before a certain age. Likewise, you should never force your baby to sit before he reaches the appropriate developmental milestone in his life.

Babies learn to roll over at four months of age, and any chance of sitting will only come after this point in their lives. Moreover, the baby's body is best prepared for sitting only six months after birth. Therefore, encouraging the infant to sit up to this age will give unsatisfactory results. In addition, it will harm the development of the child.

stay close to the child when he is learning to sit to avoid any dangers;
place pillows around the child as support so that he does not fall and hit a hard surface.

Let the baby practice sitting, preferably on the floor, using a play mat, and not a high surface or edge of the bed.

What to do if the child does not sit?

Some babies may slow down in their development, but what if your baby shows zero ability to sit even after nine months?

What to pay attention to?

If the baby was born prematurely, then it can gradually slow down in its growth and development. It is quite possible for a baby to miss the developmental milestone and reach them later compared to term babies.
Babies who have had serious infections or who have a complex illness at an early age inevitably develop more slowly. The illness can delay their ability to exercise physical skills such as rolling over, crawling, and sitting. When the child is fully recovered, he will continue the course of his development, albeit slowly.

If the baby is not premature, does not suffer from the effects of a previous illness, but still cannot sit, you should first look for other shortcomings in physical development:

the child is unable to raise his head when lying on his stomach after reaching the age of five months. His face just falls and the kid doesn't lift it up;
the baby cannot roll over even after six months. Needs support even for basic movements;
does not crawl after nine months;
unable to crawl and stand up with support at 1 year;
not walking or running after 18 months.

If the child shows the above signs, consult a pediatrician. Usually, the inability to sit is accompanied by other developmental problems that must be interpreted by the physician.

It is always a good idea to keep a diary of your child's developmental milestones and discuss it with your pediatrician periodically.

Remember that the inability to sit should not cause panic or anxiety until your child masters other skills of his age. Take your time, do not force the baby to sit. If it doesn't happen this month, it will happen later. The child sits down when fully ready.