It’s true that the first few years of your child’s life are filled with so many of your baby’s first milestones. While every baby’s first is worthy of commemoration, there are a few that stand out as significant indicators of just how quickly your child is growing and developing. At the top of this list of baby’s first achievements? Baby walking.

Walking: One of the Major Milestones of Baby

So you’ve watched as your little one went through the rolling over, sitting up, and crawling phases of development? Congratulations! The baby walking phase is probably right on the horizon for you.

The first steps to first steps? You may notice that your baby is starting to pull herself upright using the furniture (or your hand) for support. From there she will start navigating around upright, moving while keeping her hand on the objects around her for balance until she’s finally ready to take that first precarious step all on her own.

Baby Walking: Watching Your Child Start to Get Moving

Not quite sure when to expect your little one to start moving? As with every phase of baby development and growth, a baby’s first step will come whenever he is ready for it. There are some common guidelines to consider when watching for this major life milestone to happen with your child.

For many children, the first time they move from kneeling to standing can happen as early as eight or nine months, making many parents believe that baby walking is right around the corner. However, this is not always the case. Some babies don’t take that first wobbly step until they are closer to 18 months old. As a parent, the race to first steps can seem like a long one, but it’s important not to worry about it if your child is slightly behind some of the other children you see at the playground. Once she does start walking on her own, there will be no stopping her!

Once your little one officially enters the baby walking phase, you may feel tempted to rush out and augment his wardrobe with as many tiny pairs of shoes as possible. Don’t. During this phase of development, young, new walkers can sharpen their walking skills better without them. Feeling the ground on their feet and being able to spread their toes without the hindrance of shoes can help them build strength and balance at a much faster pace. So whenever they are practicing in the safety of your own home, going barefoot is a great way to help her improve her walking capabilities. It’s only when they are walking around outside of the house that they will need some protection on their little feet.