Babies walking on their knees are common, and it is a normal part of a child’s development. They have primitive reflexes, and walking on their knees will help them balance their bodies. Their leg muscles also need reinforcement to keep them upright. Over time, he will gain control of his body reflexes and movement, and he will start trotting on his foot. Sometimes, babies may also develop toe-walking when they are just learning their first steps. Toe walking and knee walking are not a problem unless it persists over the child’s second year of life.
The first few years of your baby’s life are all about exciting changes as you witness his many firsts. Every baby is born unique, and everyone develops different habits and behaviors as they grow older.
Even their milestones vary roughly as some infants are a bit earlier or later than others. However, what scares the parents most is when their child is not following the average development, like starting to walk by 14 months. Almost all the parenting books specify that your baby should start taking his first steps between 10 to 12 months.
At first, it might seem amusing how a baby can get too lazy to try taking his baby steps. But if it lingers a bit longer, worries may start to kick in.
The 5 common walking stages in babies
The exhausting part of childcare is not the sleepless nights you would spend with your newborn. It is the phase where babies learn to move and eventually walk and run around on their own.
I’m not yet a parent, yet I can attest to this while babysitting my nephews. A toddler running around the house can drain your energy, no doubt. It will also give you so much anxiety no matter how bump-proof, and baby-proof the floor, corners, and stairs can be.
Are you ready for the changes in your baby-centered life?
Before adopting their normal walking patterns, babies have to start somewhere. After that, they will progress through various stages, which in themselves are not specifically cumulative.
In the earliest phase, you may notice them adapting different styles like pulling themselves on their knees. Through constant practice, they will eventually perfect their strides.
Here are the common walking stages that your little one may go through:
1. Cruising on all fours
Anytime within six to eighteen months, babies will begin to exhibit their readiness to walk. You will realize his enthusiasm as he begins to bounce up and down if you hold him in a standing position. He will also try crouching and pushing himself up against his elbows and knees.
But then again, parents, remind yourselves that babies’ developmental milestones vary differently. So, do not compare your child with other children or your older ones.
The fact is, not every child necessarily learns to crawl before walking. Some may skip this stage and proceed to helping themselves up the furniture and cruising on twos.
When your child’s muscle is ready, you will notice that he will start dragging himself on one leg. At this point, he will also lift his body and crawl on his toes with his arched back.
2. Pulling himself up on furniture
Pretty soon, your baby will start pulling himself up on furniture. And by this time, his leg and muscle coordination are getting better to support him independently. He may now also be able to bear his body weight.
Babies may stand awkwardly and stiffly on their legs at first. Let them take their time, do not stop them, but do not rush them either.
Those wobbly little legs will gain strength, and he can now stand and sit independently. He will also start to take a few strides cruising beside the furniture for support.
3. Stand without support
Now brimming with confidence, your little one may let go of the supporting object and steadies himself on his feet. He will stand alone momentarily and show off his newfound ability.
He is also gauging the feel of his knees and legs as it starts to bear his weight. In this stage, he will learn to balance himself on his feet. And it will help boost his confidence.
4. Walking with assistance
The act of walking may be difficult for babies at first, or so in our eyes, but he will surely get there.
Before he can fully walk unassisted, he needs to learn how to coordinate his steps. Some parents may start using a baby walker early on, but health professionals do not conform to this idea.
According to Mayo Clinic, a baby walker will only risk injuries and falling. It may also take away his thrill in learning how to walk. Babies need to shift their weight and maintain their balance, which gets defeated when using a walker. We will discuss an alternative for a baby walker later in this post.
5. Walking without support, finally
After the wobbly baby steps, you will no sooner realize your baby has gained control of his reflexes.
After a few months, he will already master his walking skills. Trust me; you will need more of your energy chasing the tot around.
Sometimes though, little kids are hesitant about independent walking. That’s why you may notice that instead of walking on two feet, he is dragging himself on his knees.
He may either find this convenient or do it out of habit. However, it is also possible that his muscles are not yet ready to fully support himself.
All you need to do if this happens is encourage your baby to get up on his feet.
14-month milestone for walking
As specified before, your concerns are totally valid if your baby still hasn’t learned how to walk by the 14 months. You want your child to follow all the significant milestones and achieve his motor and developmental skills on time.
But not all babies achieve these milestones at a specified time. While someone else’s baby might start walking by his 11-month, your baby might be delayed than the 14-month milestone. If your baby can perform and learn motor skills and is trying to walk by pulling on furniture, then that’s already a good enough sign.
Learning to walk later than other babies is also common amongst premature babies. However, development in premature babies is different as compared to other babies.
Their adjusted age is used to track their developmental milestones, which can be found by their original due date. If your baby is in his 14th month, but you gave birth three months early, their adjusted age is 11 months. Your baby will catch up on all his milestones within due time.
How to encourage babies to walk
Walking is a gradual process that generally needs your baby’s muscle development and coordination. His body proportion is also a contributory factor for his legs to bear his body mass. Throughout this milestone, parents’ encouragement and support mean a lot to them.
Here are some simple tips and supportive tricks to help your baby trust his legs and himself.
Give your baby tummy time
Daily tummy time with your infant will develop his muscles so he can raise his head.
Gaining their neck muscle control is a necessary step to help him ready himself for crawling and walking. Learn more about tummy time in this post.
Praise and cheer your baby’s effort
Little words of encouragement will help your baby gain his self-confidence. Extending your arms towards him will give him the reassurance that he needs to take his step.
Showing your baby your full support will help him advance further with his effort.
Allow your baby more time on the floor
We know how you can’t get enough of your baby at the moment. Some mothers are fond of cuddling their babies all around the house doing their chores.
While holding your baby is essential, you should not overlook that he needs to practice his other skills. For example, instead of confining him on a play-pen, give him a wider avenue by setting him down the floor.
Introduce a push-toy instead of an infant walker
Infant walkers have wheels that will push your baby around. While it is convenient for him, it also slows down his progress in learning how to walk.
Once your baby starts cruising around in furniture, you can instead offer him a push-toy.
It’ll help him walk with support and practice his step coordination. It may also stop your toddler from knee-walking.
Let him take his time
Sure, you want him to progress at an early age, maybe more advanced than other children. But every child gets there at their own time.
Remember that while his confidence is important, you should also mind his body proportion and muscle support. Let your baby take his time to gain control of his body.
Introduce activities that will help him get up. If you think your baby is just too lazy to have to do anything with practice, give him nudges of encouragement.
Physical therapy for walking
If your baby isn’t walking by 16-23 months, your doctor will examine your baby’s muscle strength, range of motion, and joint flexibility.
Delayed walking could also be a sign of other issues your baby might be developing, like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or other genetic conditions.
Reaching out to a physical therapist will be a much better option for you and your child at this point. Stressing over their late development is no good, but working towards it will benefit them.
You can talk with a physical therapist and develop healthy strategies to help your child take their first steps.
See a doctor if…
Learning how to walk might be a little delayed for your baby, and you don’t need to panic. You can take your doctor’s opinion and discuss this with them if your baby isn’t showing signs of walking by 11 or 12 months.
You need to pay attention to your toddler and see if there is any other issue preventing them from walking or causing this delay. Then you can discuss your doubts with your doctor, and based on your doubts, your doctor can assess the situation.
Sometimes delayed walking is caused by a foot or leg problem. This includes developmental hip dysplasia, rickets, or conditions that affect muscle tones like cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.
Your doctor might be able to check the situation better and provide you with a correct diagnosis. Also, notice if your baby seems to limp or if one leg is weaker or uneven with the other.
FAQs
When should I worry about my child not walking?
Typically your child should start taking their first steps between 10 to 12 months. They should begin walking by their 14th month, but you need to be worried if they don’t.
If they show signs of walking or trying to walk, that means they might be a delayed walker. Talk to your doctor if your baby cannot stand up or bounce at the 14th month or does not walk at 18 months.
What should I do if my baby falls?
When learning to walk, falling, again and again, is a natural part of the whole process. By falling often, your child will learn how to balance his body on his legs and gain strength slowly but surely. If you’re worried about your baby falling too much, try giving them support by holding their hands in the beginning.
Soon your child will let go of your support and learn how to walk on their own.
Should I let my baby wear shoes or let him go barefoot?
Letting your baby go barefoot is necessary for his foot development to let their feet feel what it touched. So encourage barefoot exploration as much as possible. It can make your baby feel more confident and stable.
You may use soft-soled shoes for the first few months and shift to firmer ones if he can already walk confidently.
Is holding my baby in a standing position bad?
There is a certain period for everything when it comes to your baby’s development. If you try to hold your baby in a standing position before 10 months of age, their body isn’t ready for this yet, making their knees sag.
Only try to hold your baby in a standing position when you see them trying to get up on their feet and walk. Then their body is ready to start walking, and their knees are developed accordingly.
Takeaway
The learning-to-walk process is a bit challenging and sometimes frustrating to your eager baby. But eventually, he will learn the art of it.
He will also outgrow the habits that have once helped him get from point to point in the room, like knee-walking. If something is bothering you about your child’s walking habit, your doctor is still the best person to get an answer from.
Encouraging your baby is always appreciated. You can do this in various forms, but getting physical therapy is also a great option to help with your baby’s first steps.
It’s amazing watching your little one takes his first careful baby steps. The next day, you will be running all over the house after him until his space extends beyond your door, and he is ready to walk out of your home once adulthood comes.
Please share with us your experience or questions about baby walking below. We love to hear from every parent out there!
