On the Move - How Your Baby Learns to Crawl and Walk
Many babies start to crawl between seven and ten months of age and begin walking at about fifteen months. Some babies walk before they crawl but, regardless of the timing, once they are mobile, a whole other world opens up to them. Mobility generally also coincides with when their sight has developed. At around eight months of age, a baby’s sight is approximately 20/30 and he is no longer nearsighted. He now has what is considered normal vision and can see more of his world, and soon he will be able to explore it too.
Crawling
At first your baby may simply rock back and forth when in the crawling position, which teaches him about balance. You can encourage him to crawl by placing a favourite toy just slightly out of reach but within sight. His desire to reach it will help him to discover that by digging in with his knees and pushing himself off he can propel himself, at which point he may start to move forwards or backwards. There are many types of crawling, and if your baby’s crawl resembles more of a slithering on his stomach, don’t worry. It’s the mobility that is important, not the technique.
The ability to move towards a target opens up a whole new environment to baby. He starts to understand distance and explores the concept by moving away from mom towards an object that has caught his attention and then crawling back to mom, almost as if he was checking on her. Infant care experts call this ‘emotional refuelling,’ as baby tests how much distance he can be away from mom and still feel safe.
Babies are drawn to stairs and will love crawling up them, but getting down may be a problem. Babies may seem to always be on the move and as their crawling improves, they will be able to move quickly. You will need to keep an even closer eye on baby, but mishaps are inevitable and all part of exploring a new environment. Checking that your baby gates are secure and that there is nothing that could be a danger to baby will help keep any mishaps minor.
Researchers studying crawling in babies noted an interesting fact: in general, babies born in the summer and fall tend to crawl at a later date than other babies. The reason? These babies reach crawling age in the winter when they are wearing more restrictive clothing, which delays their progress when compared to free and easy summertime crawlers.
Walking
Much hard work goes into mastering the motor skills necessary for walking. You will first see your baby practicing balance on two legs by ‘cruising’: hoisting himself up by using furniture as a crutch and moving around the room using tables and chairs for balance. By doing so, he is learning that he can use his feet for balance, as well as developing the leg muscles necessary to walk. Barefoot babies seem to progress faster as they are able to grip the ground with their feet, which helps them to master balance more quickly than they might if they were wearing shoes.
The first couple of times baby stands, he may not know how to get back to a sitting position so if he seems to panic a little and cry for your help, this – and not just the new sensation of standing upright – may be the reason. Gently bend baby’s knees for him and lower him back down. Once baby is comfortable standing and is able to do it on his own, you can encourage walking by holding his hands and guiding him around the room. Eventually, he will take his first solo step… an exciting time for all involved!