WALKING: 101

Walking The Walk With Your Child 
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Going for a walk with my little guy is probably one of my favorite things to do, but while fun it is also exhausting! Walking anywhere with my son requires at least 20 different stops because he feels the need to take in everything! Street lights, rocks, leaves, and even sticks (which he manages to pretend are swords) are distracting and entails an investigation. 
Helping your child along with their ability to walk can be difficult. Children learn as they go and get better with practice. If you want to help to guide them in the right direction, I have some easy to follow tips that worked for my son and may work for you too. 

Ready, Set, Go

As parents, we may try to compare our kids with what other kids are doing. My son was a late starter when it came to walking, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me when other parents would say, “my daughter could walk before she was one” or “my one year old runs faster than Usain Bolt.” Instead of focusing on what other parents were telling me about their kid, I should have just been focusing on my child, so I would realize that he would walk when he was ready to. 

First Steps Are a Big Deal

This should go without saying, but taking those first steps is a huge milestone in your kid's life! My son's first steps were just one of those things that I will always remember as a parent. Do not hide the excitement! Make sure you ham it up and show them how special it is that they have walked. 
*You might also want to start thinking about putting some of your valuables in a harder to reach places*

Balancing Game

For my son, balancing was the biggest problem. He would get up to his feet, lose confidence, and then tumble. It was frustrating for him, but what I did was make it a game. I would get him to stand, then clap my hands, and count. He loved it and would try to remain standing longer and longer as time went on. The balancing game was a fun activity that we did together, and it also helped him to gain more confidence when it came to walking.

Encourage Walking

When my son finally started walking, he would still crawl just as much as he would try to walk. When I would catch him crawling, I’d make it a point to get him to his feet and cheer. I showed him how much fun it was to walk instead of crawl.

Time, Patience, & Lots Of Falling

Some kids can stand up and then they are off, causing all kinds of havoc around the house. But for most parents, encouraging a child to walk can be a lengthy process. Try not get frustrated, be prepared for them to start walking, then revert to crawling (as mentioned above), and even fall. As a parent, the natural instinct is to rush to your child when they fall. As long your little one is safe, falling backward onto their butt is not going to do them any harm. 

Game Of Walking

Once your child starts to walk, making a game of walking is an excellent way to encourage them to keep at it. Grab your child’s favorite soft toys and hold them ransom until they do three laps around the couch… I’m joking!!! I would, however, put toys on the opposite side of the room and encourage him to rescue his friends lol. After a while, he would grab his toys and help me to put it somewhere else so he could find them. Wait that sounds a lot like I’m playing fetch with my son lol, all I can I can say is this worked wonders for his walking. 

Record Lots Of Videos

There is just something so super cute about the way kids waddle along like penguins when they are learning to walk. Make sure you get as many of these moments on tape as possible. The process of learning to walk goes by in a flash, and you’ll want reminders! ​