No matter when it happens, the moment your baby starts walking, take it all in. Get the camera out. Praise them. Encourage them. Simply enjoy the excitement of it. Once you’ve allowed yourself this, it’s time to put your practical head on. For once your baby starts walking, everything changes. They are becoming more independent, experiencing major developmental growth, and looking at the world in a completely different way. When your baby starts walking, it is critical that you consider the following.
How Baby-Proof Is Your Home?
You may have baby-proofed your home when they first arrived, even when they first started crawling, but it’s time to reassess the lay of the land and look at it through the eyes of your very excited young child. Their entire perspective will have changed the moment they stood on two legs. They can see places they couldn’t before, carry items from room to room, move faster, interact with people and objects differently, and see changes in their field of vision, so there is a lot to do to keep them safe.
First, you will need to anchor furniture, including bookshelves, TVs, and heavy units, with brackets or straps to keep them in place. As your baby learns they can do so much more, they will start climbing, no matter what it is. You may want to cover any sharp corners that are now at head height and, more than ever, keep the floor clear.
Their independent nature means they can and will explore as much as they can, so next, install safety gates and locks on doors and cupboards. Don’t rely on just one method of keeping your baby safe, though. Combining several safety features is the best way to keep them safe. For instance, even if you lock all your doors, it only takes one moment to forget, and they can let themselves out into the garden. For anyone with a pool, this can be incredibly dangerous. That is where more layers of protection come in. Getting glass pool fence installers to fit an appropriate fence that keeps everyone safe while still looking attractive in the garden can give you peace of mind that your home is as baby-proofed as it can be.
How to Help Them Master Walking
When your baby has taken those first few steps, it will be a little while before they are running around. This doesn’t mean you can’t help them get there. Start by removing trip hazards and holding their hands for extra support. As they get more confident, consider supplying them with walkers and moving the furniture around to help them cruise. To reduce their reliance on your hand or the walker, give them toys to hold, which gives them a physical focus and helps with balance.
Avoid Getting Shoes Straightaway
It’s easy to get excited about going shoe shopping the moment after they take those first few steps, but one of the most important things you can do is hold fire. As your baby learns to walk, they need to experience different textures on their feet, learn to balance, and stay stable. Once your baby is walking properly independently (without your aid or a walker), you can introduce a pair of shoes for when outside, but try to refrain from getting fashionable shoes. Opt for a soft pair instead so that your baby still has plenty of room to wiggle their little toes.
