Getting Ready For His First Step
Pretty soon, your child will be running around the house, as he learns how to walk and then run.
Pretty soon, your child will be running around the house, as he learns how to walk and then run. It’s an extremely exciting time, but it can also feel very stressful, as you worry about his safety. Now’s the time to baby-proof your entire house, and here are a few things you can do to make his newfound mobility easier for everybody.
- Look around your house from your child’s eye level. This will allow you to see potential dangers, which you can then childproof to adapt to his new movement.
- Make sure he never uses a wheeled walker. Instead let him use a sturdy, weighted push toy (like a toy shopping cart). This will allow him to have fun while walking greater distances.
- In the early stages, hold his hand and help him walk around longer distances, so he can improve his balance and gain confidence in his walking skills.
- Let him walk around, instead of keeping him in his stroller or playpen all day. His legs need practice, and he can only do that if he’s allowed to walk around.
- When you’re going out for a walk, take the stroller with you, but let him walk alongside it until he gets tired.
- Teach him to go up and down stairs by practicing with you right there beside him. Make sure you install lock safety gates at the top and at the bottom of your stairs so that he doesn’t go there all by himself until he has mastered the art of the stairs.
