If your child is already mobile, be it crawling, cruising, or walking, they might just begin to show a reluctance to be picked up and carried around. This means that, because he or she has had a taste of freedom, they like it and want to explore more and more. If you go shopping for instance, your child might show a reluctance to sit in the trolley and want to walk around on their own. If you’re not in a hurry, and have patience, then let them walk with you, even if only for a little while.
Also, remember that falling down is part of learning to walk, so try to resist the urge to rush to help them should they fall, unless they have hurt themselves. Uneven floors, a wrinkle in a carpet, or sand in a play area, will more than likely cause him or her to trip and fall, but it’s really great practice, so give them the opportunity to explore their new found freedom, with all the bumps along the way. Also, at this stage, while your toddler is still learning to walk properly, it is not necessary to put shoes on her feet. Walking barefoot helps build the muscles in her lower legs, as well as develop her sense of balance.
To show them that it is normal procedure to trip and fall sometimes, pretend that you are stumbling and falling down. Your little one will have a good giggle at this, and will also feel confident, knowing that “big” people can also sometimes fall down.
Also, remember that falling down is part of learning to walk, so try to resist the urge to rush to help them should they fall, unless they have hurt themselves. Uneven floors, a wrinkle in a carpet, or sand in a play area, will more than likely cause him or her to trip and fall, but it’s really great practice, so give them the opportunity to explore their new found freedom, with all the bumps along the way. Also, at this stage, while your toddler is still learning to walk properly, it is not necessary to put shoes on her feet. Walking barefoot helps build the muscles in her lower legs, as well as develop her sense of balance.
To show them that it is normal procedure to trip and fall sometimes, pretend that you are stumbling and falling down. Your little one will have a good giggle at this, and will also feel confident, knowing that “big” people can also sometimes fall down.