There’s a magical, once-in-a-lifetime period for parents when babies begin taking their first steps. For most, this is between the ages of 12 and 18 months. Some explorers will walk as early as 8 months, while more cautious babies may not begin until 16 months. If your baby is among the late starters, there’s no need to fret if he or she rolled over, sat up, crawled and spoke within the normal age range- the late start is probably not a sign of physical problems.

The age when babies can crawl and walk by themselves depends on physical factors, such as weight, muscle development and coordination. Baby’s confidence and motivation come into play too. If you hurry baby, you may cause falls that can make him or her fearful and slow the walking process.

Safety First

Bare feet are best for baby’s first attempts at walking. A bare sole gives baby a better 'feel' for the floor and helps to stretch and strengthen the foot muscles. Although shoes give babies a wider base for balance, they are harder to take steps in and may make your baby trip and fall.

Now that baby's reach is twice as high as it used to be, you will need to raise the bar on your baby-proofing efforts to match! You can 'walk-proof' your home by securing safety hazards such as chairs or tables that tip, dangling tablecloths or cords, and furniture with sharp corners. Consider removing the coffee table, with its low, hard edges and replacing it with a soft footstool until baby has become a master toddler.

If baby falls, a toy in hand can injure the face, so remove any toys in baby’s hand during the early weeks of walking.

Avoid using baby walkers that allow baby to sit and roll around the room. These make baby walk in a sitting position and actually teach little ones to use the wrong leg muscles for walking.

Fun First Steps

Things you can do to encourage your baby and help build confidence in his or her abilities:

• As your baby begins to gain balance, just let it happen. Holding baby's hands can actually interfere with learning to balance.
• Place couches or love seats a foot or two apart so baby has to reach and step between them. This will help the little one to cruise from one piece of furniture to another.
• Encourage baby’s couch cruising by placing toys at various intervals on the couch.

Your baby's first steps are cause for celebration. Learning to walk is not easy, but you can help with encouragement, praise and being on hand to offer comfort after the occasional, and inevitable tumbles.