World of the Walker
Those first steps! They bring tears to all parents’ eyes—then comes the “Now what?” Scooting and crawling give way to standing somewhere between the ages of 9 and 12 months. And even once little ones discover this new thrill, they may revert to crawling for a while because it’s easier.
Before Baby crawls, put socket protectors in all outlets, clasps on all cabinets and baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.
When you have a walker, you babyproof all over again. All the bottom and middle shelves, all the doors with flip handles, everything on the edge of anything. More ideas to consider are toilet locks and rounding corners. Everything is a game to a walking baby, and you may notice things begin to disappear or turn up in strange places. For example, your wallet may be in the frig, your checkbook in the trash can and your glasses in one of your boots! This is a good time to use those high shelves and put hooks on the wall for keys and such. Toddlers aren’t picky about the fun they find.
Walking also creates more dangerous situations, as a sprinting child can run between strangers’ legs, under clothing racks and behind walls. Create easy instructions for toddlers to follow: “We are staying on the grass today,” “Stop your feet,” or “We are going to stay on the sidewalk and hold hands when we go in the post office.”
Turn walking into a game. One wise way to keep your kid from wandering off: Try wiggling, dancing or marching your way from one place to the next. When you make traveling from the grocery store to the pharmacy a "copy me" game, he'll be more engaged in the activity and less likely to dart. Practice these moves at home, so he'll know how to do them when you're out and about.
You can also liven things up by singing a song together as you go. If you sense your child is about to take off in another direction, step in his path and then continue your shuffles or hops to redirect him.
Parents may be tempted to use some type of child leash, but many pediatricians do not recommend them. How will your tot learn the independence that comes from obeying your directions? If you just can’t keep your little one near you, use consequences and stick to them. Tell her, “We won’t be able to go to the ice cream shop today because you ran in the street.”
A walking wee one does give parents some benefits. You will find your hands are free, almost empty feeling, when you aren’t carrying a baby seat or holding a child. Bringing in groceries becomes easier once more, and those tiny hands love to help you, so give them light bags to carry.
The more you praise your child, express your pride and practice positive habits, the more progress your little walker will make. And those tiny shoes are so adorable!
An avid outdoors girl, Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit and enjoys all seasons, especially summer. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.
Sources Mother.ly.com, Parents.com, Mom365.com