WALKING

                                                           WALKING

                                                          

A baby's muscles take time to develop:                   Muscle development starts from head to toe. Your child will first develop control over the neck muscles. He will then learn to control the torso, and finally, the leg muscles. Your baby will first start sitting up, crawling and turning over. He will enjoy being bounced on your knee. By the time he is around 8 months, he will start learning how to stand. He will try to pull himself upright by holding on to furniture.  

The normal age range when a child starts walking is 9 to 15 months, and most children start walking just after the age of one - between 13 to 14 months. So if your 14 month child cannot walk, but can crawl, sit, stand, there is no cause for concern. Some babies skip the crawling stage altogether, and may start walking when they are 16-17 months.
 

 Every child is unique,and develops differently:

        While most children are walking by the age of 18 months.it is perfectly normal if your child cannot do so - if his other milestones are developing properly. Your child may not be able to walk at the age of 18 months, but can he sit up, stand and crawl? If not, yes, there may be cause for concern. It makes sense to speak to a doctor if this is the case, just to make sure that everything is normal. What is important to remember is that different babies develop different skills at a different rate so once again, don't go by fixed charts. Give your childsome developmental leeway. 

Try and remember that late milestone development is not an indicator that your child will be a slow learner as well.

How can you help your child to start walking ?

         Walkers are definitely NOT recommended, because babies tend to rely on them too much. As a result, their upper leg muscles don't develop as well as they should, and this could lead to a delay in the development of the walkingmilestone. In addition, each year there are around 200,000 injuries sustained by children due to walkers, and around 30,000 of these injuries are severe - they include fractures, dislocations etc. 

Canada has banned the use of walkers, and the American Medical Associationand various other organizations have proposed a ban on walkers in the United States. DON'T get your child a walker. 

Don't make your child wear shoes indoors. It is easier to learn waking barefoot. 

When holding your child while trying to make him walk, don't hold his legs or hands. Hold him by the torso. 

Try and encourage your child to develop by calling him to you, or placing a chocolate piece just out of reach, so that he crawls towards it. 

Make sure the floor is not too slippery, as your child may not find it easy to balance on such a floor.  

Many parents believe that they require to get their children expensive aids to toys to facilitate early development. Nothing could be further from the truth. What you need to do most is interact with your child, especially to facilitate brain development. Children love to hear stories. Instead of explaining yourchild a story in your own words, read it aloud to him. This will help him develop his vocabulary. Play with him, sing to him, talk to him - The reason younger children develop faster than their older sibling is that they have someone to interact with constantly. This makes all the difference.

                  Many parents want their kids to be active, and family walks can be an effective way to get kids exercising. However, keeping kids interested in regular pedestrian outings can be a challenge. With a few enjoyable activities and techniques to add variety to your routine, kids can actually look forward to the time spent walking with you, other members of the family and even the family pet. Both parents and children will probably experience a welcome boost to their overall health. 

              Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step. This applies regardless of the number of limbs - even arthropods. with six, eight or more limbs, walk.