[AD. This is a contributed post]
Walking is a huge achievement for babies. Also, it is the most precious moment for parents to see their children walking on their own. However, when your child starts walking on its own, there are higher chances of getting injured. While getting injured during this learning stage is common, you still need to make sure that the environment is safe for your kid.
However, if you are unsure about how to keep your child safe when he/she starts walking, you have arrived at the right place. Here we will discuss some of the tips on how you can avoid injuries when your baby starts walking. So, let’s get started:
[Photo by Marjorie Bertrand on Unsplash]
Keeping your child safe when learning to walk.
Avoid Wet And Slippery Floors
As your baby has just started to walk, they are not used to walking on the slippery floors. Thus, the chances of getting slipped are higher because they won’t be able to balance their body. Therefore, it is wise to make sure that the floors are clean and dry when your little one is around.
Moreover, you can use the baby-friendly liquid to clean your floors to avoid any irritation and discomfort to your baby.
Make Them Learn How To Balance
Your baby is still learning about how the body works. Therefore, keeping an eye on your baby when they are taking their first steps is essential. Make them learn how to balance by holding their hands. Once they know how to balance their body, they will soon start to stand and walk on their own.
When your child learns how to stand and walk, buying a baby walker can be a wise move. You may find tons of baby walkers online which can help your baby cruise around your home. Baby walkers will give your child the independence to walk anywhere without your help.
Baby-Proof Your Home
When your child becomes independent, the chances are they can get injured as they push themselves off their limit. So, it is wise to keep them safe by baby-proofing your home. Baby proofing is the process of creating a safe environment for your kid to avoid injuries.
Here are some of the baby proofing tips you should follow:
- Install a baby gate at the top and bottom of the stairs.
- All the heated surfaces like radiators and furnaces should be covered so that your baby can’t reach them.
- Cover all the electric appliances to avoid your child putting their fingers in the plug.
To make sure everything is covered, get on your hands and knees and view it from a toddler's perspective. This will give you a deep insight into what other areas should be covered to prevent the potential hazards.
Take Your Baby’s Shoes Off
When your little one is taking those little steps, it is wise to take his/her shoes off. Walking barefoot can improve the child’s balance and also lessens the number of falls they take. However, get a pair of comfortable shoes for your kid whenever he/she is going outside.
When your child is learning to take those little steps, it is wise to keep an eye on them. Moreover, encourage your child to walk every day. After all, the more your child walks, the better.
To sum up, follow the tips mentioned above to create a safe environment for your child.
We didn't even get shoes for Leo until he was a confident walker! He's started running now which is even harder to keep him safe as he trips over thin air all the time haha.
Corinne x
These are some really good points to think about. I am looking forward to becoming a mum in the future so I can see things like my child learning to walk. Thank you for sharing Claire.
Lauren x
It's so important to make your child safe while they're learning to walk! Especially baby-proofing the house x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I made the mistake of getting Jaxon shoes in the hope it would encourage him to walk more but actually I just ended up fighting him to keep them on. Once he did start walking he just wasn't bothered, he could get further and faster by still crawling so that's what he did. When he was a bit older, we found out that he was hypermobile in his ankles and so walking might have been more of a challenge for him.
With Rex, I waited longer until he was definitely on the move and I thought he might be walking. I bought his first pair of shoes before we came out to DK, but he didn't really start walking properly until Christmas sort of time. Eventually, he got the hang of it and now he loves taking the stairs at nursery so he can show off lol. He walks a lot now (23 months) and is getting the hang of running (or at least doing a fast waddle lol). He loves being able to keep up with Jaxon more and I wonder if having Jaxon to copy meant he was quicker to get on the move.
Take your baby shoes off is good. That’s Asian tips. Thank you for sharing.
Definitely found it interesting about taking their shoes off, I'd always assumed shoes would be easier to walk in!
Amy x
callmeamy.co.uk
Ohhh the beginning walking stage. Thank you for taking me back to these moments. I was always so fearful of my babies falling backwards and hitting their heads.
I loved using walkers with traction to help control the speed.
Great tips! It's so scary when babies start to walk. There is so much more they can get into and so many more places they can reach. I agree with waiting to buy shoes. My kids didn't have shoes until they were confident walkers.
I don’t have children yet but I’ll be sure to send this to family and friends who do as I think this is such an important post! Thank you for sharing these amazing tips with us, I think a lot of people will benefit from them. Great post lovely Xo
Elle - ellegracedeveson.com
I think shoes are only for outdoors anyway, but that's a good tip about keeping them barefoot!