By the time one year rolls around, your baby is officially classed as a toddler. They’ll probably be crawling well, curious, eating finger foods and generally bringing a whole lot of fun to your world. Now you can start looking out for that glorious milestone, your baby's first steps.
Every toddler is different, yours may already be walking, or they might still seem a long way off - this is all absolutely normal. And if you are currently waiting with baited breath, your camera in hand, here are a few things to look for.
- Sofa support – before they learn to walk your toddler will probably learn to stand by supporting themselves on various pieces of furniture.
- Cruising – once your toddler can support themselves on furniture, you might see them move by sliding along side the couch or coffee table. They can also move from support to support, working their way around your home. Try to imagine yourself in a really unstable pair of roller skates, hanging on for balance. That’ll give you some idea of what your little one is up to.
- All by myself – eventually they’ll be able to stand on their own, without support from you or the furniture. Again, the timeline varies but you can expect this to happen somewhere between nine and 14 months.
- Shaky first steps – once they’ve conquered standing, it’s a matter of waiting for those first baby steps forward. Be patient, it might take a while and there could be a few spills along the way. Eventually you’ll see that tiny person take a slow, shaky step towards you. That’s a moment you’ll never forget!
- Bow legs – don’t worry if your toddler seems to be bow legged when they first stand as nearly all babies and toddlers are. Even if they stand with their feet together their knees probably won’t touch. They might stay bow legged for another year yet, and that’s perfectly normal.
