Many parents ask themselves when their baby's first step will be, and especially try to be ready to record everything in an exciting video that will become a sweet memory.
The answer is very general, and the accepted range is between one and a half years of age, but some children will be early and some will be late.
Even if it seems to you that your baby has already mastered crawling, standing and moving next to furniture for quite some time - walking is a stage that requires readiness, strength, balance and stability as well as confidence, and such a stage can take time.
If your child has already passed the age of one and a half and you don't see walking on the horizon, you should consult a pediatrician who will probably refer a developmental specialist or a physical therapist to encourage walking, but in any case - stay calm.
If there is no acute problem, your child will not crawl forever.
The development of walking
Before a baby starts walking, he will first stand.
First he will lean on a piece of furniture or on you, and after he gains confidence he will even stand on his own.
There are babies who skip the independent standing and go straight to first steps.
These steps will look quite amusing to an observer from the side: a wide leg, an unstable placing of the foot on the floor which sometimes ends in a fall, reaching the arms to the sides and transferring a rough weight from foot to foot.
The baby will first look like he is rocking and over time the walk will be perfected and become faster and more stable.
Around the age of two, walking is established and hand movements are added to it - the right hand is raised at the same time as the left leg and vice versa.
When to buy a baby's first shoes?
Basically, as late as possible.
Walking barefoot is the healthiest for the foot of the baby who has just started walking, and it is the one that will help the walk to establish, strengthen and stabilize in the best way.
Walking barefoot also means no socks, so it is better to heat the house on cold days and let the baby walk around barefoot, even outside the house.
If you think he's lying, stock him with patent anti-slip socks and put off buying the shoes as much as possible, for his sake.
As soon as you have decided that it is time for first shoes, either because of the weather or because of dangers to the baby walking outside such as a too hot floor, mud, glass and more - make sure to purchase only according to the following points: · Check that the sole of the shoe is flexible and thin
.
Try to bend the shoe to the sides and feel that there is no resistance.
· Buy shoes without heels and with flat soles.
· Be sure to purchase shoes with non-slip soles.
· Make sure the shoe is not too heavy, so that the baby's steps, which are already unstable, will not encounter another challenge.
· Make sure the shoe is not too small or too big on the foot.
If you buy in a physical store, you should take the baby to measure the shoes, and if you order online - accurately measure the length of the foot and take into account the need to change the size when the shipment arrives.
It is important to emphasize that there are a variety of shoes on the market that are defined as pre-walking shoes or first step shoes, and most of them meet all these parameters, but there can be shoes that are not branded as such, and they will also be excellent for this purpose.
Do not shy away from buying shoes that are not branded as "first step shoes", and not even at a lower price than those that are.
Just use your judgment.
Despite the enthusiasm for buying tiny shoes, sometimes even from brands for adults who release a wonderful line for babies, do not invest in more than one good pair at the beginning.
The foot length of babies is expected to grow every two months by half a size on average and then you will have to buy a new pair anyway.
A baby plays with wooden toys (Photo: ShutterStock)
The Jama application was established with the aim of responding to mothers of babies between the ages of birth and three, and to gather for them content, activities, tips from experts and videos that will accompany them throughout this challenging period.
All the content in the application "grows" together with the baby and is precisely adapted to the stages of his development, so that the mothers receive only what is relevant to them and interests them at any given moment.
The Jama app is the place for mothers in Israel to meet and get to know other mothers around them, and to create new and exciting friendships in the fascinating journey.
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Daniel Saranetsky, in collaboration with JAMA
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