How to Encourage Independent Steps
Your child has been cruising and is able to take a few steps with a pushcart but is now stuck and has not been progressing much. Follow these simple tricks and exercises to help build strength and the confidence your little one needs to start taking independent steps.
Change up the surfaces: If your little one is walking along the furniture, encourage them to switch up the surface. Practice stepping between the couch and coffee table or ottoman. Varying the distance between pieces of furniture as well as varying the height of furniture is a great way to work on your child’s balance. We want your child to be successful so if the objects are too far away, children are smart, and they won’t attempt to reach. You want to just slowly increase the distance between the objects the more comfortable they get at it. Also changing the direction your little one must reach for the other pieces of furniture. At first try putting furniture next to each other so that they must take a large step sideways. Once they get good at that, change the environment so that your child must turn and reach for the next piece of furniture. This will work on your little one’s balance and overall core strength.
Unsupported Play: Practice playing in standing at a surface such as the wall, a mirror, or the refrigerator, where your child can’t grip onto something to hold on to. The vertical surface gives less support and security than flat surfaces like the couch or ottoman. Place magnets, stickers, or suction cup toys to either side to encourage them to cruise in both directions as well as to squat and reach for objects. All that movement helps them strengthen their legs and build up their confidence.
Posterior Play: Practice standing with back supported on the wall or in a corner. This gives children some exposure to standing without support from their hands, which can help to build their confidence. Play clapping games, sing songs, blow bubbles, or read books to help distract them. As they get comfortable, encourage them to reach forward or sideways to pop a bubble or turn a book page, reaching just far enough that they have to briefly lift their back off the wall. This will allow them to practice standing independently for short periods and will help to build their standing confidence.
Holding onto objects rather than your hands: Practice standing and walking with shared toys. Holding a toy will give less support than holding your hands or holding furniture. Try having your child hold on to a toy and then walk with them while you’re also holding the toy. This works particularly well with small rings, a hula hoop, large balls, and bats/sticks, but can be done with almost any toy. Working toward walking with a towel or stuffed animal will help continue to build their confidence.
Decrease your Support: As much as it may be easier to hold your child’s hands from above when walking with them, try kneeling in front of them and holding their hands lower (at or below shoulder height). As they get more comfortable, decrease your support to their sleeve or the back of their shirt. Walking with a weighted push cart is another great way to work on core strength and practice walking.
Use of two handed toys: Using toys that involve using two hands such as velcro food, or pull apart toys, is a good way to have your child practice unsupported standing without realizing it! If using two hands to play, they automatically are forced to use more balance reactions and strength than they would need if they were holding on.