Is It Bad For A Baby To Walk Early?

You can’t help but get excited for your baby’s first steps.

What a beautiful moment. But contradictory thoughts may cross the mind of a new mom from time to time. Worry and concern can arise easily.

Are there dangers of baby walking too early?

There's no peer reviewed scientific evidence that it is bad for a baby to walk early.

It’s not a predictor of negative motor skill development either.

A baby’s motor skill development is the crawling, sitting, standing and walking processes.

We look at 8 month old baby activities, the average baby walking age, signs baby will walk soon, reasons they’re not walking at all by 18 months and how to trick your baby into walking.

Is it Bad For a Baby to Walk at 6 Months?

Babies don’t start walking at 6 months. At 6 months, they’re typically rolling over from their back to their tummy.

Around this time they can also be sitting up on their own. This is not the average baby walking age however.

Unless your baby is Freya Minter, the youngest baby on record to walk.

Born in 2019 in Essex, UK, Freya is in the Guinness World Records for taking her 1st steps at just 6 months old. What an achievement!

Many babies will be getting ready to sit up and begin standing with support in the coming months.

If you have dreams of getting your baby to walk at 6 months, albeit possible, most do not. They will go at their own pace. So don’t get discouraged if they haven’t yet.

Is It Bad For A Baby To Walk at 8 months?

Babies are crawling around 8 months old. Crawling is good to strengthen the arms, legs and core muscles.

This gets baby ready for the walking phase. And begin to develop their central equilibrium and balance.

Keep your eye on them if they are fast crawlers. They can get away from your line of sight if not paying attention. Once out of line if sight, they can get into mischief rather quickly.

Try creating mini obstacle courses to maximize crawling skills. A great way to use the crawling phase to your advantage.

Motivate them with an obstacle or challenge in their path and make it harder for them to exit your line of sight. 

Hide behind an object and as they get to the finish line surprise them with a “peek-a-boo!” The encouragement will make them want to do it again.

Practice makes perfect.

8 Month Old Baby Activities

Infants develop on their own schedule.

Don’t get discouraged if you think they’re not where they should be.

Focus on is how often your baby begins to learn the habit of balancing themselves. Most likely, they’ll start walking earlier than you think.

Check for these 8 month old baby activities:

• Roll over both ways

• Roll over in their sleep

• Crawl across the room

• Sitting up on their own

• Scoot around on their bum

• Rock back and forth

• Pull themselves up to stand

These are all signs baby will walk soon. Start 8 month old baby activities early to get them standing and walking for the first time sooner rather than later.

Keep encouraging playtime sessions that stimulate walking earlier.

What is the Average Age For a Baby to Walk?

The average baby walking age is around 9 months. Give or take a month or so.  

At 9-12 months babies are standing up by holding furniture, canvassing the room and become mobile. Usually taking first steps by 12-15 months.

This is when you’ll see them exploring around walking all on their own.

Babies stand without support at around 9 months but can begin to try pulling themselves up as early as 8 months old.

Be careful to not have anything that they can pull down on higher surfaces that may be dangerous and fall on top of them. 

When your baby starts to walk they’ll start to walk with feet wide apart. This wider stance is to maintain a better balance and be less shaky when in motion.

As they grow they will learn to stop, turn and change directions.

Next they’ll learn to squat, pick up things and go back to standing position. Once this phase begins, an intense craving for push-pull toys gets them very excited.  

Not Walking at All By 18 Months?

Eliminate all other possibilities first if your toddler’s not walking at all by 18 months.

Things like muscular dystrophy issues, vitamin D deficiency, hypothyroidism, rickets and/or delayed motor skills.

Rickets is a condition that includes a deficiency of vitamin D and a softening of bones sometimes resulting in bow legs.

Some reasons for late walking in babies may be foreshadowed by other behaviors. Closely watch the patterns of their growth and development.

Precursors that your baby is not walking at all by 18 months may be:

• If your baby is not sitting up without support by 9 months

• Not standing with support by 12 months

• If your baby is carried everywhere/not given opportunities to walk

Don’t be worried about your baby walking late. There is an answer to the question, “when should I worry about my baby not walking?”

If your toddler is not walking at all by 18 months, have your child’s physician check the muscle strength in their feet.

When Should I Worry About My Baby Not Walking?

If you’re wondering, why isn’t my baby walking? No need to hit the panic button.

You shouldn’t necessarily be concerned. You should be concerned about your baby not walking at around 18 months.

We found an article written by Webmd editorial contributors discussing,

“If your baby is 18 months or older and hasn’t started walking yet, or if you’re concerned about your child’s development, contact your pediatrician.”

If 1.5 years has gone by and you’re not living with a mini walker yet, or you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your physician.

So instead of concerning yourself with, is it bad for a baby to walk early?

Just remind yourself and ask, is my baby walking late? Ask for assistance from your pediatrician at 18 months old, if your child isn’t walking yet.

How to Trick Your Baby into Walking

Try this if you want to learn how to trick your baby into walking.

Gently hold their arms up above their head. Let them begin to feel their own full body weight on the bottoms of their feet.

This activity familiarizes them with natural weight distribution and balance.

1.     Have them stand stationary stepping on top each of the top of your feet at first.

2.     Slowly take steps forward while you hold their hands above their head.

3.     Next, have them use their own feet while you guide them forward holding onto their hands with their arms above their head.

They feel the sensory perception of bending the knees and moving the hips and ankles forward.

They absorb the sight and motion of what it looks like to walk. They’ll naturally look down at their feet.

They’ll learn to mimic the natural walking process doing this activity.

Another exercise is to have them lock and unlock the knees as they contract and fully extend their legs. Hold their hands above their head while trying.

Do this for about 5-10 seconds at a time. If they get fussy discontinue practice until their mood changes.

No peer reviewed studies confirm dangers of baby walking too early.

Encourage their achievements. Practice activities that stimulate gross motor development skills.

Give them lots of hugs and kisses. Enjoy your baby’s first steps!  

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