Welcome to your new baby: Learning to walk

Give her lots of practice time playing on the floor right from the start. Your baby will enjoy playing on the floor for longer periods as she gets better at lifting and turning her head, rolling, crawling, sitting and pulling herself up to stand. Eventually she’ll stand and walk while holding onto furniture (cruising).

Playing on the floor also lets your baby explore the world and enjoy her toys. 

Safety gates are a good way to stop your baby going anywhere dangerous once she starts to really move around the house!

Sitting

Babies usually sit by themselves between 7 to 8 months. If your baby needs some support, put her in a box or clothes basket on the floor until she is able to sit up on her own. 

Add new play things for her to explore, such as spoons, cups and balls. 

Move your baby around to where you are and talk to her while you work. 

Your baby’s exciting first steps will come!

Why we don’t recommend baby walkers

Using a baby walker or suspended jumping toy such as a Jolly Jumper will not help your baby learn to walk earlier, and may even delay it. Babies may learn to walk on their toes instead of their feet – and may need a lot of therapy to learn to walk properly. 

Babies that spend a lot of time in walkers and jumpers also miss out on new experiences through play time on the floor.

Walkers are also unsafe as they allow babies to move too quickly, reach things you don’t want them to reach, or fall down steps.