As a general rule of thumb, kids at the age of two should be able to walk and run well. This is a developmental milestone that they need to achieve when they reach this age. If this doesn’t happen, then it can be a cause of concern for many parents.
If your toddler is two-year-old, and they still can’t walk, then it is time for you to do something about it. There are many things you can do to help speed up this process and ensure they begin walking in no time. Here are some of the top things you can do.
Key Notes
- Incorporate techniques such as cruising
- Assist them while they try to talk
- Use toys and rewards to help the process
- Help them sit on a stool and get back up without back support
1. Try Assisted Walking
A fantastic way to help your child walk is ‘Assisted Walking’. As clear from the name, you have to assist your child so that they can feel comfortable and begin walking on their own.
You will have to stand behind your two-year-old, place your hands on their upper arms, and pull them to stand.
Don’t put a lot of pressure on the child and make sure the pace of assisted walking is slow. Holding your child’s arm gently and then help them walk by pulling one arm forward after the other.
When a toddler begins doing this, their arms and feet will start getting used to the movement.
For the best results you can incorporate this practice into your daily routine but only do it for a few minutes so the baby does not get tired.
2. Help Them Cruise
Cruising is one of the most popular techniques that many parents apply to help their toddlers walk. It involves cruising along a piece of furniture like a sofa. Here is what you can do to aid this process:
- Your two-year-old should stand adjacent to the sofa.
- Let the toddler hold the sofa with one hand while the other hand should be help by the parent.
- Gradually start moving along the sofa.
- When you start doing this often, your two-year-old will leave you and practice this without assistance
Keep in mind that you can also use incentives during this process to encourage your toddler to walk.
For example, you can place the favourite toy of your toddler at one side of the sofa and then start their walking practice from the other side. This will motivate them to cruise along and grab it.
In the same way, you can be creative and find many ways to encourage your toddler to walk to the end of the sofa.
The more fun you make the activity, the more likely they will want to explore it on their own.
3. Opt For Cruising And Kicking
Another option similar to cruising is cruising and kicking, which you can try out. As your two-year-old is holding on to the sofa or any other furniture, you can keep a soft toy on the ground next to their feet.
It is ideal for the toy to be a ball that the baby can hit without getting hurt. You will see that the toddler will start to kick the toy.
At the start, when the baby is moving along the sofa their feet might unintentionally touch the ball but when the practice is repeated, they will start kicking the ball on purpose.
You can also make this even more interesting by using more than one ball.
The first ball can be placed on one side while the second ball can be placed on the other side. It is also a great way to add a new movement, such as kicking, to your toddler’s routine.
4. Help Sit On A Stool
Finally, the last thing you can do to help your two-year-old to walk is to have them sit on a stool without back support. Here is what you must do:
- Make the toddler sit on a stool without any support
- Their feet need to touch the floor, and the hips and knees should be at 90 degrees
- Ask the toddler to pick up or reach the toy on the floor and then sit back
- You can keep moving the toy to boost the reach
It is one of the best ways to encourage toddlers to stand on their own without any assistance. Besides that, it is also a great way to strengthen their shoulder, back, and legs.
Final Thoughts
Follow these four guidelines as they are the most important things you can do if your two-year-old still can’t walk on their own.
Some children bloom late, and that is completely fine. You can use these processes to assist the walking process and help your toddler achieve this milestone in no time.
