How to Encourage Safe Walking for Babies and Toddlers — Čuvarak

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Anastasija Martinović, educator at Čuvarak, shares practical, gentle ways to support your child's move toward walking. This is educational information, not medical advice. Every child follows their own timeline for first steps, so focusing on a specific age is not the most helpful approach. Instead, create daily chances for movement on a safe, flat surface. Allow barefoot time or non‑slip socks so your child's feet can feel and adapt to the floor. Short, frequent sessions of unpressured floor play build leg strength and balance over time. Arrange the environment so stable furniture and low, sturdy toys are within reach for pulling up and cruising. Stay close and expect falls while your child learns; supervision helps reduce risk. Do not pull a child by the hands to make them walk, and avoid seated walkers. If you use a push‑along aid, choose a stable model and only use it under supervision, especially once the child can stand steadily. Make the home safer by restricting access to stairs, covering outlets, securing windows, and padding sharp corners. Walking independently does not mean a child is ready for stairs or risky areas without adult help. Offer encouragement, celebrate small steps, and allow motor skills to unfold at the child's own pace. Contact your pediatrician if the child seems markedly stiff or floppy, consistently favors one side of the body, is not progressing in standing or moving, or loses a motor skill they previously had. The pediatrician can refer to a physiatrist or physiotherapist for further evaluation. This guide is educational and does not replace medical assessment.