Parenting Technique 61 – While this may seem counterintuitive, the best thing you can do for your young baby to foster walking is to provide opportunities to crawl, sit, and strengthen his or her back.

While parents in our culture tend to focus on that extremely exciting day of those very first steps, here is the best advice for the whole first year! Relax, Relax, Relax!

Human beings are mobile, and this inborn drive is evident at birth. Therefore, providing an environment all through the early years that is conducive to motor development is all that is necessary.

Six Months to a Year

While the average age for walking is about 12 months, preparation for walking is in full swing all during the second half of this first year. Key to the whole process is mastering the sitting position, crawling, and strengthening the back. All during this time your baby explores. The richer the environment is for learning, the more exploration your baby will do. Your baby will also explore by trying to put everything in his or her mouth. No need to worry about that. As a matter of fact, you can encourage this mouthing process with clean, large and safe objects. Muscles will also develop as this total environmental exploration experience takes place.

– adapted from Constructive Parenting by Sally Goldberg, p. 58

Constructive Parenting…

Learning for your baby happens all the time, and motor activities play a major role. They contribute directly to brain growth and the organization of the nervous system.

A Bouquet of Positive Feelings!

Here is a beautiful way Nancy Tillman says it in her book Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You.

You can dance ‘til you’re dizzy…

paint ‘til you’re blue…

There’s no place, not one,

that my love can’t find you.