I recently put together some footage for a video of some of the hard work that goes into walking for children with developmental disabilities. However, the same concepts can apply to any child who is learning to walk.
Balance is a huge factor for learning to walk. Give your child the chance at success first by controlling the environment they are learning in. It should be short distances, level ground, sturdy shoes, not a lot of distractions going on around them and lots of motivation/rewards. This looks like toys that interest them, mom or dad cheering them on, etc.
As they start to get some success add in fun challenges such as ‘dancing’ or trying to pick up a toy from the ground, turning around to head in a different direction, different terrain (carpet, hardwood, grass), bare feet vs shoes, etc.
These are things that can make learning to walk fun for a child who has to work extra hard at it!
