Encouraging Confidence In Walking

“How can I encourage my baby to take steps? She is SO close, but it seems like a confidence issue. Tips?“

ANSWER- One of the biggest tips I have when it comes to confidence is environment setup (surprise surprise, LOL!).

Setting up the environment in a way that allows independent exploration and confidence building while also strengthening is the BEST possible thing you can do for most babies!

Some ideas here would be having two chairs just a touch apart with motivating toys on top. Have them almost touching at first so all they have to do is turn (while still holding on), and grab the toy. They can use as much or as little support as they want from the toy/chair, and then you can slowly move the chairs apart to increase the distance, strengthening, and ultimately confidence in their abilities!

You’ve got this!

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For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.

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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.