Your baby's mobility

From wriggling limbs to those wobbly first steps – once your baby gets mobile, there’s no stopping him…

0-6 MONTHS  

As he gradually starts to ‘uncurl’ and stretch out his body, your new baby’s muscles get stronger with each movement. Before he can control his body properly, he has to master the art of holding his own head up. Help encourage this by giving him short bursts on his tummy.

By three or four months, he’ll start doing mini push-ups, and soon after, rolling over. The days of being able to put him down in one place and know he’ll stay put are over, so take extra care!

Give him plenty of opportunity to stretch and kick his legs out, lying on both his front and back. By the time he’s six months old, he’ll be able to straighten his legs out and bear most of his weight when you hold him upright on your lap.

6-12 MONTHS

By six or seven months, your little one will be holding his head up steadily and sitting up on his own. If he’s not quite steady enough to sit up unaided, you can prop him up with a few cushions. He’ll love this new perspective on the world and it won’t be long before he sets off to explore it by himself.

Most babies learn to crawl between eight and 10 months, and they do it in an incredible variety of styles – some bum shuffle, some even zoom off backwards! Encourage him to move forward by placing an exciting toy just out of reach in front of him. Once he’s off, there’ll be no stopping him, so make sure stairs and any dangerous objects are out of bounds.

If he’s an early crawler, it’s likely that he’ll want to move on to ‘cruising’ before his first birthday. Pulling himself up onto his two feet, then attempting a few steps while holding onto furniture or your hands, is a sign that he’s nearly ready to walk.

12-18 MONTHS

By 13 months, about half of all babies are walking. But in their first few weeks, most will still fall over if they lose momentum, so make sure there are no sharp edges he can hit.

Once your baby has taken his first few steps, encourage him by giving him heaps of praise, and play walking games like getting him to totter back and forth between you and his dad.

Sturdy push-along toys will help him improve his balance. Your baby’s head is still very big and heavy compared with his body, so he’ll be quite unsteady until his legs grow stronger. That funny toddler gait will be around for a while – it’s not until he’s around four or five years old that he’ll walk in a really grown-up way.

Now he’s mobile, he’ll want to practice other skills – like climbing up stairs and onto the sofa or bed, and picking things up and carrying them around with him as he sets off on his adventures.

18 MONTHS+

By now, most tots will be pretty seasoned toddlers, manoeuvring sideways and backwards with ease, and many will be gearing up for some (very funny!) running.

Although his legs and muscles are strengthening and lengthening every day, it’s not until after his second birthday that he’ll have the balance and strength to run in a more grown-up way – with both feet off the ground at the same time.

In the same way, he’ll try to jump, but his feet probably won’t leave the floor together. He’s definitely got the hang of stamping (preferably in muddy puddles), and climbing and sliding at the playground are child’s play to him these days.

Your tot will probably still go up and down stairs on his hands and knees, which is much safer. But by the age of two he’s more likely to walk up, one foot at a time, holding onto the banister or your hand. Lots of time spent outdoors will give him a chance to practise all these new skills, as well as tiring him (and you!) out before bedtime.