Being a parent can be a magical experience. However, it can also be a stressful one.
As a parent, you always want to make sure your little one is healthy and happy. That means your baby needs to be hitting all those important milestones, like walking and talking.
When do babies start walking and talking?
Read on to find the answer and make sure your little one is on track!
When Do Babies Start Walking and Talking? Here’s the Answer!
When Do Babies Start Walking?
We’ve compiled the average age babies should begin crawling and walking. However, keep in mind that not every baby is the same. Some babies may learn these things earlier than other babies or even a little later. That’s okay!
If your baby learns how to crawl right away and walks early, s/he is probably more active and curious than the average baby. On the other hand, if your baby learns how to walk a little later than other babies, it may simply be because s/he is shy, cautious, or interested in other things.
If your baby is severely delayed in walking, however, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about it. Your doctor will be able to tell you if it’s normal that your child is delayed or if there is something wrong.
Crawling
Most babies start crawling by about six to ten months old.
What if your baby never crawls? Should you be concerned?
Not necessarily. Some babies skip crawling all together and move right into walking. Most babies crawl simply because they are experimenting with different ways of moving and getting around. Babies are more likely to crawl when they are given more freedom to move around, especially on their stomachs.
So, in the end, you don’t need to be concerned if your baby doesn’t crawl. However, it’s a good idea to allow your baby to explore and move around where it’s safe to do so. That way, they can gain muscles that will help them learn how to walk.
Walking
Generally, most babies begin walking between nine and sixteen months of age, with 50% of babies walking by twelve months.
When babies begin walking, they will need to hold on to you or furniture to stand up. Their steps won’t be too sturdy until after a few months of practice.
In other words, while your little one may be able to stand and take a few steps on his/her own, it might be a few months before s/he can walk steadily all by his/herself.
When should you be concerned?
If your baby does not start walking by eighteen months, you should talk to your doctor just to be safe.
When Do Babies Start Talking?
Just like with walking, babies may learn how to talk at different ages. Some babies learn to talk later in life simply because they are shy, have a talkative sibling, or for other reasons.
If that’s the case with your little one, consider teaching him/her baby signs. That way, your baby is still learning effective ways to communicate. Additionally, if your child can learn baby signs, it means s/he understands what you say.
S/He may have the ability to talk, but s/he might begin saying his/her first words later in life. It doesn’t mean your baby is less smart than a baby who learns to talk at an early age.
However, if your baby simply isn’t trying to communicate at all or is severely delayed, you may want to talk to your doctor to see if your child has a learning disability or is simply a late-talker.
Here are the average ages babies learn to babble and talk:
Babbling
Babbling is when babies start making sounds that resemble your language. For example, English babbling is going to sound a little different than Spanish babbling.
Most babies will start babbling by five months of age. For the most part, their first babbling sounds will be B, P, and M sounds. They might say things like “ba-ba-ba-ba” or “ma-ma-ma-ma.”
All in all, babbling consists of consonants and vowels that may sound like words, but are not necessarily coherent.
First Words
Once your baby has had some time practicing moving his/her mouth to make different sounds, s/he should start to make his/her first words by the time s/he reaches one year old.
Generally, first words don’t come until about nine to fifteen months old.
By about fifteen months old, your baby should know at least three to five words.
By this age, your baby should know the meaning of words like “no.”
Talking
After the age of two, you will probably lose track of how many words your baby knows. At this point, your little one will become a sponge for language.
On average, most two-year-olds know about 100-300 words and can understand even more.
In fact, by the age of three, your child should already be able to recite the alphabet!
Find a School that Teaches Your Baby to Walk and Talk!
So when do babies start walking and talking? Generally, babies should know how to walk by the age of one and be talking by the age of two.
However, babies don’t learn everything all by themselves. So you must nurture and encourage your baby to reach these important milestones.