The arrival of a baby in the family suddenly fills life with exciting firsts. Among these, few are as symbolic and emotional as the moment your baby takes their first steps. It is such a significant developmental milestone, and it often happens so suddenly—almost overnight—that parents are left mesmerized by the miracle before their eyes. And seeing your baby walk for the first time is one of those images that stays forever etched in your memory, isn’t it?

In this article, we’ll tell you roughly when this milestone usually happens, the stages that lead up to it, and how you can support your baby’s first steps.

When do the baby's first steps occur?

Like any developmental milestone, a baby's first steps don’t happen at an exact age. They can occur anytime between 9 and 18 months . In the end, each baby is different, and that means their abilities may develop sooner or later.

If your baby sits, crawls, and moves normally, there’s no need to worry if, between 15 and 18 months, they still haven’t taken a step. If that window passes, you can consult your pediatrician , but in general, if your baby is active, they may simply need more time before they start walking. Some babies develop such an efficient crawling technique that, since it works so well, they set aside any interest in walking for a while. “ Why, if I can already move on all fours ?” they might think.

1. The baby is doing the somersault: The first stage in developing a baby’s walking ability is still far from those first steps, but it’s essential to reaching them. This usually begins around 4-6 months , when your little one can lie on their stomach, hold their head up, and control their movements. Once they achieve
this, they will almost without thinking do what we commonly call a “croquette,” meaning a roll that allows them to go from face down to face up and vice versa.

2. The baby crawls on all fours: Once they learn to sit up, the next step is to move around, drawn to objects they can see but can’t reach from where they are. This is the beginning of crawling on all fours. There are hundreds of different ways to crawl! What’s more, some babies skip this stage and go straight to walking. There’s no need to worry. As we always say, every child is different.

3. The baby remains upright with support: The moment arrives when your little adventurer discovers verticality. They’re getting closer to taking their first steps! During this stage, you’ll see them use furniture at their height (coffee tables, because of their size, are usually their favorites) to pull themselves up. At first, they’ll simply stand up and sit back down. Once they’ve mastered this, they’ll start taking their first shy steps while holding on to the furniture. The miracle is about to happen!

4. The baby's first steps: Sooner or later, when your baby feels confident taking steps while holding on to furniture around the house, they’ll be encouraged to test their limits and try their first steps without help. At first, it may be one or two hesitant steps that end with a little fall. Soon, it will be 3, 4, 5, 6… And before you know it, your little one will be able to walk, even if slowly and with limited stability. In the following months, they’ll refine their steps and gradually gain speed and confidence. In a few months, around two or three years old, you’ll watch with admiration as that baby who could barely take a few steps can now run like a hare.

6 Tips to Support Your Baby's First Steps

- Safety comes first: As we’ve said, a baby’s first steps are unsteady, and they tend to fall. To prevent more serious injuries, nothing beats simple safety measures. For example, cover furniture corners with protectors, make sure furniture (especially shelves) is stable and can’t be tipped over, remove valuable, fragile, or dangerous objects from their reach, and install safety barriers on stairs.

- A little help?: Healthcare professionals have long discouraged the use of walkers, also known as silence . However, in recent
years, baby stroller carts have been developed—wheeled objects your little adventurer can use for support while moving forward step by step. In their
own way, they’re a kind of “personal trainer” for developing balance.

- Encourage them, respect their pace, and support them through falls: As we mentioned at the beginning, a baby’s first steps are a major developmental milestone, so don’t hesitate to congratulate them and share your joy. A parent’s confidence and cheerful reaction are always a reason to keep trying and improving. That said, this encouragement should never
turn into pressure or rushing. As we’ve mentioned, each baby has their own pace, so respect it and allow them to develop their walking skills when they feel ready. Just as important is being there to support them, comfort them, and show affection during their falls—which will happen, and often. With a mother’s and father’s love, the pain fades more quickly.

-Give them freedom to explore: The safety measures mentioned at the beginning are essential so you can feel secure while your little adventurer begins to explore their world—their home—on their first steps. The more you
allow them to move and roam freely, the easier it will be for them to learn to walk. And the desire to discover is always a great incentive to get started!

-Avoid holding them by both hands: When children start moving around while holding on to furniture, it’s very tempting to take their hands, lift their arms, and help them walk. There’s nothing wrong with doing this occasionally, but it’s important to know it won’t help your little adventurer learn to walk. On the contrary, this kind of assistance can disrupt their balance and make them more dependent on those hands to take steps.

-Wear comfortable clothes: The last piece of advice for supporting a baby’s first steps makes perfect sense. When you exercise, what do you wear? The most comfortable clothes possible, right? The same reasoning applies when a baby starts to walk, so dress them in soft, comfortable clothes so they can move with total freedom.