Do you remember when you started letting your toddler crawl in your garden? It is exciting how they get hyperactive when allowed to move freely in the open. The more active they are, the more quickly they can learn and grow. Yet, there are parents who do not let their toddlers play in the garden. They support their action by saying that kids can get lost if they are allowed to wander on their own. This is not that big an issue for people who have installed vinyl fencing around their homes. With a vinyl fence in place, you can rest assured for the security of your strolling child.

As for the learning, it is true that if a child is allowed to crawl more often, he starts walking much sooner. The normal time when a child starts strolling is after 13 months. There are some kids who show early interest in walking while others may not even walk until 16 months. In both cases, the baby is perfectly fine. As you know every individual is different and so are their developmental capabilities.

Parents, however, are always ready to spot the action when their kid starts to walk for the first time. They have concerns as to why their child has not started walking as yet. There can be different factors for this such as the willingness of the child or because he doesn't get enough opportunity to practice. You will find some kids are naturally content to hang out playing in an exersaucer, high chair, crib or even in your arms.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if it is your child, he or she must be given sufficient time to roam freely on the floor. This is one of the best ways in which the child can put his or her motor skills to use. According to some an exersaucer, jumper or sit-in walker can teach and assist a child in walking. But in reality the opposite is true. The babies use different sets of muscles in these devices that they could use while walking. So technically, there is no learning with these devices. Moreover, they rely on the device to catch them instead of learning to balance on their own.

At the end of the day, a child will start walking within a period of one year to 16 months no matter what the parents do or do not do. But yes, there are some exceptions to this rule. There are some cases in which the parents are too concerned for the child getting hurt that they don't even set him or her down. The concern is alright but the child really needs to practice cruising and pulling up. These are instances when there is an unnecessary delay in the learning of a child.

The bottom line is that your child will not learn to walk unless he or she loses his or her balance a couple of times. Your child may bump into something and fall occasionally, but that is part of the learning process. And whether you admit it or not, there is very little you can do to prevent it. So instead of keeping him or her locked with you, just remain next to him or her when he or she learns to walk.Connor R Sullivan