Mobility requires motivation and training

Adults and other children play a decisive role in shaping the little ones’ attitude towards walking

Our feet are a true marvel – by the way, the training of a child’s motor skills begins right after birth: When you hold your baby in your arms and carry it around with you, you are already setting in motion an important training process – the little one first learns to hold on, to be able to hold its head and to balance itself. These are the basics for learning to walk.

Practice, practice and practice again: coordination and movement

When we walk, our entire weight rests on our feet, although their surface area in contact with the ground is comparatively small. They have to provide a very complex balance of strength, elasticity, mobility and sensation with every movement. With every step, hundreds of muscles, but also many tendons and bones are activated – the whole body turns with it, while the head is usually held in the direction of walking. What a challenge to our perception and coordination of the movement sequences!
It is necessary to train the little feet regularly, because only through the alternating pressure load that occurs during hopping, climbing and running can the musculature and connective tissue develop in such a way that at the end there is a young person with a healthy body feeling and great ability who likes to move in a self-determined way. A large part of the human body is challenged during running to enable a fast balancing at any time – it is therefore important for you to know that every child takes its own developmental path for this and that the individual phases can take different lengths of time.

Learning from other children

Basically, every newly trained movement sequence builds on the one that has been successfully learned before! For example, your child must first learn to grasp firmly and hold on – this is the only way to be able to pull himself up on furniture and successfully stand on his own. Then it can start to take its first steps to the side. Eventually, the wonderful day will come when it can stand freely and dare to take its first steps forward.
An additional motivation to learn to walk with fun is the contact with other children, because playing together awakens the joy of movement and also the healthy ambition to emulate the others. Whether in the presence of adults or other children: The little feet should always be given due attention!

Photo: Three motivated girls with the MAXI ballerina "Fleur", who are playfully training their foot muscles