Around Anna's first birthday, I began propping her up against walls to help her strengthen her hips so that she might stand on her own. She didn't like it at first - I can imagine it was a lot of work and quite a balancing act as well. But as the weeks passed, she could stand against a wall for longer periods of time and started to enjoy it - after all, it was a different view!
As her strength improved, we started propping her up in front of chairs, couches, ottomans, etc. and placing toys on top of these items so she was encouraged to play in a standing position. The longer she stood, the stronger her legs and hips became. We also bought an activity table at a local garage sale (for only $3!) - definitely one of our best tools yet - it provided less support than our furniture so she had to work harder and she loved all of the different gadgets it offered so she didn't complain (unless she fell down!).
Standing in front of these items not only improved her leg and hip strength but strengthened her upper body. In the beginning she would play slumped over but eventually stood more erect leaving her hands and arms free to play rather than aid in supporting her.
As the months passed, she seemed ready to move onto something else but was very hesitant about cruising around. I felt this wasn't necessarily due to her inability but because she needed a little more support than the couch or chair would provide. That's when I knew it was time for some more homemade ingenuity.
Dave and I built the contraption - an Anna-sized version of parallel bars - in July 2007. It's about eight feet long and eighteen inches high (but don't quote me). The first time we placed her between the bars she immediately started laughing albeit nervously. She caught on very quickly and enjoyed being able to move about 'independently'. She used it to squat, balance on one foot, turn around - things I never even thought of! She loved it and would 'play' on it happily throughout the day.
Eventually she ventured from out from between the two bars and hung onto one side. Then she took a real gamble and moved from the contraption to the table, to the chair, etc. When she started scaling the walls like spiderwoman, I knew walking was inevitable.
Anna started walking at 18 1/2 months. And what did she do?! She waited until I popped outside to throw some garbage out to make her move! She wanted a private moment to figure out what she could do. I came back in seconds later only to find her in the middle of the room, holding onto nothing but a great big smile! Walking became Anna's absolutely favorite thing to do! And although I finally understood what parents meant by, 'wait until she starts walking,' I was so relieved, I was happy to follow her all over town if need be!
As her strength improved, we started propping her up in front of chairs, couches, ottomans, etc. and placing toys on top of these items so she was encouraged to play in a standing position. The longer she stood, the stronger her legs and hips became. We also bought an activity table at a local garage sale (for only $3!) - definitely one of our best tools yet - it provided less support than our furniture so she had to work harder and she loved all of the different gadgets it offered so she didn't complain (unless she fell down!).
Standing in front of these items not only improved her leg and hip strength but strengthened her upper body. In the beginning she would play slumped over but eventually stood more erect leaving her hands and arms free to play rather than aid in supporting her.
As the months passed, she seemed ready to move onto something else but was very hesitant about cruising around. I felt this wasn't necessarily due to her inability but because she needed a little more support than the couch or chair would provide. That's when I knew it was time for some more homemade ingenuity.
Dave and I built the contraption - an Anna-sized version of parallel bars - in July 2007. It's about eight feet long and eighteen inches high (but don't quote me). The first time we placed her between the bars she immediately started laughing albeit nervously. She caught on very quickly and enjoyed being able to move about 'independently'. She used it to squat, balance on one foot, turn around - things I never even thought of! She loved it and would 'play' on it happily throughout the day.
Eventually she ventured from out from between the two bars and hung onto one side. Then she took a real gamble and moved from the contraption to the table, to the chair, etc. When she started scaling the walls like spiderwoman, I knew walking was inevitable.
Anna started walking at 18 1/2 months. And what did she do?! She waited until I popped outside to throw some garbage out to make her move! She wanted a private moment to figure out what she could do. I came back in seconds later only to find her in the middle of the room, holding onto nothing but a great big smile! Walking became Anna's absolutely favorite thing to do! And although I finally understood what parents meant by, 'wait until she starts walking,' I was so relieved, I was happy to follow her all over town if need be!
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