4. Allow your child to go barefoot , or with only a diaper and shirt, when exploring her environment either through crawling or walking. Children do not need shoes to help them walk. Wait to buy shoes until the weather gets cold or they are spending a lot of time walking on rough surfaces. We all take in a lot of information about our environment through our sense of touch. Create a safe environment that offers places for your child to practice her developing motor skills.
Children love to crawl under and over as well as through obstacles.
Once your child can pull to a standing position, provide firm, stable surfaces that are also cushioned for those times when she loses her grip. It is also important to set up support surfaces that are easy to cruise around. This is a child s work. Once a child discovers that she can perform a skill, she wants to do it all the time. This is how a child masters that skill.