Teaching our children to walk, to put one foot in front of the other, to navigate across the living room from the safety of the coffee table to the safety of dads outstretched arms without falling down, is a momentous occasion. Babies first step is a classic Big Event. Horizons are expanded by leaps and bounds when this basic skill is mastered. A child can move about, bringing toys with her. Her perspective changes from seeing everything at carpet level to seeing over and around things.
Space opens up, and the first inklings that parent and child are separate individuals start to form.
But teaching the physical skill of walking is one of the least important things we as parents teach our children. They'd learn to walk without us, one way or another. There would be more bruises and bumps certainly, but the human urge to get up and walk is powerful, and will not be denied for long. The other basic things we teach are far more important, and will affect the child in much more profound ways as he grows up. The notion that the world is basically a good place can only be taught by a caring, attentive parent.