Crawling
7 to 10 Months
Your baby is now less top-heavy, more cylindrical, and better able to coordinate his muscles -- all necessary for crawling. In addition, pushing up and using his arms to sit up has increased his upper-body strength. Still, he may not do much in the beginning besides rock back and forth on all fours. With time, however, your little one will adopt one of the 25 forms of crawling in order to make his way across the floor. (Some babies never crawl and instead move straight from sitting up to standing. This is normal and no cause for concern.) The most popular crawling styles include the "combat crawl" (forearms flat on the floor and bottom up in the air), the "crab crawl" (moving backward or sideways before forward), and the standard creep on hands and knees.

How to Help: Beginning when your baby is a month old, gently "bicycle" his legs after diaper changes to stimulate the nerves and muscles in his legs and feet. Give your baby plenty of chances to crawl on all types of safe surfaces with plenty of supervision.

Standing and Cruising
8 to 12 Months
Your little one now has the strength and coordination to use furniture to pull himself into a standing position. But because his legs might not yet be sturdy enough for him to walk unassisted, he'll make do with cruising -- shifting his weight from side to side to take a short, tentative step with one foot, then bringing the other foot over to meet it, all the while holding on to furniture for support.

How to Help: Holding his hands in the air, let him walk between your legs -- this will strengthen the muscles of his legs and feet and reinforce the alternating movement needed for walking. Or stand on the other side of a long piece of furniture, such as a couch, and encourage your child to walk toward you. Steer clear of walkers, which can slow the development of the muscles in your baby's legs and are also a safety hazard. Finally, encourage cruising by placing favorite toys on low tables so your child will have to pull himself up to reach them.

Using Pincer Grasp
8 to 12 Months
Your baby's pincer grasp -- his ability to pick up small objects using only his thumb and forefinger -- plays a major role at feeding time. To get to this point, your baby must first be able to move each finger independently, in addition to having a well-developed sense of sight and unwavering determination. At first, he'll use his thumb and two or three fingers to pick up small objects, but with trial and error he'll quickly hone this skill.

How to Help: Offer your baby small, easy-to-grasp foods such as cereal, cooked vegetables, or fruit cut into very small pieces by holding them between your thumb and index finger. He'll imitate your pincer grasp and reach for the food.

Walking
11 to 18 Months
Even at birth, your baby's body is designed for walking. If you hold your newborn in the air, her legs will move in the "stepping" pattern: a toe-heel-toe motion with alternating legs, the same pattern she will later use to walk. What she doesn't have at birth -- or for nearly a year -- is the muscle strength and balance to support her entire body and walk without help from Mom or Dad. Once your baby does start to take her first steps, watch out. She'll likely weave and lurch with her legs wide apart, her arms held out to her sides, and her feet frantically slapping with each step. But the more she walks, the sooner her awkward gait will be replaced by a fast-moving, confident stroll.

How to Help: Wheeled toys that your child can push are a great way to encourage those first steps. And playing movement games (such as the hokey-pokey) will challenge your child's balance and posture.

When Should You Worry?
Your baby isn't sitting up or walking on schedule. Should you be concerned? Probably not: Your child may just be a late bloomer. Still, talk to your doctor about the following delays or warning signs.

Your baby can't lift her head and chest by 4 months.
He's not reaching for objects by 4 or 5 months.
She's unable to sit unassisted by 10 months.
He can't stand (even with help) by 12 months.
Her movements are asymmetrical; for example, she does everything with her left side and hardly ever uses her right, or one side of her body is much stronger than the other.
He moves very little, his limbs are limp, or his movements are jerky and spastic.

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