Is Walking Instinctive or Learned? (Video Post)
My husband was goofing around with Owen this week when he got all excited and called me into the room. When I got there he said, “Look, he is walking!” Since Owen is only three and a half months I knew it wasn’t true but I have to admit that I was pretty impressed. My husband was holding Owen under the armpits and tipping him from one side to the other while Owen took very deliberate steps forward. I just sat there and watched in disbelief, does he really know how to walk already? Now don’t get me wrong, he cannot walk on his own but he seems to understand how to take steps forward. This got me thinking about whether walking is instinctive or learned. Owen sees us walking, the dog walking, and people walking all the time, is he watching and learning? If he never saw us walking, would he still know the basics of how to take a step?
I’ve heard that it is important for a baby to learn to crawl before they walk so we try to encourage Owen to practice but he really dislikes tummy time. As soon as he is placed on his stomach, he starts to cry. I’m not sure how to get him to be happy on his tummy but for now I just try daily and hope that one time he will be okay with it.
I hope Owen starts to take his time growing up; this is all too fast for me!
Do you think walking is instinctive or learned?
