Your Toddler’s Changing Feet

Each milestone is such a wonderful and fun thing to celebrate. The first tooth, the first time they sit up, the first time they pull themselves to stand up, the first time they stand without holding anything, and now you come to their first steps. Wow, it feels like it takes forever to get there, but then again, time flies! Your baby is becoming a toddler and it seems like he or she is growing up too quickly! During these moments of rapid development, you probably wonder if your baby is growing properly. Are the toes supposed to turn in or outward? Is it okay if their legs seem widely set? Why are they waddling and stomping so hard on the hardwood floors? Is it okay? What’s going on? Your mind might begin to spin. Breathe. It will be A-OK. But in case that didn’t convince you, let us walk you through some of the changes you might see happening as your toddler’s feet and ankles. Loud slapping footsteps. If you have carpet, you might not notice, but as soon as your child is on hardwood floors, you will hear your toddler slapping his or her feet, instead of doing a heel-to-toe type of stride. They may seem to be stomping as they walk, and seem to waddle. Don’t worry! This is normal.

• Your toddler’s fat pads on his feet are still there, where the arch should be. That’s why you might hear more of the slapping and stomping since their gait is not fully developed yet.
• As he keeps on walking, the arch will form as the foot gets stronger. So yes, loud, slapping, stomping footsteps are normal.