Advice for walking!

[mybundleofjoy]

Hi all,

My son is 1year 2months old and isn't walking, he can stand up on his own but when it comes to walking he'd much rather drop to the floor and speed crawl! He's took the odd step here and there but anything I do he starts to get frustrated.

Any help and advice would be great. I keep worrying it's me not doing enough for him

Thank you xxxxx

 

[RachA]

My DD didn't start walking until she was 18 months old and I know there are a lot of other mums on her that gave children that were later walking.

I personally wouldn't push your lo into walking. He's standing up etc so I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[RaspberryK]

Just leave him to it, ds walked at just over 15 months. One day he just got up and walked (ran).
Xx

 

[sevenofnine]

I was told that there is a wide range of completely, absolutely normal when it comes to walking. I wouldn't worry until after 18 months.

 

[SarahBear]

I think 18 months is when it starts to be concerning, but I've heard of healthy, "normal" kids walking closer to 2. It sounds like he's just a late walker and that he is making progress. It's just how some kids are.

 

[celine]

As others have said kids go at their own speed, he sounds like he is close. My son walked at 9m so when my daughter turned 9m and barely crawled i was like err? But she walked at 15m a full 6m later thsn he did. Ive heard 15m is average and only after 18-20 m it might be w concern.

 

[Sarah Lou 80]

Mines 16 months and not walking. Definitely nothing to worry about yet. Apparently OH's sister was 20 months when she walked and OH was 18/19 months.

 

[the why bird]

I think also children who can crawl really fast and well might not feel the need to walk early. Walking is still difficult but crawling is easy and gets him where he needs to go. Sensible, when you think about it! If I had the choice of walking to the other side of the room or riding a unicycle, I'd walk because I'm already good at that - even if everyone else was riding a unicycle and telling me things would be much better once I learned.

OK silly example but you know what I mean. He may not be walking yet, but he is mobile and he is standing so he is progressing towards walking.

 

[MrsPear]

You can't really 'do' much because it just takes time for their muscles to get strong enough to carry their weight for very long. He's only 14 months and starting to take steps so every indication is that he will walk sometime soon! My daughter didn't properly walk until a month after first steps, and didn't have strength to walk down the street or anything further than around the house until at least 2 months after her first steps. It's nothing you're doing, it's just the fact that he's still working it out.

Whenever I tried to encourage my daughter she got very frustrated and upset so I completely left her to it, and she did it when she was ready. xx

PS My daughter didn't walk until 20 months and even now at 22 months isn't particularly strong at it. There's such a wide age range that they do it in. xx

 

[mybundleofjoy]

Thank you ladies! I get worried that I'm not doing something right.. I'll just let him get on with it, he's very independent, so probably for the best.

Xxx

 

[MindUtopia]

Yes, what the other ladies have said. My daughter is 15 months and isn't walking yet. She doesn't even really stand without holding on for more than a few seconds, though she's been standing while holding on and cruising since 8 months! I can see she's getting stronger and more confident all the time, and occasionally if I stand her up and let go, she will take about 4 steps to the closest thing she can find to hold on to. But I don't really consider it 'walking'. She's never independently let go and walked somewhere. 15 months is the average age babies start to walk, but it's just hard when you have friends whose babies were walking from 12 months or earlier because it's easy to think your LO is behind even though they aren't. My husband was 2.5 years before he walked (also didn't talk until around the same time) for no obvious reason. He's now a very strong, atheletic adult, who rock climbs and can hike miles and miles with a very heavy pack. Totally normal. Being a late walker had no effect at all on him growing up. It just took him extra time to work it out.

 

[Lou1234]

Yes, what the other ladies have said. My daughter is 15 months and isn't walking yet. She doesn't even really stand without holding on for more than a few seconds, though she's been standing while holding on and cruising since 8 months! I can see she's getting stronger and more confident all the time, and occasionally if I stand her up and let go, she will take about 4 steps to the closest thing she can find to hold on to. But I don't really consider it 'walking'. She's never independently let go and walked somewhere. 15 months is the average age babies start to walk, but it's just hard when you have friends whose babies were walking from 12 months or earlier because it's easy to think your LO is behind even though they aren't.

This is exactly my daughter! She has been crusing since around 8 or 9 months but is too nervous to let go!

She loves walking around holding our hands and has taken about 4 or 5 steps between me and my husband. She seems to stop and think about walking when she reaches for something but then decides to drop and crawl there instead.

 

[Mrs Bee]

Don't stress at all, my daughter didn't crawl until 10 months and started standing up on the spot by herself at 12 months...only now has she worked out how to walk....it all just happened all of a sudden...some people place way to much emphasis on walking early... Eventually we all figure it out

 

[Sarah Lou 80]

I think also children who can crawl really fast and well might not feel the need to walk early. Walking is still difficult but crawling is easy and gets him where he needs to go. Sensible, when you think about it! If I had the choice of walking to the other side of the room or riding a unicycle, I'd walk because I'm already good at that - even if everyone else was riding a unicycle and telling me things would be much better once I learned.

OK silly example but you know what I mean. He may not be walking yet, but he is mobile and he is standing so he is progressing towards walking.

I love this example! It's spot on!