Tip-toeing...

[amynorange]

I've searched the forum on this topic and cant find it anywhere so I thought I'd start a thread on it myself.
The HV came round the other week and alerted us to how long Drake spends in his walker as we said that he will be in it quite a bit during the day, (not all day but I hope you know what I mean). She said that if he is in it for a consistently long time then he will become what she called a tip-toe walker. Well recently as we have been playing with him and holding his hands while he walks to us, we have noticed that he does tip-toe while he walks I was wondering if there was anyway to help him to walk with his feet flat on the floor again? I just feel so bad now!
please help!

 

[aragornlover8]

I used to tiptoe everywhere I went when I was little. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with my walker or not, but it was definitely my favorite mode of transportation. Honestly, my parents just kind of worked with me and forced me to walk heel to toe on occasion. Now, I'm a relatively normal adult who walks relatively normally most of the time. I'm not sure if this helps or not. Thought it might give some hope is all.

 

[OmarsMum]

Hi hun, he's still young dont worry. DS used to tip-toe as he was used to his jumperoo (started using it at 4 months) then he had a walker at 7 months for 2 months. When he started cruising at 9 months we stopped using the jumperoo & the walker & he learned how to walk normally. He took his 1st steps few days before his birthday. He used to tip-toe while running, then he learned how to run with flat feet xx

 

[amynorange]

Hi hun, he's still young dont worry. DS used to tip-toe as he was used to his jumperoo (started using it at 4 months) then he had a walker at 7 months for 2 months. When he started cruising at 9 months we stopped using the jumperoo & the walker & he learned how to walk normally. He took his 1st steps few days before his birthday. He used to tip-toe while running, then he learned how to run with flat feet xx

What does cruising mean? And is there a time/age when he should stop using his walker? He will be 8months old in about a week... x x

 

[OmarsMum]

Cruising is walking around holding furniture. There is no age for using the walker, but we didnt want him to depend on it to move around instead of furniture cruising.

 

[amynorange]

Ah thats a very good point! I wondered how they would start to cruise. :/ Do you help them and show them that they can?

 

[fluffyblue]

Hun dont worry my firstborn spent hours in his walker he screamed when we took him out and he is a healthy strapping 18 year old also my daughter had one and she spent alot of time in it too and shes ok !!

 

[amynorange]

Thanks for the reassurance fluffyblue!

 

[skydragonfly]

My 3rd and 4th children never had walkers/jumperoo's or door bouncers. But both of them walked on their tip-toes. Harrison (my 3rd) started pulling himself up onto the furniture around 6 months and straight away was on his toes. He walked alone at 8 months but looking at videos of him now he was around 10 months before he was walking heel down.

My 4th child hauled himself up to the furniture at nearly 6 months but didn't walk alone till 10 months. He was over a year before he walked heel down.

 

[modo]

Don't worry hon Two of my sibling used to walk on curled toes for a while and then they started walking normally on their own. They both walk fine now at 18 and 23

 

[OmarsMum]

Ah thats a very good point! I wondered how they would start to cruise. :/ Do you help them and show them that they can?

They start by pulling themselves to standing in their cot, you & furniture, then they start to explore & move around. It's fun

Once your LO is ready for cruising he will let you know. xx

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

I honestly think all babies tip-toe to start with.
I know our son did and he hated his baby walker and was walking by himself at 9mths.
Our daughter loved her baby walker and by 8.5mths was holding onto the furniture and now at 9.5mths is quite flat footed (IYKWIM) and can even stand alone for about 45 seconds then realises and drops to her bum.
As long as you get a height adjustable walker so your LO is able to reach the floor properly then I think they are fine.
My friend always had her LO in her walker from 5mths (in my opinion that was way too young for her) and she could barely reach the floor. She was only just walking unaided at 17mths with about 3-4mths of hand-holding on tiptoes. I do feel she was a bit too young to go in the walker and perhaps delayed her slightly - she was always on tip-toes in her walker as it wouldn't adjust.
Some babies just need to be up all the time and when you have things to do it just isn't possible to be walking around on your knees with them!

 

[amynorange]

Thank you all for all of your reassurance. It seems from what you have all said that I really do have nothing at all to worry about! phew!

I honestly think all babies tip-toe to start with.
As long as you get a height adjustable walker so your LO is able to reach the floor properly then I think they are fine.
Some babies just need to be up all the time and when you have things to do it just isn't possible to be walking around on your knees with them!

We do have a height adjustable one And Drake is certainly one that loves to be up and on the move all the time!

 

[DaisyBee]

Megan was a tiptoe walker & at her 12mo dr visit her dr commented on it - so its not something that ALL kids do. We had already stopped using her walker in hopes that she would break the habit - as she COULD put her heel down she just chose not to. When we would hold her hands & help her walk she always walked tiptoe - but if she held onto the couch or other items to cruise she would put her heel down. So we never let her back into the walker again & we stopped walking w/ her holding our hands as it was teaching her wrong.

She took her first real steps at 14 months - and was completly flat-footed - completely different angle of her body - different stance,etc. than with her tiptoe walk.

 

[amynorange]

Thank you for your input. We have started to put him in his walker less, but he is a very independent little boy and he loves to do things on his own! Gets a proper little run on in his walker!

 

[Rockell8788]

My DD never went in a baby walker and she walked on her tip toes she 3 and half now and only just stopped turns out she had short achilles tendons and needed stretching exercises and night splints to correct it. I doubt being in a walker with cause tip toe walking my 2 nieces practically lived in walkers and neither tip toe

 

[amynorange]

Our HV has always been really nice and we have always got on with her and I think that she just has to tell us because if she didn't we might blame her for him doing it in future? I think it is a "cover my own back" back thing IYKWIM.
Just proves that all babies are so much different from others there own age and if they want to walk on their tip-toes then they will do so for however long they want to regardless.

 

[Kalah]

Well I spent a lot of time in a walker when I was young and to this day I still spend a lot of time only on my toes, it's just more comfortable for me.

On the other hand, my LO has spent a total of maybe one hour in her walker since we got it about...5 months ago? And she sometimes takes steps on her toes. She does usually put her whole foot down flat though.