Need to sort out 16mo DS - weight bearing (but not much) and not walking.

[dublindee]

Oh wise ones! I need your help again.

Matthew is in creche 3 days a week and in theory is ready for the next room up.
He's a bright child and would benefit from the extra stimulation, but the only snag is that he needs to be walking before they can move him in there. He was slow to crawl in the beginning (although he flies around now!) and is very slow to walk as well.
He will stand, but after a while he gets grumpy and flops onto the floor (as if his muscles are achy), so doesn't weight bear much.

Normally I wouldn't be too bothered, but I am expecting another little critter in December and would love ot have him mobile before that (my life would be a lot easier!).
DP and I went to Mothercare at the weekend and all the baby walkers are too low as DS is a tall little guy considering, so his legs are bent in them.
They're a no-no. He weighs 22lbs 15ozs atm and I know bouncers and walkers have a maximum weight capacity of 26lbs.

Is it worth my while buying a bouncer or have you any other suggestions?
(I have also recently turned into nazi mammy and am placing toys, snacky foods etc just out of reach so he has to work to get them)

Please let me know any thoughts.....

[musa]

Hi dublindee how old is your ds?, my ds did'nt walk until 2 months before his second birthday.

I thought just like you, when is he going to walk, we tryed a baby walker to, but at the end of the day that did'nt help either.

He will walk when he is ready, trust me they all get there in the end. Then there's no stopping in them, try and not to worry.

[musa]

sorry did'nt see the 16 months.

[compo]

ds didn't walk until 21 months. Although it is frustrating there really is nothign you can do to speed things along I'm afriad. They are only little for such a short time try to just go with the fow...

[eidsvold]

my dd2 was a reluctant walker although she was happy to stand for a while. About 2 months ago she was happy to try and walk as long as we were holding her hand. A month ago - she tried to walk by herself and for the past week or so has been really keen walking all round the house - never see her crawl anymore. She is keen to walk everywhere.

[Kelly1978]

Instead of a walker, what about a dolls pushchiar or brick trolley that he can push instead, to encourage him?

[luley]

i had extactly the same problem, my ds didn't crawl till nhe was 12 months and didn't seem to weight bear for months after - he didn't take his first steps till just before 18mths and then refused to stand or walk for about a month! then last friday he got up and walked across the room - i just gasped and watched - since then he hasn;t stopped (he was 19 and half months.
the thing is NOTHING i did or anyone else did made a difference! it was a combination of him being tall and big (he was 27.13lbs at a year!)so having the muscle, and confidence...he didn't want to hurt himself.
he did and still does have a walker for elc (big chuncky blue and purple one with a detachable sorter on the front - nice big wheels as well) which he used outside and i even took to the park so he could join in with other children his age.
i know proberly none of this helps, but he will do it when hes ready, - i felt my ds never would and he has (horray!!)
there was a thread a couple of weeks ago about this - dunno if you can find it, but it made me feel better.
good luck

[dublindee]

Y'see he's not steady enough on his feet standing to push something and stay upright IMO and I don't want to have him get a serious fall just cos I want him to walk.
I know he'll do it when he's ready and I'm not worried about him really from a developmental point of view. But he's not doing himself any favours by not walking as he's holding himself back in creche. Plus he's the kind of boy that once he starts there'll be no stopping him, it's just getting him to that place that's the issue!

[dublindee]

Fiofio, It's for his own safety more than anything.
A lot of the toddlers in there are all running -nervermind walking!- about the place.
If he's only crawling, it's just not suitable for him to progress to that room just yet.
They don't want to hold him back so they're trying to encourage weight bearing also in the interim.

[dublindee]

His feet look fine to me and he pulls shoes off as well as socks!!!!

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Trust me, your life will not get easier when he starts walking......

He will do it in his own good time DubD. Cherish these times, the creche stuff is not so important.

[dublindee]

yeah but also have hv breathing down my meck as well.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Tell her to eff orf, quite frankly. Also, if you dont go to see her, she cant breathe down your neck.....

[dublindee]

Haven't been in ages to the clinic but she rings me at home to check up on him and I can't lie to her and say "yes he's walking" so she's like well we'll give it another month and then see.
I can't escape the woman!

[luley]

don't be harrassed by the hv, its a hard enough job tghat makes us all feel inadequate at times without some hv giving out misguided and ill informed advice - your ds WILL walk in his own time - can the creche not move a few toys and activites to the room your child is in? he can't be the only late walker?! perhaps you can have a meeting with the leader and discuss some more appropraite care? do they/you have ride on toys that double as a walker? argos i think do a car that my ds also used to walk with, he couldn't get himself on and off to start with, but soon learnt.
remember there is pleantly that you will find he does more quickly than others instead of walking - talking/fine motor skills/concentration etc...

[yomellamoHelly]

Ds walked 6 weeks before his 2nd birthday. Also had (various) hvs nagging me about him over quite a long period (ignored them all - and they knew it hence the stream of different people).
We bought him 2 walkers to encourage him but he wouldn't touch them. Would just say leave him to it - he'll get there in the end. After just a week he'd caught up with his peers.