Aibu to think that I don't need to teach my baby to walk?

[Babysafari]

12 month old is crawling, walking around the furniture, balancing with just one hand and he's just about starting to stand up letting go but goes all wobbly when he's realises he's let go. He's got push along toys that he plays with.

Certain irritating family members haven't stopped harping on about him walking since he was 6 months old and are now adamant that I should be teaching him to walk. They also keep trying to get him to walk along up and down holding hands which he gets annoyed by because he just wants to play.

They seem to think he'd walk if I just taught him to, I think he'll do it when he's ready and that he's coming along fine.

[johendy]

Of course he'll walk when he's ready. What are they on about? He's absolutely coming along just fine. YANBU.

[Icecappedpinetrees]

Yanbu. He'll learn when he learns. He'll do it when he's meant to.

[Babysafari]

I've got an older child and I didn't do anything differently, just gave them free range to explore and they walked just fine.

I'm finding ds is balancing more when left to it as he gets wrapped up in holding a toy, then two and he's let go without realising. He hates it when it's enforced.

[MrsJayy]

you cant teach them to walk he sounds like he is diddiling along just fine for a year old baby not sure what your relatives are on about you can encourage them but you cant teach them

[Batteriesallgone]

Want to swap your family for mine who think that late talkers are clearly not being engaged enough and that if I just 'socialised' them they'd talk so much earlier.

Kids grow up automatically. All they want from us is love and fun (and not so much pressure to grow up quickly!).

[imwithspud]

YANBU, they really walk when they're ready - you can't force it.

[BathshebaDarkstone]

Can you tell them to stop? Point out that they're annoying him?

[MumOnACornishFarm]

OP my DS is the same age, at precisely the same stage, and I'm getting exactly the same grief from some quarters of my OHs family. I'm sure they believe he would be doing cartwheels by now if I just encouraged him more. He hates being forced or cajooled into doing anything just like his mum but he's very strong, he's got great balance etc, and I know he'll do it in his own time. I get the same comments and sideways looks from them about feeding, wearing shoes (he doesn't), socialising, naps....the list goes on.

Ignore and carry on as you were. Yanbu.

[Babysafari]

Honestly batteries it's like they're desperate to wish his life away. I doubt they mean any harm but it does make you doubt yourself.

I try to nicely point out that he's happy playing as he can get where he needs to be. They seem to think that they taught their children to walk.

[sue51]

Your little one will walk when he's good and ready, anyone suggesting otherwise is deluded.

[Pootles2010]

He is clearly learning to do it himself! They're clever little things, they just get on with it.

Yy about wishing their lives away, you sound like you have just the right attitude. Enjoy him whilst he's wee!

[Snog]

You are the one with the most intelligence here. Walking babies can get into more trouble!
Early walking is competitive amongst some parents but imo joining in with this game will be a regret, the other parents just don't realise this until they get what they set out to achieve - and then they won't admit it!

[NeedACleverNN]

My health visitor told me I needed to teach my ds to walk when he was 12 months

I told her that I was not going to and he will do it in his own time. Dd didn't walk until 18 months so no I do not want a referral thank you.

She wasn't too happy. Ds turned 16 months yesterday and is actually started walking. Still a bit shaky and wobbly and if he falls over he carries on crawling because it's quicker but he's getting there

[Babysafari]

Mumonacornishfarm exactly the same about weaning, shoes, socialising.

Is there a polite way of telling them to shut up?

[minipie]

God no YANBU. There's plenty of things to teach them when they are older (getting dressed, brushing teeth, reading etc etc). Enjoy this stage when they teach themselves to do things!

[Flacidunicorn]

It was totally bizzare when our DD was growing, shes 3 now so it doesnt happen so much. The competitive BS we'd experience from other parents.
They learn when they learn and i dont believe there is much you can do to change that.
I believe, though i may be wrong, that they can only learn things when heir body has developed enough to learn it. Leg muscles for walking, speech centre of brin for talking, inner ear for balance etc etc etc. Seeing as our growth is determined by DNA then no amount of dangling a baby by their arms and walking them along will "teach" hem a damn thing.

[WellDoYaPunks]

Ds was an early walker at 9 months, bloody nightmare ! Anyway I remember the mums at my mum group thing were all like how did you teach him to do that? as if I'd been giving him lessons or something

[MumOnACornishFarm]

No. Not with my lot, anyway. I just roll my eyes and carry on, and they continue to look at me like I've got two heads. They've raised their babies, and now I'm raising mine. It's not like I'm feeding him McDonalds and dumping him in front of cbeebies for 8 hours a day, actually that would probably get fewer raised eyebrows from them!

[MummySparkle]

YANBU! We let our two get on with it for the most part. Although when DS was 15months and I was 8months pregnant we did give him some very firm encouragement! He has been cruising and using push along touts for months, but I don't think he'd quite twigged he could let go and walk. We knelt on the floor and gently pushed him between us until he figured it out as I just couldn't cope with carrying him anymore. 2 days later he was running the length of the aisles in a giant decathlon with a very pregnant me wondering why I thought running after him would be easier than carrying him... DD stood up and walked of her own accord at 13months because she wanted to chase her big brother

[MumOnACornishFarm]

WellDo you should have said "I enrolled him on an intense residential walking course. They taught him to paint landscapes and recite Keats at the same time."

[Babysafari]

I mean once he's confident standing without holding on of course I'll encourage him through play. I'm finding he learns balance by holding toys.

I can't stand the arm dangling though. He doesn't want to be bounced up and down with his arms dangling.

[thundercake]

I came upon my MIL crawling around my sitting room floor when DS was about five months old, she was 'modelling' crawling because "how else was he going to learn"!

[dowhatnow]

It was fantastic when you open your arms a few steps away and they walk to you/fall in your arms for the first time. But I didn't view that as teaching them to walk. I couldn't care less in that respect - it was just a fun thing to do with them and another way of playing with them.

So yes I encouraged them to walk to me but only for fun and not before they were at the point of doing it anyway.

[NeedACleverNN]

I would love to have seen my MIL crawling around on the floor

That would have tickled me something lovely AND been a insult to boot

"Are you not out of those nappies yet Dd?"
"No she isn't. Would you like to wear a nappy and show her how's it done like you showed ds how to crawl?"

[Babysafari]

Ah I can't wait for the toilet training days.