Walking Outside?

[ClaireandGeorge]

This is a bit of an odd question but hey I'm full of them!

When do you start letting your little one walk around outside? George has been walking for nearly 2 months (He's nearly 13 months) and is on his feet all day in the house but if we're out except for the obvious like the park then he's in is pushchair or carried.

Just thinking when do you start letting them walk a bit more? I'm scared of him falling and hurting himself or being anywhere near cars. Should I start giving him some more freedom?

[NotGeoffVader]

Get some reins! That way you can walk around with your LO and have him safe from falling/cars etc.
:)

[PoppyWearer]

My DC2 is 16mo, has been walking for about 3-4 months now. He goes outside at nursery quite a bit but I hadn't done much outside walking with him for practical reasons - busy road walking to/from DC1's school.

He has started "planking" when I try to put him in the buggy, so DH and I got the reins out over Christmas and he's been doing well, able to keep going much longer than we thought.

I would recommend investing in a "snowsuit" that takes the brunt of any falls, both for padding and also water/mud.

[FredFredGeorge]

As soon as she was walking inside, she was walking in the playground too. I think we walked to the playground, around it and back about 5 weeks after she started walking - it was very slow.

We never worried about falling, if she falls, she gets back up.

[LaCiccolina]

Reins - boots do them for a tenner! Get first shoes at 12wks once feet are used to being weight bearing (clarks advice). Get proper hitting first then try all other shoe brands.

Hee hee the fun starts now! :)

[FredFredGeorge]

Clarks? Why would you take advice on when to purchase shoes from a company which makes money selling shoes - don't you think they have a conflict of interest?

We used what were essentially slippers that provided basic protection from the ground, but are not shoes. The best evidence available currently suggests holding off "shoes" as long as possible, and otherwise the most barefoot like shoes possible (That's been the current advice for some time)

see e.g. pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/88/2/371.abstract

Also note the conclusion here

"Although 77% of pediatricians felt that inexpensive canvas sneakers are adequate, only 28% of the salespersons and 37% of the parents believed that wearing sneakers is healthy"

Sneakers are probably the most barefoot shoe you'll find easily on the highstreet - although more genuine barefoot shoes such as those from robeez and similar are available. TK Maxx often have cheap ones you can try for size.

[PoppyWearer]

My DS's nursery advised bare feet/slippers indoors (slippers obviously easier at nursery) and then wellies outside. Much cheaper than a pair of "proper" clarks shoes, even if you buy slippers and wellies from clarks.

Or do what I did, get measured at clarks, buy wellies there and then go on eBay for barely-worn shoes. Got pairs for £5 each, worn once or twice.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

I was very much of the 'no shoes until as late as possible' opinion, and had my two (15mo) in mocassins for padding around dry surfaces outside as well as inside at nursery etc. Then last weekend I took them to Clarks just to see what the options were, put DS - the better walker of my two - in relatively solid 'first' shoes and he took off. He looks so much more stable and happy in them. DD - who's still 3 sheets to the wind walking - has softer crawlers, but still the support she's getting from them has clearly helped move her walking on a stage.

I genuinely thought it would be the opposite and feel a bit at making them slither around the house in socks for the past couple of months.

Even quite confident walkers seem to struggle in wellies though, so I'm holding off on those. But they LOVE walking outside now, so I'm going to get some puddle suits for the inevitable sitting in puddles.