My Daughter is nearly 18 months and isn't walking yet ??!!

[loopy696]

Hi my daughter is almost 18 months and she isn't walking yet.... should i be worried ???

[AprilLudgateDwyer]

My ds didn't walk until 18 months. he just got up one day and walked across the room. I couldn't believe it!

[BathTangle]

Not unless you have some other reason to be worried IMO. My DCs didn't walk until around 17 months and are both fine.

Does she crawl / bumshuffle / find other ways of getting about?

[EsmesBees]

Mine was late with all her gross motor skills and didn't walk until 18 months. She was a really early talker though. It was a bit annoying having to carry her around outside for much longer, but she's just two now and has completely caught up with her peers.

[chocatoo]

My daughter was a late walker (and an early talker). Don't worry!

[Pleasemrstweedie]

DD1 didn't even crawl. She just sat until she was 22 months. Then she got up and walked. Properly walked.

If everything's OK don't worry and be grateful you're not having to buy shoes!

[insan1tyscartching]

i have five dc and they were all 18 months before they walked and they are all fine. Within a couple of weeks they were just as able as their peers who had been walking for months previously. Mine were all early talkers though who could talk really well by 18 months, a friend used to say they had no need to walk because they could ask for what they wanted instead of getting it for themselves

[tessiebear4]

My DS was 18 months

[EssentialHummus]

I walked at 22 months - no need to go into my many achievements but it hasn't held me back!

[tarheelbaby]

In general, I'd say don't worry. Some thoughts in no particular order gathered through the years my Dds were young:
Many children, especially robust, healthy babies in the higher percentiles are slower to walk because they have greater mass to move. A friend had this with a tiny first baby who walked just after 12mos and a sizeable second baby who didn't walk until 14-15mos. Check with the grannies on both sides and discover which of you was the 'late' walker.
My niece, now 8, is as normal as I can see but did not walk until nearly 2yrs. As time wore on, drs determined that her joints were hyper-flexible which made balancing v. difficult. Her older brother did not walk until about 15mos.
At NCT post-natal, friend's son had clicky hips and spent most of his first 2 years in plaster. Nevertheless, drs insisted that he should have learnt to walk by age 2 and after testing, the boy has been diagnosed with (mild) issues.
Stay calm, it all happens in time.

[IndianaMoleWoman]

DD1 didn't walk until 19 months. She was sat in the garden one day and just got up and went for it. She's quite a cautious soul and I think she needed the soft surface of the lawn before to be confident enough to give it a go (all hard flooring in our house).

[GladysKnight]

I was 18 months (cautious), so was DS. He could crawl so fast I don't think he saw the need!

[ImSoUnoriginal]

I can't remember how old my niece was before she walked but I think it was older than 18mths. She was just pretty contented and didn't want to, she's now 4 and has no problems. Sometimes they just walk later.

[Puppymouse]

Mine didn't walk until around then - was on the late side with all the motor skills stuff. HV picked up up on it mildly but left us to it and she's nailed everything gradually. Only just really grasped jumping and she's nearly 3.5.

[Parietal]

No. I didn't walk until 24 mo and my sister til 20months. we both are doing fine (good degree, good uni etc).

[SheepyFun]

DD was 17 months when she walked, having crawled at a year. Fortunately she crawled three days before her 1 year check by the health visitor, but I asked then what was normal for learning to walk. The HV said anything between 6 months and 2 years, so you've got a while yet.

Will your DD weight bear, i.e. pull herself to standing while holding onto something? I had an extra HV visit before DD was walking, but she was cruising (she cruised before she crawled), so we avoided a referral.

[superme3]

DD1 was 20 months before she walked
DS1 was 19 months
DD2 was 26 months before she walked and it was after physio that she managed to do it properly. Every child is different.

[triskele]

Another here whose ds didn't walk until 18 months. Then there was. I stopping him as he missed that wobbly falling on bottom stage they have when they walk earlier

[Ilovewillow]

My niece was like this she didn't crawl but bum shuffled until she was almost 2, then one day just got up and walked.

[UsedToBeAPaxmanFan]

Ds1 was 5 weeks early, and then was late with all his gross motor skills (brilliant with fine ones though!). He didn't sit up until 10 months, didn't crawl until 14 months and didn't walk until 18 months. He's now 20 and is a great walker although totally crap at any hand/eye coordination and hates sport.

Ds2 crawled at 7 months, hit all his developmental milestones but then didn't walk until 19 months!. He Is now 18 and is the most sporty, energetic teenager you could wish for.

Unless there are other concerns, not walking at 18 months is completely within thd "normal" range and isnt an indicator that anything is wrong.

Incidentally, ds1 was quite a good talker at 18 months but when he started walking, his speech went backward slightly. Ds2 was also a good talker and when he started walking his speech came on in leaps and bounds and we couldn't shut him up.

If you're worried, have a chat with your health visitor.

[IWillOnlyEatBeans]

DS1 walked at 18 months (didn't crawl or roll or shuffle)
DS2 walked at 22 months (bum shuffled from 14 months)

Both were/are hypermobile which makes balancing difficult. Neither could bear weight on their legs at 12 months. Both absolutely fine now!

[loopy696]

THANK U for all your comments they have eased my mind no end.
She is crawling and cruising furniture. Also non stop chattering lol x

[ArriettyClock1]

Neither of mine walked until 17 months.

Eldest was so fat, he bum shuffled instead of crawled. Younger one was small and nimble and crawled really early but was still late to walk.

Both were speaking really early - way before their peers. People used to tell me it was one or the other - I suspect that's bunkum though!

[BumWad]

My DS is 21 months and still not walking on his own either. He was 2 months premature so has a corrected age of 19 months which we keep reminding everyone

I have days where I worry like mad too. But we are under a Paediatrician because of his prematurity and nothing has been flagged up and last month I got so stressed out and so had the HV come over and do a full developmental check which was fine!

DS likes to climb the sofas, spends most of his time on his feet (but holding on), will walk if you hold his hand, speeds up the stairs etc. He just seems to have no interest in walking on his own. If we let go of his finger he will just sit down.

I hope hope hope he walks before he is 2! He's the oldest in the baby room at nursery. I think a lot of it is confidence but he doesn't seem to be able to balance on his own. He always walks with his foot inverted although this seems to be getting better.

He sat up at 8/9 months and didn't crawl until 14/15 months...