To wonder how people get their babies to walk?

[chocolateroses]

All my DC have been late walkers. There are 10 month old babies everywhere walking around while my DC won't take their first steps till they are 1.5 year olds. Am I missing a big secret somewhere?

They just do it in their own time. Yours obviously have better things to do than walking.

Nope, its just normal variation in child development.

Mine walked at almost 10 months. I didn’t do anything at all to encourage that. 18 months would have been much easier!

Its not something you can force, it's just individual. Of course you can encourage them when they try things e.g. when they start to cruise give them praise and opportunities to do so. But if they're not ready, they wont do it.

Early walking isn't really that great, it actually means nothing as they all get there in the end (barring disabilities). In a few years nobody will know or care whose baby walked at 9 months and whose walked at 20 months.

Mine were nearly 2. It's normal as above.

They walk when they want to.

No. I think a lot of it is to do with body type, which is just the genes they have. It doesn’t seem to run in families to be ‘late’ or ‘early’ walkers.
To reassure anyone though, there is no link between physical milestone and IQ, as long as it’s in the normal window (which is very wide!), you have nothing to worry about. Nor are you somehow a worse parent.

If they aren’t walking by after 18months usually a HV will watch and wait until 2, before referring them. Often in that time they’ll have learnt to walk.

My daughter refused to walk until 15 months and simply got her toddler brother to fetch and carry for her by pointing at things. She actually grew up to be quite sporty and athletic!

One of mine walked at 10 months, I didn’t do anything different with my other son who walked at 18 months.

I think children have physiological development differences. Yours might talk earlier or do something else earlier. Do they pull up on furniture? Carpets might encourage earlier crawling instead of walking (wood or tile can be slippy and less forgiving of errors) and furniture that's accessible for standing might encourage earlier walking, but most of it is the child's natural inclinations.

We have a lot of early walkers in my family but DS still holds onto furniture, minute like DH's family that were all late walkers. Unless there's any imbalance in how your child is moving, or they don't move at all, it should be fine.

Sorry, it DOES seem to run in families... wish we had an edit button!

Early walkers are a pain because they have no sense age 8 months. If they're 18 months they can understand 'no' a bit more and get into fewer sticky situations!

I think they just do it when they're ready. One of mine crawled at 9 months, the other 12 months. Then they both walked at 16 months.

Quite right KindergarteKop. My 8 monther is just taking steps now and it's a nightmare. Don't worry OP. All normal.

Meh. They all get there in their own time. Don't sweat it. None of them crawl to school.

Thanks! Having a down day where I just feel crap about everything I seen to do (or don't do) right x

My 15mo isn't walking and it's all everyone goes on about!!! He's a bum shuffler and never learned to crawl either. My eldest didn't walk til 15 months. My hv thinks it's because we have wooden flooring, she said it's too slippery for him. I did buy a rug but I think they just walk when they are ready.

I agree it's just normal variation - and I've also heard a lot that different babies focus on different things. DS (10 months) is really physical (not yet walking, though - but being able to move himself and grab things for himself seems to have been his sole goal since birth) but I've noticed he's a lot less chatty than a lot of other babies his age - it does feel a bit like they're focusing their energies differently

Also, if anyone in your life is fuelling this by comparing babies and getting competitive with you, tell them to stop - it's really bad for you, but also for your DC

DC1 walked at 8 months - properly, not holding hands etc
DC2 isn't walking yet at 11 months but is far steadier at cruising etc than DC1 ever was.

It's really nothing to worry about, they eventually walk when they feel like it.

No, it's honesty just so different between kids. Though many siblings are similar.

I walked at 12 months, DD1 at 14 months, DD2 at 12 months and dn was 16 months.

My nephew and my daughters are all very active and good walkers now. It's not a bad thing at all.
Same with talking. Eldest only had a few words at 18 months whereas second had about 15/20.

My DS is 2 this week. Massive bum shuffler. Since January he's gotten the hang of a push walker and is really fast with it (running at you to hit you in the ankles 🤦🏻‍♀️). He sees a physiotherapist who says he's really confident and steady on his feet with the walker, and just believes he doesn't have the confidence to walk without it. I don't think there is anything I could have differently to have got him to walk earlier, that's just who he is.
He has finally started this last week to take a few tentative steps on his own but only with a lot of encouragement. He's definitely making me work for it.

DD1 walked at 10 months, didn’t talk till she was 3. And hasn’t stopped since!

DD2 didn’t walk until 21 months but could hold a conversation at 16 months - mostly concerned with why she didn’t want to walk, why there was no need because her sister brought her everything. When she finally decided to walk, she decided she wasn’t going to wear nappies either and potty trained herself overnight!

I had one that walked at 18months and one at 9months.
I did nothing different with either of them!

People don't get babies to walk. Its developmental. All people really do it offer opportunities and support something that's happening already. That does help once a child is developmentally ready ie trying to walk. But if the walking hasn't started yet it wont make much difference. Don't give it headspace.