To ask when you let your toddler walk outside

[Immadeofwaxlarry]

My partners very apprehensive to let our 17 month old daughter walk outside even though she does nothing but potter about the house all day. AIBU to think he’s being silly?

Why is she so late to walk?
Because some children do some things later than others? There's nothing to suggest any kind of delay. Mine walked at 16 and 21 months, later than some but no concern to anyone.

As soon as they could walk.

Baby walks first steps.
Lots of parental excitement
But first schools
Baby walks outside.

Shoes obviously

My DT’s didn’t walk or stand up unaided until they were 17 months and within days were walking properly and running.

[quote Immadeofwaxlarry]@Hollyhocksarenotmessy I’m actually quite offended by this. She has been late to roll over and walk but has been crawling since 6 months because she can get places quicker from crawling. The nursery haven’t been concerned about her starting to walk at 17 months (the advice from HV is they should be walking by 18 months) so really she isn’t too late.[/quote]
My child was a late walker too. It's not a criticism.

I wondered if her father's anxiety might have held her back, as it's really not normal to be so worried about a toddler's normal bumps on to bum or hands. It's part of learning to walk. Reins are there to stop bolters heading into danger, not to hold them up.

I'm probably projecting as having a parent who restricted me because of their anxiety, really sucked as a child, and it disturbs me to see over protected children.

Get Dad to give his head a wobble and don't pander to over protectiveness. Wrapping kids in cotton wool is not a loving act.

I am sorry I offended you though.

My son was walking outside as soon as he started walking, they have to get used yo life on the outside .
I never used reins, I hate them, he was just taught he holds my hand or the pram and if he doesn't listen he goes in his pram or another consequence. He never left my side.

As soon as they are old enough to walk! You hold their hands around obvious dangers, of the refuse get a pair of reins.

Falling over and braving boo boos is Crucial for development. You can’t wrap them in cotton wool.

He’s going to let us try walking her outside today (she has Clark’s) and I have a pair of reins coming tomorrow

He is going to let you try? Why does he make the decision?

I have a 3.5 year old who was a late walker. Went to the park today on his scooter and I think he fell over about 5 times (was soaking by the time we got home).

the advice from HV is they should be walking by 18 months

I think the advice is that if they are not walking by 18 months, you should check with the HV/ GP. That’s just in case theres a problem. Many children will not walk until 19 or 20 months and theres nothing at all wrong.

Bottom shufflers often walk later IME.

There’s no correlation between sitting up / walking / talking early and intelligence or achieving any other later goals. It really honestly doesn't matter.

People need to stop stressing out other mums about these things.

Also reins are to stop them bolting in front of a car, not to stop her falling.

Take her to a park or big field, out her in the grass and let her toddle. She will fall over, but it’s a soft landing. Pick her up, say whoopsie, don’t make a fuss, set her back on feet, and repeat until she’s had enough.

If children learn that they can head for anything because they'll be pulled back by reins (like a dog) from dangers how will they learn to navigate the world independently and safely? If they learn to hold a hand or the buggy the minute they're outside, they will wait for the hand if you have to remove it briefly and not walk or run anywhere unless they're told it's ok, e.g. the playground. When children wear harnesses their parents often don't even look at them, they just yank the rein - if they're walking alongside with an adult holding hands or buggy they share the journey and parents can talk to them about dangers and praise them for holding on.

Also my nephew and nieces didn’t walk til 18 months, they are teens and flying through school. Perfectly normal.

Did you go out for a walk?

And I agree with other posters, reins are not to stop them from falling. I didn’t use them with my two.

@Nicknacky we all went out for a walk and dd fell and skinned her knee, didn’t bat an eyelid though

DD was one last month. I let her walk the last stretch of the school route, 10m or so because she takes so long. She still occasionally falls and doesnt understand she cant sit in puddles or mud

As soon as he was walking, we had reigns though as he had a habit of making a run for it at first.

@WeWantTheFinestWines

If children learn that they can head for anything because they'll be pulled back by reins (like a dog) from dangers how will they learn to navigate the world independently and safely? If they learn to hold a hand or the buggy the minute they're outside, they will wait for the hand if you have to remove it briefly and not walk or run anywhere unless they're told it's ok, e.g. the playground. When children wear harnesses their parents often don't even look at them, they just yank the rein - if they're walking alongside with an adult holding hands or buggy they share the journey and parents can talk to them about dangers and praise them for holding on.

I hold my daughter's hand, but she also has a backpack that's attached to my wrist. She's never bolted yet, but that doesn't mean she never will, and I've got a pram to manoeuvre and a baby to monitor so I don't have my eye on her all the time. A benefit I've found is that when her arms are tired from holding my hand (we do switch arms but on a long walk she does get fed up and I don't blame her tbh), she can hold the pram or walk alongside without me worrying that I won't notice if she disappears off when I'm distracted with the baby. I also don't have a pram seat to put her in if she decides she's not playing ball, so it's good to have something to physically keep her close if she's refusing to hold my hand for whatever reason.

You've obviously given it a lot if thought stuffing and everybody has to make the choices they're comfortable with 😊

[quote Immadeofwaxlarry]@Nicknacky we all went out for a walk and dd fell and skinned her knee, didn’t bat an eyelid though [/quote]
I’m glad you all got out. How did she skin her knee though her thick clothes ? What was she wearing ?

How strange. They walked outside once they could walk

Maybe you could go somewhere with grass.

@WeWantTheFinestWines

You've obviously given it a lot if thought stuffing and everybody has to make the choices they're comfortable with 😊

Well, truth be told I made a thread on here about it a long time ago and formed my practices accordingly. Apparently there's a mumsnetter who lost a toddler who did an out of character bolt under the wheels of a car- I must admit that factored into my decision making quite heavily. Because, of course, toddlers aren't the most predictable of creatures!

My DS is 3 and still falls over his own feet every so often. They're soft when they're young, they generally bounce

If she's only just started walking, there's no rush to get her outside. Let her be confident walking indoors in bare feet, then you can take her outside for a stroll up and down the road.
It's hard in the winter as the weather's not great. In the summer months you can let them potter about in the garden. Who wants to be walking in the rain with a 1 year old?!

So pleased you been out walking with your little one and don't worry about her being 17 months, I was 18 months before I walked and I never crawled but was apparently extremely fast on my bum, and was potty trained before walking. I spoke fluently before I was one. My elder daughter was 91/2 months when she first walked outside in her tiny Startright shoes but didn't really talk until she was 18 months & my younger daughter did both at 12 months. Everyone's different

He's got about 10 years of walking at a slower pace than he's like. Time to get used to it.