Taking and walking - when to worry?

[SleepingStandingUp]

Aibu to think that my babies should be able to show one or the other? Their 14 1/2 months to be precise 🤣 only a month early so not massively catching up

No walking at all. They'll cruise, climb and stand for short periods but if you hold their hands to get them to walk, they just buckle their knees. If you try to get them to stand up they'll bend their knees. I just feel like they should be trying by now at least.

And then it isn't even because they're putting their focus on taking because we have no real words. Men's, Dada, something that sounds like DSs name, but otherwise just sounds. Again by now they should have something or at least recognise some objects.

Obv we can't see a HV and they did ok on their 13 month check except walking and talking.

But I'm not sure when I should start pushing for sometime to look at them properly for help

My DC didn’t walk til 15/16 months and didn’t talk (other than a couple of words as in your post) until the month before they were 2, so don’t worry! Now almost 3 and doesn’t stop talking, can count to 100, recognise some written words and never stops running around.

I was worrying like you but honestly one day they just woke up and started talking. The walking I just kept encouraging, when they did eventually walk it was pretty steady straight away.

My 14 month old is the same with talking, making some ‘mama’ and ‘dada’ sounds but not really in context, just babbling. From what I’ve read there is a wide range of what’s normal for when babies start walking and talking. As they’re twins were they born a little early too?

Oh sorry, yes you said born a month early.

Some useful info from Great Ormond Street hospital here: www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/procedures-and-treatments/speech-and-language-development-12-24-months/

I think 18 months is when I've read they'll take it a little more seriously? Although it's still later than that for some and it's no problem. They might just check there are no underlying reasons for it at that point. Do they recognise different objects/know what you're saying to them e.g. if you said where is the door would they look in the right direction? Mine knows far more than she can say (we're limited to 'more', miaowing like a cat and lots of babbling - although DH is trying to teach her to say no - why?!) But she'll point to stuff and knows a handful of signs that help too. Hopefully with walking they'll just start one day and get good at it really quickly as they're a bit older! But give your HV a call just for reassurance and to check what the process is if you're still concerned in a few months time. Stuff changes fast with babies so who knows, by this time next week your concerns might have gone!

If they weren't showing any walking skills at all it might be a concern, but they're cruising and standing so definitely getting there. I would say about 14 months is pretty average for a first child to learn to walk, so they're really not far off that.

I know quite a few people whose children didn't walk until 18 months or so - one of them was over 2! No physical issues just took a bit longer to get there. Our kids are all turning 4 now and nobody would be able to pick out the one who walked at 10 months compared to the ones who walked at 18 months plus. They all catch up in the end.

Same with talking. My daughter hardly said any words until she was 2. I was was starting to worry she was behind compared to her peers. Then she suddenly took off and she now has an incredible vocabulary and is very chatty.

Its easy for others to say but please try to relax and not worry. If there were concerns your HV would have identified them at the meeting 6 weeks ago.

18 months for walking
2 years for first word

Don't worry!

Should add - I always think it's odd these are thought of as one year milestones, one year would be early for both things.

I can’t remember what ages mine were with intelligible talking but with walking both were definitely 20 or 21 months. DS1 is now eight and does boys’ squad-level gymnastics.

You can see a Heath visitor if you want to. Just give them a call and they'll arrange a visit or a phone call

DS1 was 16, almost 17 months when he walked. He stood up for the first time at lunchtime and by dinner was taking his first steps. They don't do it, and then they do.

At the health check we'd been offered a referral to check him out but I declined as I wasn't too worried. By 18m they'd have wanted to see him.

@KatieKat88

I think 18 months is when I've read they'll take it a little more seriously? Although it's still later than that for some and it's no problem. They might just check there are no underlying reasons for it at that point. Do they recognise different objects/know what you're saying to them e.g. if you said where is the door would they look in the right direction? Mine knows far more than she can say (we're limited to 'more', miaowing like a cat and lots of babbling - although DH is trying to teach her to say no - why?!) But she'll point to stuff and knows a handful of signs that help too. Hopefully with walking they'll just start one day and get good at it really quickly as they're a bit older! But give your HV a call just for reassurance and to check what the process is if you're still concerned in a few months time. Stuff changes fast with babies so who knows, by this time next week your concerns might have gone!

That's the things, I'm not sure they do. They fully engage, good eye contact, love me roaring or my head falling off but if I say where's your nose etc they'll like "Dada hahahah godksjekejxjcksk". I worry th yre behind because I haven't spent enough time teaching them with a 5 yo and homeschooling and twins and that the HV will tell me it's my fault they're behind

@SleepingStandingUp definitely not your fault! There's no blame to be laid here anyway - they honestly sound so normal. It will all just click one day. DD points now but was doing vague gesturing before that and then just got it one day. It won't let me upload the pdf but I found the What to expect, when? EYFS guide was really helpful and detailed- if you google it should be the first thing that comes up. I've attached what the first page looks like plus a small bit about what they say to expect for physical stuff and communication between 8 and 20 months - that is a massive range! Those at the start and end of the range are outliers compared to the majority that will be somewhere in the middle but still nothing to worry about. You've still got 6 months before 20 months - that's about 10 years in baby development from what I can tell! Please don't beat yourself up.

Thanks Katie, I'll have a look. I swear T1 said hello earlier. Not to me obviously, to the invisible people on the phone 🤣

My daughter was 11 months before she even rolled over. 14 months before she crawled. Walked at 17 months, First word was about 35 months! She a typical 14 year old now.

Having a severely autistic older child I was concerned, it ruined her early years really. Try not to worry xx