Early walkers - harder work?

[WillYouDoTheDamnFanjo]

DD didn't walk properly until she was about 17 months old, by which time she was beginning to understand "no," "hot," "ouch," etc. She was also quite gentle in her movements.

DS on the other hand has been walking since 11 months and he's driving me crackers. He spends the best part of the day pinging from one accident to another, climbing onto inappropriate things, eating dangerous things, etc. If I carry him he twists and grizzles to be put down - he's heavy and strong, so I have to. When we go out he eats grass, sand and soil, really shovels it in, so I end up carrying him (which he hates) and then getting knackered and going home. Visiting people is completely out.

I am having some mobility problems myself and I'm really struggling with it, particularly as the weather is changing... it's gonna be a loooong winter!

I have just put him into the travel cot in the middle of the lounge so that I can come on here and ask for some advice. I have just had a big cry cos I needed a wee and could only just get up the stairs & carry him at the same time, then I put him in the (dry) bath as I usually do but he figured out how to start to climb out using the taps... so I had to use the toilet in a semi-squatting position with one hand over the bath trying to aim at the toilet & him screaming because he wanted to climb the taps...

How can I keep him safe and reasonably happy?

And use the toilet?

Have to go now, he is screaming full pitch because he is hemmed in. Help.

DD walked at 11 months. The house was safe for her and she was allowed free rein of certain rooms. I think perhaps personality plays a huge part. DD understood then that she wasn't to touch radiators, climb onto the kitchen units etc. But largely she was allowed to run around the front room for example as she desired, there was nothing to hurt her.

If the bathroom door is locked, why can't you let him walk around the bathroom. Let him play with a toy duck or empty shampoo bottle, read to him as you wee etc. I used to leave dd in the sitting room (downstairs bathroom) and leave the bathroom door open. She'd wander through and see what I was doing, wander back to the sitting room, play with her toys etc.

Yes, IME

DD1 was 9m when she started walking (was proper walking - unassisted by anyone/anything)

She was crap at it, fell over all the time and was permanently covered in bruises

You just have to ride it out, I think!

I don't have any other DCs to compare her with yet, but DD was walking at 10 mo and I had to follow her around everywhere when we went out and it was hard work although only having the one DC probably helped.

At home we put up a room divider across part of the room so she couldn't get to things that couldn't be baby-proofed (TV cabinet, fish tank etc) and the rest was a learning curve based on which shelves she could reach. There were a few accidents involving drink spilling but as long as you leave anything hot on the highest possible shelf then you should be fine. Don't forget that if you have any tall bookcases to secure them to the wall, DD went through a climbing phase

He has gone to sleep, thank fuck (sorry DS, but it's true!)

NNB - That's exactly it. He's crap at it. He kind of launches himself, runs, and then goes "ping" off a wall or skirting board. We have the lounge, hall and dining room baby-proofed, but last time we were in a soft play area I was seriously lusting after their padded walls..!

SOH - Thank you. Our bathroom is too small to walk around in unfortunately. There is a tiny floor space, which I used to let him loose on, but he is excessively fond of the toilet brush.

I suppose I could mount the toilet brush on the wall at eye-level? ;)

I don't think it makes any difference. Both my boys didn't walk until they were 18 months but they could crawl far faster than children the same age could walk. They were into everything and were good at climbing.

If I needed the loo I took them with me and locked the door. Not very relaxing but that particular stressful phase doesn't last long.

Yes! DD's 1&2 both walked at 9months. It was hellish both toddling off in opposite directions to their respective accidents, I didn't know who to save first.

Sadly there isn't that much you can do as children are curious so you just have to wait. (Though do learn the lesson with any future children you may have(as I did with DD3) and don't encourage them to walk!!)

Things that did help was to bring things to them in a "curiosity basket" so they don't go to explore. That's what I called a box or basket that I'd put sterilised/clean stuff in for them to check out. Any stuff (so long as it was safe); a toy, sea shells, smooth pebbles, wooden spoon, a cd, egg cup, comb, flannel, sponge, wooden ornaments (pretty much anything that can be chucked into milton sterilising solution prior to offering to the tinys.

The other thing that worked was to go for a walk in a park at your toddlers speed (once you're in the park) and let them explore. I'd walk about 50 yds in a hour or so and they'd be exhausted so would usually sleep for a while for me too. (I really mean let them check out every daisy, blade of grass and tree stump, it'll quench their thirst for knowledge for a few hours).

As for going to the loo, I can't help you, I still am unable to go to the loo without my 3 chaperone's !!

TheCrackFox, I guess the difference between walking and crawling is that a tumbling walker tends to do a lot more damage to themselves than a tumbling crawler.

It will pass

Easywriter, it's true, there really isn't anything for it, but to lower my standards in every area of my life and just... watch him! Good job he's cute.

If he's really that unsafe while you're needing to go to the toilet, can you not just put him in his cot for five minutes? At least he'd be safe.

I was actually relieved when DS walked at 10 months, he was a heavy lump
I don't remember him being any harder work once he walked, he used to get himself into trouble just rolling round the room. He managed to eat one of my pot plants before he could walk.

I put DS in the cot when I need the loo. He yells at first but I tell him I'll be back and keep talking when I'm in the loo so he can hear me. He has some toys in there so soon calms down.

I've also put up a playpen which has a bit more space - we have a nanny starting so she'll have to use it more than me I suspect.

DS has a new bruise every week - so easy to forget he's only 1 and not quite got walking nailed despite doing it for two months.

He also is more prone to accidents when just woken from a nap or when he gets tired. So I have to be more careful (he starts zipping around like a loon so have to keep a closer eye!)

Nope... dd was 14.5 onths old learning to walk and was driving me absolutely bonkers by that point as she was so frustrated and wanted to be carried everywhere (didn't help that i was pregnant with ds1!)

ds1 was 12 months and never crawled and also had us tormented as he was so desperate to move but couldn't.

ds2 scooted around on his hands and feet from 7 months and walked at 10 months and it was so much easier with him... he just got on with things and didn't need to be transported around contantly.

Of the three ds2 was the most agile but also the least stress inducing, he has accidents but nothing compared to the other two and masters things so quickly... he was climbing the stairs on his own at 1 and can climb the bunk bed ladder and swing set ladder now at 20 months but seems to have a very good sense of danger and understanding of how to keep himself safe. He was far easier to keep out of trouble than dd and ds1 by far.

As for how much damge they do tumbling from walking/crawling... the only serious damge ds2 has done to himself is chipping a tooth when he was crawling and crashed into our bed.

No I don't think so... DD1 walked at 11 months but she was not at all accident prone and never really fell / donked her head / pulled stuff on top of herself etc. Dd2 started at 15 months and the little bleeder love is all over the place. Constantly falling over, climbing on stuff and falling off and generally getting in a pickle with everything.

depends on the baby IME

Trying to think of advice for you, my mobility isn't super-great either and I was very worried before I had the kids but luckily it's been OK.

You need things which will distract him for a few mins so you can do stuff...

In highchair with things which are slow to eat?
Box with stuff in that he can take out and put in again (both of mine have been keen taking-out-and-putting-in types.
Telly a few mins won't kill if it saves your sanity

With DD I used to put some water in the sink and some plastic cups then she used to stand on a low stool and it would keep her occupied for ages. Like I say she was not accident prone though DD2 wouldn't have that.

Um...

ds walked at 6mths. didnt understand no and took much longer imo to understand simply as he would be off somewhere doing something rather then listening.

My top tip is as follows: child will not harm from being left in travel cot in middle of lounge whilst you pee etc. they may shout scream and get cross but they will not harm. Tv is a good disctracter if you need to pee, pop outside briefly to hang washing out, have a 5min cuppa in peace.

Ds had books, soft toys in his play pen and travel cot. But beware toys that could be climbed on. And when they figure out how to stack books to climb on to escape. But make use of this approach to pee in peace.

DS has only just started walking at 18 months and compared with his friends of the same age he seems to have got into less trouble than the earlier walkers. He is also more confident in his ability than they were at this stage in their walking.
I was totally ready for him to walk though, he was soooo heavy! The fact that I have my arms free absolutely outweighs any trouble he may cause! (God I'm so going to regret saying that!)

My dd was walking at 9months unaided too. I felt like I missed out on some of the baby stage, tbh, it was an enormous amount of work to keep her safe, we had screaming / crying as we wouldn't let her play with plug sockets. We bought those cover things in the end. And she was often bruised around her face / on her head, to the extent I wanted to carry a sign around with me saying 'yes I know she looks like the world's youngest boxer but honestly we do not slap her around!

On the upside by the time she was 2 and a half she had been walking for almost two years and was very steady on her feet so rarely fell / injured herself on play equipment etc.

I think the worst thing was other mums thinking I had somehow trained her to walk so early and to start talking at 6 months and in full sentences before she was two, in order to make them look bad...

our 7 month DD is cruising and falling a lot.

I'm going with the she'll learn soon approach, but there's a good few bruises. We have hardwood floors so can't see how we could make it all 'cushioned'. I'm hoping by the time she's walking she will be OK [fingers crossed emoticon]

IME it is more personality than just whether or not they walk early - DD walked at 10m(cruised at 6m), DS walked at 11m.

DD had a semi permanent row of bruises on forehead for a loooong time from falling over - she is a tiny dot and looked very wrong walking at that age.

But DS? DS is in training to be a stuntman. He climbed onto the dining table at 11/12 months. Has been climbing up/throwing himself off the back of the sofa for ages, and is generally a liability. He has been much more stressful to keep physically in one piece.

I would - pop him in the cot or travel cot while you go to the toilet. Remove the toilet brush from the bathroom - or put it in a cupboard out of reach if you really want to keep it. Some risks you can minimise, some you have to live with, rg downstairs is relatively childproof but I can't remove the table and chairs

DD used to help a bit by saying 'get down' as she climbed onto the coffee table but DS is a silent operator, but he does sometimes give a cheer when he has got to the top!

My ds was an early mover, and to be honest I thought we had it much easier than the parents of the babies that stayed still as he occupied himself very happily. It probably helped that we lived in a one floor flat, but we just baby proofed and let him get on with it. He was never one for doing as he was told, but also very stoic. I must admit I generally went on the line that so long as I could hear him he was OK, so I didn't take him into the bathroom etc.

Couldn't you put up stairgates and leave your ds downstairs? If the eating of interesting stuff isn't making him ill, perhaps you should worry less - my niece who has Down's Syndrome and autism eats sand, gravel, plants of every description with little ill effect.

Yes, early walkers are very hard work for the reason the OP describes - they are too immature to pay attention to danger.

My DD walked at 10 months and was always a climber/bouncer. She was very hard work until about age 3, when she finally got some sense into her!

I kept a prison playpen in the sitting room for emergencies for a long time, btw. Even if they scream for five minutes while you are eg in the loo or getting something hot out of the oven, at least they are safe.

DD walked at 11mo I just baby proofed as much as poss. Toilet brush went in lockable cupboard as did bleach, shampoos etc. Got stair guards and door stopper things, plenty of cupboard locks. She was & still is to a degree the same as you describe outside in that she tried to eat everything, still does a bit but I just watch her like a hawk, although she's still managed a handful of gravel here and there! She hit the skirting board on the way down twice and had horrible bruises, I felt awful. She's 16 mo now and runs everywhere but is brilliantly steady on her feet. I have a cupboard & drawer in the kitchen that she is allowed to play in full of lentils, pasta & plastic pots. She helps load the washing machine etc, I found getting her to 'fetch' things quite liberating she's been doing this from @12 mo and loves it.
It will get easier...

My DS1 started walking careering at 9mths. Fricking nightmare! DS2 didnt roll over till then. That bought its own worries and challenges (he has SN) but chasing him about the place wasnt one of them

DD walked at 12mth DS3 about 12mths, DS4 looks set for early movement . Give me a 'late' walker any day.

yes they're a bloody nightmare aren't they?
mine walked at 8.5 months, 9.5 months and 10 months.

i felt i surely deserved a late walker by the time i got to ds3 but sadly no, tho he was the latest of the 3

we just moved everything UP, so they couldn't reach anything. stairgate on sitting room or stairs so I had at least one safe room to leave them in if i needed to

we used a playpen with ds1 and ds2 as well, which helped for those times when you just needed to get stuff done and they were being particularly mischievous

mine also learned to climb the stairs as soon as they were crawling, so that was no help either!

We had a great playpen. One of those huge babydan/lindam ones. Since DC4 we have had work done to the house so we have used it as a room divider. It keeps the kids out of the kitchen. Because we have lost a few feet of our dining room we dont have space for another play pen

I am thinking bungee rope?