19mo and walking...

[blue2711]

My 19mo DS has been walking really confidently for over 6 months and when we're inside or in the garden he runs about all day long.

However, my concern is that he is extremely reluctant to walk when we are on our way somewhere - he always wants me to carry him. I don't mean long distances, I mean a short walk from the car to the library / park / music class / cafe etc. I don't use the buggy for these sorts of walks as they're so short and he's perfctly capable of walking them. But he gets really upset and cross, standing in front of me with his arms outstretched. If I try to coax him to walk along holding hands he'll lie on the ground and protest loudly!

I keep giving in and carrying him but a) it's getting worse and I wouldn't normally let whingeing get him his own way and b) he's getting heavy!

Is this normal and is he perhaps just a bit nervous? Or should I be doing something different? I keep seeing similarly tiny children trotting along happily beside their mothers and am sure I am going wrong somewhere! He's an extremely confident, happy and well-behaved (well, for a toddler!) boy in every other way so I know I'm lucky but I just don't want him to still be being carried around like an emperor at 5!

Thanks for reading and for any advice.

hi

i have 19 month old twin boys who have both been walking since 11 months old. They will RUN happily around the house and garden and climb everywhere at home but take them for a walk even just outside of the garden gate and one is standing in front of me, arms out, wanting to be picked up. The other will happily toddle along but very slowly. I dont know what it is, maybe a confidence thing, hoping they will get better soon!!

OOh yes, my DD1 was JUST the same. Particularly infuritating as I had her sister when she was 21 months old so I had months of hefting her around while heavily pregnant and still she refused to walk.

She's fine now, walks everywhere, not a problem.

Sympathies though, it's a pain in the butt.

(she's 2.7 now!)

Very normal. The world is a scarey place you know! .

He's still pretty young. I bet by 2 or 2 and a half he'll be trotting everywhere. I would gently encourage and reassure. He'll get there when he feels confident.

And some tiny children are older than they look- my DD is 2 and 4 months but you might easily think she was about 18 months first glance!

I also remember reading on a website that it's a development thing re not wanting to walk with you in a straight line because they play and walk around you, the adult until 2 or even 3 (can't remember exactly).

Something about you the adult being their "home base" and then if they are supposed to walk along with that they feel insecure and lost and prefer to be carried.

Made sense to me and I bet soon he'll be demanding to walk at the most inopportune moments when you'd much rather put him in the buggy/carry.