Frustrated with DD2's on/off attempts at walking

[messylittlemonkey]

DD2 is fourteen months old today. She is an excellent crawler. She cruised at around 10 months and is very agile. She can walk along holding a hand/pushing a trolley/buggy etc... She just doesn't seem very keen to go it alone even though she is more than capable. she will stand by herself and can now stand up by herself without needing to hold on to furniture or whatever. She HAS taken some steps unaided (about ten steps at the most) and does a little bit of this most days, but on the whole, she will quickly resort to either crawling or grabbing onto the nearest thing/person to walk with.

Reading this back, I know it doesn't sound bad, but I'm just getting frustrated!!!

I sympathise, it's sonfrustrating when they seem to be on the verge of something and then take ages!

It sounds like she's got all the skills, but now it's down to confidence to launch herself away from anything supporting. She just sounds like she is getting there in her own time. When she does get going she'll be legging it about in no time, trust me .

Thanks, skiing. I know you're right.

The thing is she can walk unaided but just prefers not to!

Dungarees are a great idea! Think we have a pair somewhere. It reminds me of teaching of 5yo to ride her bike!

I tempted her with a bit of chocolate earlier - she saw it and did three steps to me to get it - she's very much inspired by food!

She also did half a dozen steps of her own accord when I got her out of the pushchair. It seems she just has to be in the mood to do it.

My DD2 is 15 months and not even walking any steps, so I know your frustration.

She will walk about on her knees, but apparently feet is a step too far.

It's rubbish when they want to be on the move all the time but can't walk - she'll have so much more fun once she's on her feet. There's so much more to do.

Love the dungarees idea (when we're even at the stage that it would work) :o

My DD was exactly the same except she wouldn't stand on her own. We had to take a toy stroller everywhere (which she would run with).

Started walking at 15 months, was running within a week and has been a bolter ever since.

I compare it to when I used to teach kids to ski. Some would throw themselves wildly at anything and fall over repeatedly, some would be perfectly capable but very wary. My job was to keep the kamikaze ones safe and encourage the wary ones.

Lots of encouragement, wild applause at every attempt, no matter how it ends and constant bribery! Works every time. Love the dungarees idea too, only with skiing it was me bent double holding on to ski tips and gradually not being needed. Dungarees sounds less back breaking.

OMG my Mum and I are POSL @ Dr's DD - that is hilarious :o

Kids are brilliant.

That's funny Dr.

I've noticed actually that my DD seems to be less inclined to walk by herself when I'm around. Last weekend, DP said she did several steps in the park when it was just her, him and DD1.

Just to update, she's been walking by herself a lot more in the last few days!