What age did your child start walking ?

[WSM]

My DD will be 14 months old on Wednesday and is still not walking yet. I'm not exactly worried as she seems to have no problems weight bearing but it is really getting me down that almost all of the other babies we know who were born around the same time are on their feet (not to mention those on MN ).

She was a late crawler, not starting until 10 months and now that she is so proficient at crawling she is reluctant to attempt to walk (she knows that she will get there much faster if she crawls). She takes steps if you hold one hand but only manages 2 or 3 before she loses her balance, she is fine if you hold both hands and will walk forever. She will also take steps using furniture and her little walker toys.

Deep down I know that she will probably be a late walker and I don't expect her to be toddling until about 18 months but I suppose I just want a bit of reassurance. If she is late crawling and walking will be behind developmentally for ever ? She was not a prem baby, born at 37+3 after a 3 hour non-intervention labour. She needed no oxygen or other medical support post birth. She has 2 half brothers (same father), one of whom was walking at 10 months and the other at 15 months.

Wsm the comments your friends made are ridiculous. Fourteen months is really nothing to be worried about, it doesn't sound at all late to me, and a doctor would say the same. Doesn't mean anything other than she isn't ready yet.

Just for the record, dd1 was over 2 when she walked due to hydrocephalus and gdd, and she is just the same as her peers now. Dd2 was 18 months old, no reason than she just wasn't ready to, ds1 was 15 months, and ds2 is 2 1/2 and not able to stand let alone walk, but he has cp.

Take no notice of anyone, and just enjoy your dd as she is right now.

Sorry wsm I meant bobsmum's friends, but the rest still applies!

Sorry Bobmum - I do tend to rare up a bit. Just felt outraged for you really - that "friends" can say things like that to you. Making you feel you son isn't 'normal' and that you should be doing something!! Unbelieveable. Sorry though, shouldn't have got so angry on your behalf. Just hope you realise that they don't know what they are saying and there is no problem with him not walkig at 14 months etc. Love and calmness - TC xx !! Oh and no - I hate Mother & Toddler groups and would probably end up offending someone. I'll stick with Mumsnet!! xx

I don't think you need to teach children to walk - if it was necessary there'd be a lot more non-walking adults in the world. They do stuff when they are ready. BTW ds never crawled. Just wouldn't do it and wasn't interested. Couldn't force him to either. He's not an athlete by nature, I think. But he's fine.

WSM - just to add a voice here to the "don't worry" pack. DS1 had a close friend from birth, and he walked c.5 months earlier than her, but within months of her walking she was FAR more graceful, more sporty, and generally better co-ordinated than him - and continues to be so 4 years on. Early/late walking (within 'normal' ranges - c.9-18 mnths) doesn't have any developmental significance.

I also agree with aloha - you can't teach a child to walk earlier than they are 'programmed to', nor can you prevent them from walking when they are ready. A few posts on here seem to suggest that you can influence this ... "we did x, we did y" ... rest assured the date she starts walking is not related to anything you have or have not done.

quick one WSM - not read other messages but just to say that my DS1 crawled at 10 months and didn't walk until 15 months.
NO she won't be developmentally delayed (well not based on that one marker).

don't worry

oh and meant to say that he literally went from crawling everywhere and not even tottering to walking really confidently within about 3 days so it can happen really quickly.

scoobysnax - I wish you were right about having a 'walker' or 'talker', but not both. My ds started walking at 15m, but didn't prefer it to crawling until 18m. At nearly 27m, he is still not talking, although I usually understand his wishes.

WSM ... have only skimmed this thread so don't really know what others have said but my DS was just like your DD ... crawled at 10 months and walked at 14.
I just did not worry about it ... luckily (or not) I didn't belong to an Antenatal coffee group and so couldn't compare except with two other babies of the same age - one who walked at 11 months and one who didn't walk until 18.
For some reason I have never worried at the time about whether DS is slow or fast at things - ALL children are different ...
Now, there is definitely NO problem with his development AT ALL - he is a very full on nearly 4 year old who is doing everything he should be (and more IMO )
Your DD will do everything when she is ready ... don't worry!

Thanks again guys, I'm just being a pre-menstrual worry-wort

At times it does seem like the world and his granny were walking before DD. I get asked at the checkout in Tesco, at the video shop, on the beach etc etc. Whenever I say (quite cheerily) 'Not yet', they always smile and look a bit awkward, generally following it up with 'Ah well, some are late aren't they?'. I know people are just trying to show an interest but sometimes you wanna smack 'em in the gob !

The worst ones are the other mothers in playground I'm already a bit of an outcast due to me being a) a stepmother, b) at least 8/10 years younger than most of the other mums in the jnr school playground and c) not having an interest in the PTA.

I always say/said ' He'll be talking/walking by the time he goes to school' which usually makes them laugh at the thought of a crawling/non-speaking child at school!

IME, it is really hard not to get upset by the lack of walking. You just have to not worry about other people and their opinions. My dad is always hinting that I should be potty training ds, but he (ds!) is only 27 months, and still doesn't know when he is weeing, so why bother? If I worried about what dad thought, I would be beating myself up over something that is beyond my control, so I now refuse to do it!

She'll be running away from you before you know it, and you'll be wishing that she was crawling again!

dd1 ceawled at 9months, was scooting furniture a month later, but didnt take her 1st steps till she was 15months old. dd2 was crawling at 6months, scooting furnitire and pulling herself up at 9months. stood by herself at 10months and walked at 11months. now she is 13months old and there is no stopping her. she also has 10teeth.

One thing my ds did do early was get all his teeth! Not good when b/f'ing

DD has 12 teeth and yet more coming through !

DD might have walked early but she is a bit rubbish at growing teeth

Her first tooth came a 13 months and it was a top one. She is now 18 months and has an unusual set:

Top = 4 centre ones, the a gap at each side. She currently has the next two teeth coming though (appear to be the big double ones)

Bottom = just the two (but not the two centre ones so big gap at front).

She is on the waitiing list to see the children's dental hospital to check all is in order. Shouldn't affect her adult teeth and it is apparantly quite common t only get partial baby teeth - never known it myself though.

Poor thing will be losing out on the tooth fairy at this rate!

WSM - that explains it then. DS is a month older than your DD and is walking but only has 8 teeth. She's clearly putting her physical energies into growing them!

PLeeeease don't worry WSM - it all comes out in the wash, and when a few years have passed it will matter not at all!
Ours were - dd1 and ds1 13 months, dd2 17 months and ds2 (last week) literally only about 3 days before he hit 18 months. It's been quite nice having my baby stay a baby for a while, and other people's concern/ignorance/competitiveness is laughable really - my ds1 looks perfectly normal but has far more problems than many people would ever guess..

Myds 13moths this week doesn't crawl or bottom shuffle so wants to be walked around all day.He has taken a few steps but seems reluctant to try again.I'm happy with his development but do worry that his lack of crawling may mean he is more likely to be dyslexic.seem to remember hearing this somewhere.

Don't they say that there is only a 'problem' if your child isn't moving at all by 18 months WSM?? I don't think 10 months is late for crawling ... I thought it was average ... and I don't believe 14 months for walking is particularly late either ...
Tell everyone who asks to bog off !

DS walked about 21 months I think, HV was worried and wanted to refer him, but I was happy because he was chatting away and didn't want to walk yet, he also didn't crawl until about 19 months, he was a contented baby.

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My DD1 who have CP didn't walk till she was 26 months!!!!!!!! But DS (who also has CP) walked at 18 months and we were told that it was a good age to walk at anyway. Seeing that your DD is up on her feet and will walk with you, I would say that she is fine.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I am a bit worried. DD No 4 is 17 months and is VERY reluctant to weight bear at all, cannot pull herself up, and bottom shuffles. She has hyperrotational hips (IYKWIM) and points her toes down a lot. My GP says helpfully that there's either no problem, or a biggish problem, as in muscular atrohy of some sort, but wants to wait another four weeks before referring her. I am trying not to worry, but it's hard not to compare her to others, even Mumsnet babies! If I make her stand she can for a short while, but she clearly doesn't like it. I suppose my instincts tell me that it's because she's tall, and long in the back, but it's hard not to fret.