If your child was a bum-shuffler...

[artifarti]

DS2 has turned out to be a bum-shuffler and very good at it he is too! His Dad was a bum-shuffler too so maybe it's genetic. DS1 was a textbook crawler and so this is all new to me. So if you had a bum-shuffler, I was wondering:

Did yours bother with crawling at all? DS2 hates being on his back or tummy (except to sleep) so I can't see it happening any time soon.
Everyone tells me that he will be a late walker - was this true for you?
How do they start negotiating steps etc?
Did it signify any problems (my HV has been giving us dark looks as DS2 doesn't seem to use his hands much which is 'unusual'.)

[melliebobs]

Dd was a. Bum shuffler from 12 months
She didn't crawl. Well why would you when your hands are free and u can see where ur going shuffling on your bum?!

She started walking at 21.5 months

[Xmasbaby11]

DD was a master bum shuffler! We gave her a walker when she was 11.5 months and by 12.5 months she was walking confidently and independently. I've never heard any connection between bum shuffling and age of walking.

[mummybto3]

My DC4 is 2.5yrs old and a bum shuffler. All my other DCs crawled at around 11 mths then walked at 18 months. DC4 didn't weight near at all till around 18 months, only got from lying on back to sitting position for first time last week! Never crawled, only just getting on to knees, pulls up now but from squatting not kneeling, just beginning to cruise but can't walk, climb stairs or stand alone! Loose ligaments and 'outward turned' hips but no other diagnosed problem despite obviously seeing all kinds of doctors etc.. Hope not too long now till she walks!

[Karoleann]

Dc3 was a bum shuffler (we went through lots of pairs of trousers too), she sat late -9Months, started shuffling at 12 months, crawled at 15 months and walked at 18 months.
Physically now at 2 and a half she is fine, though ds1 says she runs like a girl.

[GingaNinja]

Tell the HV to get stuffed. DD was a bum shuffler. Think yogic flying. She had the arms of Madonna and the flabby thighs of her mother. She walked at 19 months BUT only at nursery (I saw her through the window plus had been told by staff she was walking). She didn't bother her arse with walking at home till approx. 6 WEEKS later when she lost the rag one evening and stalked off in disgust from the kitchen through to the sitting room carrying at least 3 different things ie no balance issues etc and clearly well used to walking around. Strictly speaking she still hasn't rolled over - y'know, what they're supposed to do at approx. 4 months - except when she's occasionally unconscious!

DD is now well on the way to 5yo and wanting to know why we don't have trams in our nearest city - the question which couldn't wait at 05:58am yesterday nrrgh, is obsessed with dinosaurs, volcanoes and takes great delight in imparting knowledge to others. Strato cumulus is a cloud Mummy (look of scathing contempt) etc.

Guidelines etc are just that - a guide. Not compulsory. PS: make sure you video your offspring's bum shuffling because it's amazing how fast you forget how they moved. V funny watching back!

[bryte]

My DD2 was a bum shuffler. It was most amusing. She was also very fast and adopted the one handed bounce approach. She'd propel herself upwards and forwards with one hand, often holding something in the other hand. I witnessed lots of different bum shuffling styles and one baby boy did have a very elegant, symmetrical method, and he did not use his hands at all.

DD walked at 19 months. The main problems were her wearing out clothing, especially if she was playing outside. I had to put her in waterproof trousers as she was shuffling during the winter period and the park was always wet and muddy. The other problem was having to lift her everywhere and carry her upstairs and lift her onto play equipment, wheely toys etc... She was heavy! And she couldn't cope with any kind of step. She wouldn't turn around and go down backwards like a crawling child does.

When she did walk she walked very confidently and did not have any of those wobbles that my DD1 had as a walker at 11 months. She was referred by my HV at 18 months to check for hip problems but luckily walked at 19 months and did not need the appointment. She needed to be coaxed to walk. She wasn't that interested in standing up but eventually, we'd walk her around holding her hands and she found the will to walk!

[HarrietVaneAgain]

DS2 walked at 22 months. Learnt to crawl at 18 months but clearly saw it as a hilarious novelty. Refused to weight-bear until 21 months so took off pretty quickly from there. Also has very good manual dexterity.

I didn't do anything at all until walking at 14 months. I'm dyslexic.

[JingleBrains]

Oh yes Wobmum I thing age makes a difference, DS is a late August baby and is the youngest in class, hence I'm not pushing him too hard he's still just a baby to me! (I know, I know....)

[JingleBrains]

DS was a bum shuffler too, walked soon after first birthday. He's 5 now and no issues with mobility but he is a cautious little fella, not v sporty
Not sure about dyslexia, he seems to be coping OK with reading but is not great at spelling his 'tricky words'
He used to say 'motato' instead of 'tomato' and stuff like that, but is getting better. My favourite was getting him to try and say 'temperature' but sadly he can now say it properly

[jessisinthegarden]

My DD was a bum shuffler. She also became expert at commando-style rolling to get from A to B fast.
Both my DH and I were crawlers. My sister a bum shuffler, but probably no correlation!
She walked at 14 months (very average) and loved being on her tummy.
Don't think there's anything like a textbook child, as each is different and will get there in their own way and at their own speed.
Tell the HV to shove it.

[jenpetronus]

Another DS2 bum shuffler. Not a step until about 18 months, didn't even pull himself up - why bother when you're so fast! but his vocabulary was ace - waffled away way ahead of his peers, still does (in both languages, we're in Fr) All will be fine - never seen a bum-shuffling adult!

[Wobmum]

My DS4 was a bum shuffler, walked late (19months), never crawled and was slightly delayed with speech such that we saw speech therapist age 3, but were sent away and told that it would sort itself out. They were right; he is 13 now. I have worried about dyslexia over the years, there were delays in reading/writing, but held my nerve and no sign now. He learned to ride his bike by himself with no help. Doing fine at school, although I still think he could do with having started school 6 months later (June baby too).

[TheTragicClam]

DD was a bum shuffler, only walked independently at 22-23 months (much to everyone else's' horror). She's still catching up with her peers in terms of running and stairs but not far off (She's 31 months now). We did encourage her a lot and also played games with tunnels etc to get her to crawl. Don't panic I'd say OP.

[BackforGood]

My God-daughter was a bum shuffler.
Never crawled.
Walked at 26 months (do I win? )
She is a lovely young lady now and never had any physical difficulties.

[Doppledanger]

My dd was a bus shuffler, was seen by a physio because she wasn't weight bearing and and slept with her legs over her head!!??!! She walked at 16 months but took to it straight away and never really did much cruising. She did learn to crawl but was much faster at shuffling.

I also have a dyslexic son who never bum shuffled and crawled and walked fairly early.

[ChilliQueen]

My friends 2 DC's were both bum shufflers... neither walked until just after 2 years.... then just one day were up and about and no problems - they just wore out a LOT of trousers in the process! (Her husband apparently also bum shuffled). They are older now and absolutely fine in all respects.

[Persistentdonor]

Both my sons, (now in their 30's,) were bum shufflers, each with a different technique. They walked at 15 and 16 months respectively; not sure if that is especially late for boys?? Always sturdy chaps, they were award swimmers while at school and are still physical and active. Hope that eases some worries. :-)

[lambbone]

All 3 of my DCs were pretty late walkers- two crawlers, and one........

....bunny hopper! Lord knows why, it looked really hard on the knees.

Never crawled.

Very physically adept once she'd got the hang of walking though. Could cycle without stabilisers by the age of 3, which looked very sweet.

[Practicallyperfectnot]

You can be Hypermobile and have no problems eg gymnasts, ballerinas, some musicians. Others - like us - do have symptoms of the hypermobility syndrome.

[ipswichwitch]

DS1 was a bum shuffler - hated tummy time and refused to crawl until long after he mastered walking, just think he preferred being upright so he could see what's going on. He took his first steps at 14 months and progressed very quickly to running, there was no furniture-walking stage with him. He was prem (34 weeks), and had no significant delays developmentally so far.

Interesting about the hypermobility, as I was a bum shuffler and I'm hypermobile in all joints. Not seen much evidence of that in DS so far though.

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

Thanks minty :) ive often wondered.

[Mintyy]

neurologically typical

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

What does NT stand for ? i see it alot here, i know it means no disabilities etc but what does it actually say?

[LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA]

Practically, thats really interesting because i think my DD (who is now 8 and doesn't have any problems) is hypermobile in her arms - she can pretty much bend them both ways at the elbow . All her other joints seem to be normal. Never saught medical advice as it doesn't seem to be a problem for her, she bum shuffled and walked late

[Mintyy]

I was and didn't start walking until 23 months. But I'm NT with no disabilities.