Late Walking

[PastaB]

My 15 month old can't walk. She pulls herself up, scoops down to pick things up, crawls everywhere and climbs the stairs. She does a strange monkey crawl on one leg when she wants to move and carry something.

Until a few weeks ago I took the attitude she will do it when she is ready but now I've made the mistake of googling. Google informs me that 90% of children walk by 15 months and those that don't have underlying problems or simply aren't given enough encouragement at home.

I've taken this to heart somewhat. I don't know what else I can't do to encourage her. I play with her but if I suggest she pushes her trolley or stands holding my hands she cries and shouts 'up'.

I am wondering if I am holding her back as she is very slight so not too difficult to carry round and she is quite a patient child so we do a lot of baking, drawing, ipad apps, books etc.... Should I stop this in favour of more mobile activities?

Should I take her to the Dr? She goes to nursery 3 days a week and baby groups so she sees other children walking.

Apologies for the stream of consciousness.

If she's pulling up and holding weight OK, I'd say you don't have anything to worry about. Both of mine didn't walk until almost exactly 18 months - although both dh and I were quite early walkers. My kids are now 6 & nearly 9 (tomorrow in fact), and walk perfectly!

DS hardly crawled either, he learned to talk instead & just sat around telling us what to do

You might also like to know that early and late walking is indicative of absolutely nothing - ie early walkers don't end up being more active/intelligent/whatever.

Is she cruising at all? Might be worth encouraging that maybe (so that if she pulls herself up on the side of the sofa, you hold something out further along the sofa.

My dd was 21 months when she walked. And she couldn't pull herself to standing long before that. And she couldn't roll till my dad taught her to escape from the changing mat at 16 months. And she didn't crawl till 13 months. She was 9 months before she sat.

She is now 4.2. No one can tell any of the above. She is not as good as some others in her gymnastics class, but others are as bad as her iyswim. I really wouldn't worry. Unless you can SEE cause for concern then i doubt there is any.

What are her proportions like? I think that may have been my dd's problem. She had a big head, a long body and tiny short legs. No wonder it took her months to work out how to balance!

My DD2 didn't walk til about 18/19 months. Considering my DD1 walked at 11 months I was getting a bit worried, talked to the health visitor etc, they all said it is completely normal.

She used to 'walk' on her knees instead, and was quite speedy at it! I was told if they have discovered their own way of getting around they don't have that incentive to start walking- I know a bum shuffler who didn't walk until 20 months! It sounds like she might have found her own way with the one-legged thing.

They all get there eventually!

Don't worry, she's perfectly normal. Neither of mine walked til 18 months either. Plenty don't even walk til 2 years.

I understand how you feel and while you try not to make comparisons it's hard to keep smiling when other parents of children who walked at 11 months say things like 'oh well at least you know where she is' 'it's awful to have an early walker I have to chase him/her around all the time'.

It will happen and with hindsight you'll forget this phase of anxious waiting.

My 18mo dd still prefers her knees and will walk only occasionally, shes still unsteady.

I've learned that there's nothing I can do to make her walk. Your DD will do it in her own time too!

Phew! I know I shouldn't google.

funnypeculiar she can cruise but has very limited interest in it. I will definitely do as you suggest and hold things out more. I do it already but she will dip down and crawl to the remote control the classic development toy I am holding out so if I am being honest I don't do it as much as I should.

janek she is small for her age with a small head and long legs for her body shape. She still wears 9-12 month clothes apart from trousers which are 12-18 months. She only weighs 20lb which I suspect is a contributing factor. She eats normally but is just naturally small. 6lb birth weight at term.

Thank you for the reassurance. I think she is perfect in every way so it hurts to read articles on the Internet that suggest she doesn't walk because I haven't encouraged her.

One of my boys walked at 9 months of age.... the other took his first steps at 22 months of age, and my girls were 11 months and 16 months.

You can't tell who was first now! Honestly back away from google and enjoy your little girly:) I didn't do anything different with any of them..they just developed at different rates:)

Honestly I have only ever used google and been reassured on one occasion, every other time I feel about ten times worse! My two were both bottom shufflers and walked at 17 and 21 months. (We happened to see a paediatrician for something else and he said bottom shufflers on average start walking at 24 months). I have other friends whose children had hypermobile joints and they were also late walkers. I think it's other people's reactions that start to bother you, I felt like lying about their age so I didn't have to discuss it with random strangers.

My children walked at 16 and 18 months respectively. They were both bum shufflers and I think being able to carry things around as your dd does means that they walk a little later.

Don't think size is a particular factor.

A friend of mine's child has some hypermobility issues and their paed told them that they don't get concerned about children not walking until they're 2, so she's got plenty of time.

Hi, I posted on this topic last year. I don't know how to create a link to the post but the subject was 'late walker? Let me reassure you!' . My son did not walk until he was almost 26 months. I hope my story helps you.

Here's the link : www.mumsnet.com/Talk/behaviour_development/a1454516-Late-walker-Let-me-reassure-you

15 months is not late. 22 months is late but still most likely not be a problem.

She sounds like she's on her way. My DS is 16 months and only just started walking. He is long in the body, v short in the leg with a big head (but gorgeous!) and has tiny feet so like Janek said, I think he struggled with balance. I think they only do it when they are physiologically ready, maybe she just hasn't got her balance yet.

15 months isn't late. I would be curious to see the website that said that it is, most sources say to seek advice if your dc gets to 18 months without taking steps.

If she is cruising and weightbearing then she is well on her way.

DD2 has only been walking for a few weeks. She was 15 and half months when she finally took a couple of unaided steps. I put her down to being slow as she could crawl. She didn't need to know how to walk as she could get to where she wanted to go on her hands and knees (neither DS or DD1 could crawl so walked a lot quicker) and the idea of using her feet never crossed her mind.

Now she's a bugger for getting to places and reaching for things that she really shouldn't.

My friend's DD didn't walk until 21 months and there is nothing wrong with her.

My cousin's dgd was 21 months too.She would walk holding a finger of an adult but as soon as she let go she crawled.She would run and dance holding on just to one finger then one day it happened!

lostonthemoors she manages to empty the washing machine but that's where her work starts and finishes!

Thanks again for reassurance.

The encouragement thing is nonsense, so I would stop worrying about it. DCs walk when they are good and ready. By saying 90% of children walk by 15 months, they probably mean up to and including 15 months so your DD is still in that time frame. And what of the other 10%; if they don't have any underlying problems, they will get there in the next few months and by the time they are 2 nobody will be able to tell the difference.

I doubt if your DD's size has anything to do with it; DS was equallly small and an early walker. It sounds like your DD has a way of getting around that suits her for the time being, but that is sure to change soon.

DD 14M is small 17lbs, and crusing but not walking. She just looks so wobbly and weedy! I'm not concerned about the walking, but do have to catch myself not fretting about her weight.

It's more other people comments. I just try to ignore them. We are all different.

My little girl is 14 months and won't even stand up supported for more than a few seconds. We got a referral to an orthopaedic consultant as our health visitor and GP thought she might have hip problems, but her X-rays came back completely clear. The consultant said many babies don't walk until they are 2 and that it's nothing to worry about as long as the rest of her development is fine.

My daughter was a bum shuffler, never rolled over or pulled herself up.

Went to a doctor said there was nothing wrong with her and walked at 18 months!