How many steps did your baby take before you decided officially 'hooray/argh, they can walk!'

[Jessbags001]

Just curious as to when you say they walked by themselves for the first time, the date you put down in the baby book.

Mine took 4 steps unaided today which I think I'm going to count.

She's been taking 1-2 lunging steps forward for about a month now, but they often seem accidental and super wobbly so I decided that wasn't 'it'.

But when is 'it'? Does everyone have a different threshold?

[WeGotThere]

Hmmm... I was thinking about this with crawling, my son has just started wiggling forward on his tummy - is this crawling?
My daughter was (and is) really cautious so she didn't let go of the furniture and walk by herself until she could 'really' walk independently. So when she decided to go she didn't wobble or fall over she just walked. (Don't think I remembered to write anything in her baby book though- bad mummy!)

[Jessbags001]

Yes, same for crawling! Do weeks of commando crawl/tummy shuffle count? I didn't personally, but then it did turn into 'proper' crawling. If the shuffle had become the predominant mode of transport I probably would have counted it.

When I said write in the baby book, what I meant was scribble on a scrap of paper with the intention of copying into a baby book at a later date. It's in the 'to do' pile along with wedding album (3 years ago!) etc etc...

[Stripylikeatiger]

I counted it as walking when it was 3 or more steps, crawling I counted it from when he was up on his knees crawling :)

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

With dd I counted it as can walk across the room - sofa to sofa unaided (10-12 steps). Once she could walk she didn't crawl at all.

With ds it was like watching a slow hand over from crawl to walk. So he could walk 15 steps but 80% of the time he still crawled.
I think I decided he could walk once he walked more than 75% of the time.

I was always baffled when people said there baby could walk already when said baby was still crawling everywhere most of the time. (I'm starting to think I'm the odd one though )

[Jessbags001]

WhenSheWasBad I guess those babies that crawl get so quick at it that for a long time it's actually a lot faster (and therefore more appealing) than walking, even if they can walk.

Hmm, so 3/4 steps seems to be the majority opinion so far. I have a walker then! Mind you, it all happens so quick after that it probably only makes a difference of a week or two.

Here's hoping that now she's cracked the walking, sleep will magically improve... who am I kidding?!

[IBelieveInPink]

When dd started doing 3/4/5 steps I described her as 'taking first steps'. About 3 weeks later she suddenly did 8, then 12, then I lost count. That's when I started describing her as walking

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

jess think you are right, ds was a fast crawler.

Congrats on your little walker

[elQuintoConyo]

Our paediatrician said 5 steps or over. I think they doubted us when we said DS was walking - until we put him down and he ran across the roo m doubting fools

I'd say from A to B without falling over, rather than a few steps here and there.

DS is 3yo, we have been married 4 1/2 years, we have neither updated started the babybook nor printed wedding photos

[Jessbags001]

Ooh, I like the 'taking first steps' vs 'walking' distinction IBelieveInPink.

It clears up the muddy waters of the fact that 1/2/3/4/5 steps IS technically walking, but isn't really walking as in walking around properly, if that makes sense.

[callamia]

The man in the show shop said don't bother with shoes until they can reliably make eight steps or more: I went with that. Eight steps covered a fair distance.

[Jessbags001]

Posted at the same time elQuinto but good to hear that the paediatrician says the same . Was your DS very early then if they doubted?

Lol, does anyone actually do baby books/wedding albums or are they just sitting empty on everyone's bookshelves?

[MuttersDarkly]

10

By 14 months he'd done 1...2... fall over steps lots of times. But.. it was more drunken staggering than walking.

Then one day my friend came over with her baby, who picked up DS's Po (as in teletubbies doll). DS was on the other side of the room, looked up, squawked in outrage, stood up and strode accross the room. Not wobble in sight. Right up until he liberated Po and veered sideways for a crash landing.

Those 10 steps were what I counted as him being able to walk. He is 14yo now and I can still play that first proper walking like a cine film in my head

[Jessbags001]

The threshold is going up! Ok, I'm holding off writing 'walking' in the (hypothetical) baby book but will go for 'took first few steps'.

MuttersDarkly nothing like a favourite toy in someone else's hands to get a child moving fast! And I love those moments that you can watch back in your head like a movie - if only we could choose the moments that our brains retain like that.

[HedgePony]

One

[ACardiganForCat]

I would say 10.

[purplemurple1]

Crawling - when he could get to where he wanted to be without having to stop becasue there was a wall/dog/door in the way. This was a commando crawl though for a few weeks.

Walking - I said he had walked once he could go a couple of meters and intentionally stop rather than crash into someone or fall over.
I feel he is a walker now as he only crawls if he is going under something, or wants to climb. Although he isnt a great waker outside yet, but we have a lot of ice in the garden so I think its unfair to expect that just yet.

[PollyIndia]

For me for ds walking, I said it when he could walk around as opposed to from a to b. So took about a month from when he was doing his first 3/4 steps to that point. Sounds like I set the bar high for him!