Encouraging 14mo DS to walk

[ChairmumMiaow]

My DS is just 14mo and has been crawling and pulling to stand/cruising since 8 months. We've been expecting him to walk "soon" ever since then.

He now walks really well when holding something (one hand or something solid to push). He pushes his own puschair for a good distance and if you manage to wriggle your hand out from his when he is standing he doesn't fall down but carefully lowers himself to the floor. He very ocassionally stands for a few seconds while distracted (and has been doing this since 11mo!

We're not worried, we know its not late, but we feel like he's missing out by not walking when his friends do (in the park for example - he wants to crawl between equipment) and we'd like to encourage him a bit - without being pushy parents

Anyone got any fun suggestions?

Hi there! My DD is the same age and she has only just started solo walking! She did the same thing as your son, only walking when she wasnt thinking about it and holding on walking/standing.

One thing i did was take her out of her normal enviroment, to a new park or play group, and hold both her hands while she walked. she had the security or me being with her, and something to hold on to... Plus she wasnt in a place she recognised so she didnt think to get on all fours to see everything from the angle she was used to. im not sure if this worked or not, but she is walking freely now, and only occasionally falls down to crawl!

Enjoy him now - walking is the begining of the end! Velcro on the bum does wonders for slowing them down!

You can't make it happen any sooner - just wait. He's not missing out - it'll be, at the most, a few months out of his entire life spent walking! Just play with him and enjoy him at this stage. I know it's incredibly horrid and patronising to say it but he will grow up so fast - don't wish his life away! Just let him crawl at the park - so long as there's no broken glass or anything!

Doesn't matter what you do. He will walk when he walks. My ds was the same. We said when he was 10mo that he would be walking by his birthday. He was 16mo before it happened! But when it did he was super confident, could handle steps and run. He could jump at 18mths.

DD1 on the other hand did nothing. very late to develop- didn't roll at 12mths! Bottom shuffled and refused to weight bare. However she walked at about 17mo. Though she was much less confident and can only just jump now (she is 2.7!!)

don't worry about it! ds2 is nearly 16 months & not walking. Walks holding onto hands & cruising round the furniture for months. I too thought he would be walking by his birthday!
I think some children are better at verbal skills and some better at physical. he is very chatty for his age & seems to know more words than his peers who have been walking for months!
DS1 was nearly 19 months before he could walk but again was much more vocal & advanced language wise.

My 14 and a half MO DS has just got going this weekend. I think the things that made a bit of a difference were

• being able to steer his walker (meant he could walk around with it for ages)
• encouraging steps between two parents - small gaps so he barely needs to do more than fall forwards and then lots of praise - making it fun
• being away for the weekend, similar to a point above that a change in environment makes them try something new.

Just keep it fun though!

Also saying "Walk to me" in the style of Terry Tibbs (phone jacker) almost definitely helped too.

With my DS, DH and i sat facing each other with our legs and arms making a diamond shape, we then balanced a French Fancy on our head and got DS to walk to who ever had it on their head, if he got there he got a bite. He loved it. He was 13 months at the time, DD is not 13 months and sounds exactly like your DS.

DD is NOW 13 months, not not.

He will walk when he's ready to. Just play with him and give him opportunities to walk ie barefoot at home in a safe environment.

thanks for all the advice / reassurance.

I'm now consoling myself with the fact that, so long as you hold his hand, he walks really well and for quite long distances for his age, so I guess when he does go, he'll be able to walk really well. I'm giving him more opportunity to walk outside (and he does plenty of stuff like soft play where there are big spaces) and seeing how it all goes.

sigh

don't be too envious of the early walkers! DS1 walked at just under 10 months and has the scars to prove it... very young walkers really need someone hovering all the time at the park because they don't get the concept of looking where they are going and not letting go while climbing etc etc. Later walkers are much more confident when they get going and understand when they need to be cautious, about not ploughing into solid objects and so on

Have you considered getting some waterproofs and 'crawling shoes' so he can crawl in the park? Just got some for DS2, who is thankfully average/late and they are fab

ace - he's got the waterproofs for crawling in his auntie's garden but I won't let him crawl at the play park because people are so irresponsible with glass and letting dogs in and stuff, which is a shame.

I have been consoling myself with the idea that he'll be able to walk really far once he gets going

walking holding a hand is great, once he has the confidence he'll let go and be a lot more stable.

my son was just over 4 mths but was rock solid on his feet from 12 mths before that

he was crying one day and i was walking towards kitchen to get him a snack and he was crying and running after me lol never looked back from that day he didn't think about it just done it

i just left him holding my hand and walking round furniture till the day he ran after me crying

My dd was the same, she started walking without holding on all of a sudden at 15 months.