Parents of late walkers - come and cheer me up!

[Ceebee74]

DS2 is nearly 16 months and not walking yet. I know this isn't particularly late but it feels like it as every baby I know of the same age is walking and has been for ages.

Tbh he is nowhere near walking yet - he can cruise very confidently but has only just started letting go and even then, only very briefly before his hands drop again or he collapses to the floor.

It just feels like his 'babyhood' is going on and on and I do feel sorry for him when he is the only baby at nursery in the 1-2 room that isn't walking - I have images of these toddlers running around having fun and DS2 sat pathetically in the middle

Come and convince me he will walk at some point

My son walked at 1year and a day and my friend's son, (3 weeks older) walked at 18months. Another friend's son (2 days older than 1st friend's son), walked at 11 months.
They are all now 2.3yo, and you cannot tell which ones of the three were the early walkers - the latest walker caught up very quickly! Except that myself and my second friend has 6 months extra of stress and worry as our two walkers careered all over the place, wandering off and falling and tripping over everything!
The one who walked later was more careful and sure when he took his first steps.
I myself was a late walker, I was 20 months. Accord to my mum I was just lazy
Honestly, all children develop at different rates but generally they all catch up with each other in the end!

Hi ceebee, my friend's ds just started walking at 19 months.

She had said to me a few days before that he was no where near walking but to her surprise he took off a few days later so you never know.

He has only been walking a week but you wouldn't know to look at him - he is very strong and confident.

I don't know what you are moaning about! My DD is nearly 16 months and not only can she not walk (and is nowhere near it - can't stand, or cruise, and only started bumshuffling a fortnight ago as she has never even CRAWLED) - but her fine motor skills are fantastic as is her speech. Kids develop at different rates. It's not a competition, or a race....

My DS1 (now 4) didnt walk until 19 months...he did talk v. well though and was good with his fine motor skills. He didnt seem interested in walking/crising much but then one day just walked through 2 rooms to get something. Once he went that was it really.

ds2 (now 2.5), didnt walk til 18 months and didnt talk much either at that age. He didnt even crawl...bum shuffled from about 12-13 months. Again once he was eventually up he was off....practically running within a fortnight of walking!!

Both of them didnt seem to have the wobbly stage that younger walkers have, so i think that being later they are steadier once they start.

I wouldnt worry about your ds...though i do sympathise as it is easier when they are walking as you dont have to carry them around so much!! Mine also had shoes to warm their feet rather than for walking in!!

dd was 17 month, she ws just too busy chattering aways, which she still does non stop at 3.5!

I remember being anxious about it though, because ds 6months is such a physical baby people keep saying "oh he'll be walking by the time he's one" feel like telling them to shut up! supposing he doesn't!

DS1 took his first steps at about 16 months and DS2 at 18 months. They qualified for their shoes (ie were walking sufficiebtly well to justify buying them some!) about 3 months later. According to something I read on the internet, genius children are often late walkers, so this is a handy thing to say to the people who say "Is he STILL not walking? Have you taken him to the doctors?"

Ceebee74 - I think you would have noticed something if your child were particularly flexible in some or all joints. Ankles rolling in is pretty obvious, because the ankle bone on the inside side of the leg looks like it's pretty much touching the floor when they stand on their feet, due to the lack of ligamentous support around that joint. If this is the case, some children do learn to walk more quickly if given a bit of ankle support by wearing sturdy boots when first learning to walk (then practising without, to strengthen up the muscles). Only the minority of children with hypermobility need any kind of intervention to help, as quite a large proportion of the population would be considered hypermobile to some degree.

My DD didn't walk until she was about 17-18m. When she did walk, she was very steady and confident so I think she was waiting until she felt sure. She had taken some steps much earlier, around 14m but presumably decided that she didn't feel safe and stopped walking until she did feel safe.