18 Months Old & Not Walking

[Seabright]

Subject title says it all really. She'll walk with a walker or hold my hands and walk but won't walk on her own and won't balance without leaning on anything.

Any ideas how to move things along? We've been at this stage for about 6 months now.

I was in the same boat with my DS who is 18 months and only just started walking. I didn't worry because like your DD he had been walking holding on for months, so I never thought there was anything physically worrying and never really pushed him.

Just before he started waking my parents were walking holding his hands a lot which maybe gave him som more confidence. Also, he would often stand at my feet and ask to be picked up. I walked back a few steps and he followed me. That was his first offical walk. He did it when he wasn't thinking about it.

My auntie had also recommended I get a scarf or something and let him hold one end whilst I held the other and through time, let go. I didn't try this out though as was worried he' fall and get a fright, so can't say if it works.

We've been doing the handholding thing for months now, but nothing's progressing.

Her nursery has suggested seeing her healt visitor to see if she needs to do excersises, but I'm a bit reluctant to do that as I always found the health visitor to be a complete wet blanket.

I'm thinking of trying to put her in reins and support her with the reins rather than my hands - anyone tried that?

Have you tried holding her arms instead of her hands so standing behind her and holding onto to her forearms, make sure she is confident, and supported, walk with her but loosen your grip, so your support is still visually there, do you see what i mean. As long as she is planting her feet, and standing solidly i would think this is more of a confidence issue then a physical.