16 month old reusing to walk

[yummymumoftwoandanangel]

My adorable 16 month old daughter is just refusing to walk. She can climb, crawl under things, stand alone etc all the right milestones. She would take a few steps one day and just stop. She prefers to crawl sideways very very fast with her butt in the air. A paedatrician told me this afternoon that it is symptomatic of very intelligent kids who can deduce that they can side crawl faster than walking. This has not really soothed my nerves especially since Christmas is near and I don't want family making any comments to heighten my anxiety. It's getting very frustrating and would appreciate any advice.

RELAX! She will walk in her own time and there is nothing you can do about it, a 16 month old will NOT be pressured. Once she is walking you will realize it doesn't actually matter a damn when they decide to walk!

Thanks niamh. My older daughter walked at 11months so this is a quite a biggie for me.

My Dd1 walked at 16 months
My ds at 18 months
My Dd2 at 13 months.

Walking is no indication of intelligence! None of them crawled to school!

LOL - my eldest bum-shuffled til she was 18 months. So she could carry stuff and still get about...

She only started to walk after my crafty gran put some goodies on a table which she could only get to down a narrow path between 2 sofas - she had to get up and inch her way through to get the goodies.... worked a treat! No stopping her after that!

Thanks weegiemum and bytheway. Yesterday, we went to the Childrens Centre and I was a teeny weeny upset because all the kids younger than my daughter were up and about. Bythe way that was really ace of your gran. As my older one would say "wicked". LOL

DD walked at 17months. I know loads and loads of children that walked around that age, it's pretty normal.

There are positives to late walkers!

1. shoes are bloody expensive. The first ones ds had were a 6 I think. Reckon he saved us £100 anyway.

2. when they start, they're off! No slow toddling about. Ds started walking about 3 weeks before we went on a 3 week holiday to Canada visiting relatives. He was all round the Vancouver aquarium and off up a mountain in Jasper National Park no bother at all. His first pair of shoes sure did some walking!

Mines 20m not walking yet health visitor said she'll review at 2 years. She's a big girl though was a late crawler too. That or she's extremely intelligent I like that one

They are so much more sensible when they walk a little later. They think (a little bit) about where they are walking. The ones that walk v v young have absolutely no fear and will walk into/over/through anything!

I didn't walk until I was 17 months and am of normal intelligence (I like to think).

I didn't walk until I was 2 - and I used to have a brain before I had a baby...even got a doctorate

Ds is nearly 14 months and crawls very very fast as well (always getting comments) so I'm hoping that walking will slow him down! They all get there in their own time.

Late walking is better IMO as you don't have a tiny tot under feet of passsers by, zig-zagging all over the pavement, being knocked over accidentaly etc. A bigger and older child will not be overlooked as easily and also have more understanding of the word "No" when crossing roads etc. Also shoes are stupidly expensive and not particularly good for feet if worn for long periods, so keeping child in soft shoes for as long as possible is a good thing anyway.

May be a little lacking in confidence/cautious. Ours is naturally cautious and took till 16 MO to start walking not holding onto things. For 4 months, from 12 months old she would walk holding trolley or coast around furniture but simply looked scared as soon as she noticed she wasn't holding onto something and just stopped and sat down! Holding a toy she wanted just out of her reach eventually worked for us - she took two steps to it and then willingly did it again once she realised she could do it. Had hardly any falls either, probably due to balance being better in an older child? Also she was so big when she started walking that we didn't have to stoop to hold her hand! Always a good thing for the parent's back!!!

Now a 2 Years 1 Month, will walk 1 mile (or up to 2 miles on a good day).

Hi everyone, just an update to say that after a few heart wrenching months and false starts, the little one started walking a few days to Christmas. She just enjoys it and seems to be slowly forgetting the shuffle bum. Thanks so much for the advice. Hope you all had an awesome Christmas. Wishing you all and myself am amazing 2013. Have a good one.