Bum shuffling- idea of timeline/when to worry

[twirlywooly]

Hi

Just wanting some reassurance really. Dd is 17 months old and is a bum shuffler. Hasn't really worried me too much to date as know some babies/toddlers are and is just a different path of gross motor development often with delay in walking sometimes up to 2 years.

That said however recently had her nursery flag with me that they've noticed she still isn't pulling to stand and raised concerns whether there was any reason for this and it's made me worry a little. Honestly I just thought it's a mixture of lack of incentive and strength rather than any actual problem as she seems able to stand for a few seconds with little support when she is stood up against something but she just doesn't have any interest in doing it/pulling herself up to anything.

Know each child is different but just wondering what others experiences are? Has anyone else had a bum shuffler if so what was the timeline for them pulling themselves up and then walking?

Thanks 😊

A friend of mine had a bum shuffler to a similar age. No issues now at 5.

They were told it's increasingly common due to people having shiny/slippery laminate floors which are much easier to bum shuffle on than carpet, less incentive to stand up and walk if you can easily scoot across the floor on your bum...

I had two bum shufflers, never crawlers. They pulled up and walked later that their peers. No long-term issues though I do remember being worried at the time.

Thank you for your replies 😊

@FallingIguanas do you remember what age they were when they started to get up and walking?

DD2 was a late walker and the doctor or health visitor said they wouldn’t even start to want to see the child until 18 months. And so DD then walked at 17 months 3 weeks 😆. I’d give your health visitors a call if he’s still not walking at 18 months.

I had a bum shuffler too, then one day when she was 18 months old she pulled herself up and walked across the kitchen just like that. I was

It’s probably just because she is speedy on her bottom so hasn’t got the encouragement to walk. But if she isn’t walking by 2, I would take her to the GP.

@twirlywooly just checked their red books. DS (first born) pulled up at 11 months and first walked around 17-18 months. DD was a little earlier in both cases.

I had a bum shuffler. She took ages to walk because she was so bloody speedy on her bottom. I lost count of the trousers I chucked out with worn out backsides often after only a day. When she decided (and it was a decision) to walk at nearly 2, she was way steadier in her feet than her big brother.

My first was a bum shuffler. At 18 months he just stood up and ran across the room! He then got a bug and went back to bum shuffling. At 19 months he stood up and just decided to walk everywhere.

I heard that there is also less incentive than crawlers for them to get on their feet because they are able to carry things around in their hands whilst shuffling.

Thanks you all for replies. Makes me feel a bit better. Think I'll give her a little longer before I see the health visitor/GP. Am sure she is fine she's just really lazy- think she will just one day decide she wants to do it and then will be off!

Dd was a bum shuffler too she walked at eighteen months. At seventeen months she didn't attempt to pull herself up but over the course of two days she got up and started walking. I always said it was a sign of things to come as she needed to be certain she could master something before she had a go. Within a week there was no discernible difference in her mobility between her and niece who had walked at 9 months.

DS1 was a bum shuffler and didn't walk properly until 28 months (he had a brief moment where he did 3 steps at 24 months and then stopped again) When he started, he never bumped into anything and never fell over so it was almost like he was waiting until he knew he could do it.

Ds didn't walk until 21 months! Like another poster he was so speedy on his bum and could carry things in his hands at the same time so I guess he saw no advantage to walking. It's common for bum shufflers to walk late. By the time he did decide to walk though he cracked it super quick - by 24 months he rejected the buggy and never went in it again. We also didn't have any of the wobbly stage that you get with younger walkers - he was stable from the off.

DD was a bum shuffler and never pulled to stand. She also didn't like that thing of having her hands held to walk supported (most kids love that). I can't remember now when she walked, but it might have been at around 17 to 18 months. One day she just stood up effortlessly and walked three step, then sat down again. The next day she stood up and walked about 10 steps. And within a week she had given up on bum shuffling.

My bumshuffler showed no interest in walking, standing or pulling herself up until she was 23 months, she's now nearly 3 and bloody fast when she breaks in to a run!

All good to hear. I think my dad is the same with being cautious and wanting to make sure she can master something before she'll do it. She's been that way all along with everything. Think that's where when she has had some tumbles along the way it's put her off trying to do things again for a bit. And she also hates having her hands held!

Dd not dad 🙄 Autocorrect

Both me and my sister had a bum shuffler. Both kids were diagnosed with dyspraxia in when they were older.

My DD didn’t walk properly until 2. She bum shuffled at lightning speed but never pulled herself up and wouldn’t even try. The health visitor was concerned so we were sent to see the GP and then a specialist. We were told that she was hyper mobile but that as her muscle strength was fine, it wouldn’t cause her any problems. She had supportive insoles in her shoes until she was 4, but no physio needed. She is 8 now and absolutely fine, if a little bendy!

Not to worry you but do watch out for hypermobility syndrome. My sister has it and she shuffled on her bum, after googling, it's connected

DD was 19 months. Very quick to master walking once she finally got going! As others said, she got about very quickly so didn't see the need to walk! She also only ever crawled after learning to walk.

My DS was a bum shuffler and only walked at 19 months. It wasn’t much before that, that he was pulling up to stand. But once he was off, there was no stopping him. Strong and stable from the start. He’s now 8 and totally fine in every way!

I used to work in a baby unit of a day nursery and we had a bum shuffler. Her mum was really concerned and took her to the gp but there was nothing physically 'wrong'. At 22 months she still wasn't walking, could bum shuffle so fast though!. It seemed to be over the space of one week she decided to pull herself up and go for it, totally fine.

Hi - apparently I shuffled on my bum until I was 19 months floor and I am now fine. I just started walking...