18 months and not walking yet

[pinkgin85]

DS is turning 18 months on Sunday and is yet to walk on his own. I'm not worried because he walks really well holding one of my fingers, cruises super fast, crawls at speed, even goes up and down the stairs super fast but you back can't take much more of having to carry him when we're out.

And not to mention having to answer people about how old he is and yes he's not walking yet

What can I do to help him get confident about trying on his own? He's very careful and risk averse and took his time with all gross motor skills.

At 18 months you need to speak to the GP for a referral to a paediatrician to rule out any physical issues preventing him from walking.

I don't really think there is anything you can do to help his confidence, they really do need to pluck up the courage to just do it on their own! I kept trying to help ds as he was at the same stage as yours for a couple of months before doing it on his own, but in the end he just had to choose to do it himself. There's no need to see a gp as its clearly a confidence issue with your ds as he is practically walking already if he is doing it just holding a finger!

I recommend the MamaOT website. She's an occupational therapist and gives ideas for play and exercises to help your toddler meet their physical milestones. DS1 was 17 months old when he finally stood up and walked one day - today might be the say for your little one, but I found it hard just sitting and waiting once he was so close.

There was a thread the same as this a couple of weeks ago, the next day he walked!
As always any concerns speak to your GP/HV but he'll do it in his own time.
It's good that he's walking holding your hand and cruising so it sounds like he just needs that confidence to let go.
For my LO, one of us held his hand, another infront of him with either his fave toy or snack and moved back when he walked forward.
As he got confident we start leaving go of his hand and he got it.

Neither of mine walked until 18 months - ds2 was 19 months. I think they just did it in their own time. Ds1 was quite small/light but ds2 was a lump and yes, it killed my back! Nothing I did to encourage them worked.

Ds2 grew up to be amazingly sporty so clearly walking late didn't hold him back

This was my DS a mere 2 weeks ago. He finally took the plunge at 18 and 1/2months old.

Honestly there's nothing you can really do to make them want to walk that you're not already doing.

I contacted the GP but they were not concerned as he was exactly like your DS, walking by barely holding on, confident to cruise and no issues with weight bearing. It really is frustratingly just a waiting game.

Although I have every sympathy for the comments you'll be receiving and for how annoying it is to have to carry him so much.

Fingers and toes crossed he gets the confidence to let go very soon.

Have you tried tempting him to take a few steps to get a toy or object that's of very high value to him (a packet of wipes that would be for my DD ). If one person held him up and another sat a couple of wobbly steps away and tempted him across would he try?

I don't think my DD walked unaided at 18 months - she only started crawling around 10-11 months. She'd walk with a Walker etc it wasn't until we specifically encouraged walking from one parent to another unaided did she "get" it - she progressed really quickly after that

Mine were 18 and 20 months respectively before they walked, it will happen quite soon from what you're describing. One thing I found is that they were actually better walkers than other DC who started earlier because they were bigger/stronger by the time they walked, so fewer stumbles and falls. We got rid of the pushchair pretty much straight away with them both because once they were up and running, they were able to walk a fair distance.

My DS was 19 months when he started walking, and another DC in our NCT group was 20 months. It did feel odd when some start walking much earlier but they got there in the end.
Once they did, all that crawling and cruising practice paid off and there was no stopping them.
We did take a buggy when we were out - I couldn’t have carried him for any length of time.
Yours will probably surprise you one day soon.

My DD was the same, she had hypermobility in her joints so we're expecting it to be delayed slightly. One day when she was 20 months old, after getting her dressed on the floor of her bedroom she stood up and walked across the room as if she'd been doing it for months!

Mine's about to turn 18 months and she doesn't walk much unaided. Does more every day. I blame lack of baby groups, soft play, parks etc over the winter. It isn't til recently she's been to those things, seen other kids and wants to copy. (She's not in nursery so doesn't see it there either).

Mine was 16 or 17 months. Cruised for ages but never made a go of it on her own. I'm a little embarrassed to say one day I said "ooh, if you walk over here, we could have some chocolate". That did do the trick... but obviously she was ready.

He sounds like he's on the cusp of walking. He'll just do it on his own in the coming weeks. If he's cruising, walking holding hands & doing stairs, there's no chance he's going to suddenly have a problem. I know kids who walked at 20 and even 22 months with no attributable cause for the (slight) delay. The range of "normal" is wide for walking.

On the other hand, the carrying won't stop just because he can walk. He's still a baby with tiny little legs that will tire quickly. And they can't be trusted not to run in the road, pick up dog poo, etc. Haven't you got a pushchair?

Two of my three DDs were bum shufflers. Those were DD2 and DD3.

DD2 walked at 23 months and DD3 at 21 months. Both normal and I knew it. To be honest, I absolutely wished other people would just stop wittering on about it not being normal, being odd etc., telling me how concerned I must be. I wasn't. Bum shufflers are often late walkers.

I didn't carry them a lot when we were out and about as they got too big and heavy. I just plonked them in the pushchair and ignored any protests.

I wouldn't worry at 18 months unless other things are giving you cause. It is still very normal and there is nothing you can do. He will walk when he is ready.

Mine walked at 16 and 21 months. With DC2 nursery were getting worried and got us to call the HV who wasn't really concerned. At 19 months she suddenly started crawling after a long time of bum shuffling which was a bit of a surprise and then at 21 months she was off. All fine.

Mine walked at 18/19 months. It’s normal, particularly in cultures that don’t physically and emotionally push their children to meet milestones (as we tend to do in the UK). Children learn to walk by themselves, they don’t need us to teach them, we just need to be their allies. Sounds like you’re doing things right and being sensitive to your child’s careful nature and need for sense of security and support.

DD was 20 months when she took her first steps, and didn't even stand until 18 months. She'd even pull up her legs if you tried to stand her up on the floor. She was just not interested. However, she was very mobile and a terrific bum shuffler.

Took her to GP just before she turned 18 for reassurance, was told not to worry. But I only took her because of people's comments, they worried me a bit.

She was always less physically confident than her peers but by the time she was 6 she was doing several hours' gymnastics a week and got really quite good. She's now 12 and functions perfectly well

He s bearing weight cruising . Risk averse. Just wait.
At some point you could have him reviewed by a community physio maybe is hypermobility as can impact later on writing drawing skills.
But he is doing everything OK
Main thing us how is understanding play and such ?

Another vote for bum shufflers being late walkers. Is your DC? Mine is!

I try and stand her up when I see her bum shuffle now and sometimes she'll walk instead

Thank you for all the comments!

I know so many babies do take much longer to walk but unfortunately everyone I see around me has much younger babies walking already so it's a bit frustrating. I'm quite sure there isn't anything wrong as he sees a physio for some plagiocephaly treatment and she doesn't think there's any issue preventing him from walking on his own.

@strawberrymilkshakeisdelicious he's not a bum shuffler and he crawls so fast now that we think he's just so used to it he doesn't want to try walking because it will slow him down.

@Embracelife he plays well and understands basic things and is quite clever in other ways.

My mum thinks it's the fact he's older he realises the risks of walking more so he's less inclined to try it but hopefully will get more confident about it soon!

Oh and lately he has been even started walking up the stairs holding on the banister with just one hand. He climbs one step at a time! So he is mobile and has all the right skills

@pinkgin85

Oh and lately he has been even started walking up the stairs holding on the banister with just one hand. He climbs one step at a time! So he is mobile and has all the right skills

Honestly it sounds scarily similar to my DS. He could do absolutely loads of things I considered more challenging than walking like climbing the stairs, climbing up a climbing frame and standing up and opening a door.

It does sound like he's doing everything right and it is just a matter of waiting. Which I completely understand is incredibly frustrating when it seems like everyone else you know has a baby who walked at 12 months or even younger and every other person comments on his lack of walking.

Mine is soon to be 17 months and has only started standing independently in the last week. He hasn’t walked yet.

Like yours, he crawls so fast he looks like a little dinosaur swaying from side to side, hair blowing around. He’s been cruising & climbing the furniture for months.

I used to worry but now I’m not concerned at all. Kids do everything in their own time. If he wasn’t able to stand with support or support himself at all then I’d be concerned.

His dad didn’t walk until 18 months either.

Sounds like it will happen soon. Mine were 16 and 19 months and neither ever really crawled. But I really came on to say have you tried a HippyChick hip seat? They make carrying them around so much easier and are great when they are walking but also get tired but you don’t want to take a buggy. Probably our best buy of all the things we bought when our DC were young.