How long from starting walking to 'going for a walk'

[climbershell]

My toddler took her first steps end of March, about 6 weeks later was walking indoora a good 20-30 steps so we got her first pair of shoes. Another couple weeks at 17 months was walking around the playground reasonably confidently.

Now at 18 months she'll still fall sometimes but is up quickly. She's quicker and can walk most of the playground apparatus (half crawls up steps). On the flat in the playground she'll do 20/30 laps around the climbing frame, down slide, walk around, crawl up steps to climbing frame & walk along tunnel or down slide

Basically, I'm wondering when she'd likely be ok to walk the 200m to the playground instead of using her trike. (She's never walked holding our hand, hates it!) And how long til the 0.65km walk down/uphill to/from nursery. And then actually to be able to 'go for a walk' - a short loop in our park incorporating pond & playground is 1.5km but quite hilly.

Eldest: about a month for a short walk, about 6 months till she was reliably walking a decent distance (round the park or to the nearest shop and back) and I knew I didn't need the buggy as a back up option.

Youngest: still waiting for anything resembling enthusiasm for a decent walk, he's been walking for about 15 months now....

Can't really remember on ages - one of mine was a great distance walker quite quickly and the other one just wasn't. You'll probably find DC will walk to the playground OK fairly quickly, but after rushing around whilst there, won't manage the walk back!

Backpack reins are a great back up while you are practicing hand holding.
My youngest is 3 and I still have a deep rooted fear that they will get to the furthest point from home on a walk, then sit on the floor and refuse to walk any more.

In a straight line without them complaining? About 18 yrs I predict.

After a couple of months for us: think he was 16 mo or something.

Once he was confidently walking I took him out and let him practice. The first time he walked a quarter mile in half an hour. After two weeks he was doing it faster. After a couple months he was doing a whole mile in 45 min.

Start small and build up slowly, no pressure, and gradually increase how much they do.

We've been taking her to the playground to practice at weekends about 4 in a row now. She's massively improved.

I feel that getting her to walk where we want her to will be the hardest thing! Esp as she has always refused to hold our hand even when learning, she'd only hold my trousers (as I walked backwards) or furniture not our hands!

I can biut reigns but she'll probably hate them too lol. In any event they don't control the direction she walks! Perhaps get partner to carry her the 30 seconds to park gate whilst I'm there (with newborn baby) & then put her down and see if she follows me 🤣

Highly recommend getting a balance bike as soon as you think she's able. It makes the whole experience much more fun for all involved. You'll have to trot to keep up but no moaning or slow reluctant walking.

Just got some reins, so will put them on her without reins attachment for her to get used to tomorrow! And Fri morning maybe brave her walking the 1.5min walk from car to playgroup whilst wearing my 8 week old (usually I carry her awkwardly whilst wearing baby)... then Sat with partner attempt for her to walk to the playground 😀

2.5-3 basically - it takes a while to build up the stamina

2.5-3 to walk 200m to playground or 650m to nursery?!

This is less of a stamina question and more of a personality one. My eldest can walk perfectly fine but still at 4.5 will whinge about walking anywhere other than to somewhere that sells ice cream 😬 whereas my youngest will protest violently about getting in the buggy and insists on “me walk by myself” EVERYWHERE which is infuriating as it’s so slow (she’s only just two and very small for her age). So they may be willing to go for a walk in a month or it might take 5 years 😂

Also I should add that I still have to stop my 4 year old from getting in the 2 year olds buggy, and I will quite often have the youngest wanting to push the eldest 🙄

Depends on the child. 3 yo DS is very hit and miss with walking to go places, but can run around a playground for hours. He still won’t consistently walk the 1 km to nursery and would happily go in the pushchair, will whinge ++ when forced. Meanwhile my same age nephew refused the pram from days after walking and will walk very good distances now.

Ha, well mine has always refused a buggy! Went in pram about 3 times. Has been carrier exclusively until she accepted a trike at around 14 months. All the 6 months she was cruising and walking aided she refused to hold hands, it'd be furniture, push toy and sometimes my trousers 🤣 so she's shaping up to be a very much "walk/do everything by myself" person! So I guess, for now, it's more a 'how on earth do I get her to walk the correct way' question lol!

I feel your pain. As well as refusing the buggy my youngest also resists any form of trike or bike, a carrier, any reins, or holding on to anyones hand 🙄 she just wants to walk by herself (I think she’d leave us at home if she could!). Mainly we end up letting her walk alone but sort of body blocking her to the farthest side of the pavement so that she’s not near the road 😐 and occasionally just picking her up (while she kicks and screams) when hand holding is non-negotiable but she still refuses…

Mine tried to be very self sufficient / independent in everything, hates help eating, learning to walk etc. So I guess, it sounds like its a matter of just ditching the trike (can't on my own with 8 week old, incase she needs carrying...

Any tips on getting her walking the direction / route we need to go? She gets very angry being restrained.. so need reins which arrived today but if I have to pull her/stop her because she's going the wrong way (or to the road), she'll hate it!

Dgs walked at eighteen month and by two walked everywhere. I would walk him to the local shop and home via the park holding his hand. He never wanted to go in the buggy once he could walk plus he is full of beans so lots of walking kept him busy and helped tire him out.

We went to the zoo today and tried her on the reins. First non playground walking...
She walked 10.30-1ish (before going in the carrier after lunch), going in every direction 🤣 definitely won't be letting her walk whilst on my own with baby on nursery run etc etc for a looooong time!! It was so lovely to see tho!

8 week old went in pram for 30/40 mins. Was tired but refusing to sleep in it, even with dummy. Was asleep minutes after going in carrier! She's doing better than my toddler did with pram but still an anti pram baby 🤦‍♀️

Took my son about a week from taking his first few steps to holding my hand walking to and round the shop. He was 12 months.
Now 15 and doesn’t want to hold my hand 😂

15 months shall I add, not 15 years.

Both DC didn’t like traditional reins, but were ok with the backpacks with a lead (we had a Skip Hop one similar to this, which I liked because the chest clip meant they couldn’t take it off themselves) so they could carry their own drink and snack on an outing.

I did also teach them to stop if I shouted freeze, or let them walk to the next lamppost then wait for me, but that was once they were a bit more receptive to instructions, maybe aged 2.5+.

I started having my youngest walk the ten minutes to nursery (adult speed, more like 15-20 toddler speed) when he was about 2, but often by the end of the day he was too tired to walk home so I did take the pram.

My 4 year old is terrible at walking anywhere. I’ll tell anyone that’ll listen it’s because he was premature and didn’t start walking until 2 etc etc but honestly it’s just his personality. Tells me his legs are tired. Once at the playground he can run around for hours though. Funny that.

Loves his bike though so we tend to cycle rather than walk.