16 month old not walking

[Chocolat]

I know this thread has been done to absolute death (of all months) but it’s starting to get me down and I wonder if it’s my fault? He doesn’t go to nursery and our house is quite small but generally enough for him to wander between a few rooms. I feel like I’m not giving him much opportunity to learn to walk. He’s just a very efficient crawler and has been crawling since 9 months. He will also not walk with a walker or holding my hand. The only way I can get him to walk forward is if he’s distracted and walks holding onto my back whilst I’m crouched. He’s been cruising since 11 months and for the last month has been standing unassisted and getting up himself. But he’ll just collapse on to his knees and start crawling if he tries to walk. Any tips on anything I should do to help?

If he can do all of those things, he'll be waking before you know it. There's no hurry. Sounds like he is developing completely normally. Up to 18 months is the usual timeframe for waking, and some are later than that without having any issues.

Our DS didn't walk until 18 months. All is well! He's 15 now and walks at the speed of sound.

Sounds like progress to me. Standing unassisted was when my daughter started to take steps. Maybe start placing toys in higher to reach places like on the sofa. So he has to keep standing to reach them? You could also try a soft play centre that has a baby area. Sometimes watching others can help. They usually have netting which is great for standing and holding on. My daughter use to like to stand in front a mirror wall in the soft play I went to.

My little girl was like this too - she had no confidence or desire to walk because she could crawl so quickly! We live in a flat and she doesn't go to nursery either so I had all the same worries you do. She randomly got up and walked across the kitchen one day. No build up and I didn't see it coming at all, I think they just do it when they are ready to although I appreciate that's not very comforting while you are waiting. I would try not to worry until 18 months.

I think it’s fine, he will suddenly decide he wants to have go at getting around on two legs and you won’t look back. Our DC cruised the furniture for months.

My DS took his sweet time walking. He finally started at 18 months. DD had walked at 10 months which is probably why I was worried, even when people told me boys walk later.

DD walked at 21 months, 10 months after she'd starting nursery so nothing to do with that.

She was a bum shuffler and had little impetus to get up on her feet.

My little one was similar, crawled really quickly everywhere but had no interest in walking. He could walk if holding my hand and would pull up on everything, but couldn't do it himself or stand up from sitting by himself. He seemed like he was so close to doing it for about 6 months! I also worried about it so you are not alone. I spoke to the health visitor when he wasn't walking independently at 18 months who referred to physio, but physio wouldn't accept a referral until 20 months, saying that 20 months was within the normal range, even though everyone else says 18 months. We just carried on with lots of practice (holding a hula hoop, scarf under the arms, reaching for toys etc) and encouragement, and eventually he started just before 20 months a few weeks ago. I don't think it has anything to do with a small house and I don't think it has anything to do with parenting or nursery attendance either. I know some parents who were constantly standing their little ones up and putting them on push walkers from an early age, and others who didn't, and there doesn't seem to be much of a correlation with when they then walked. The book Cribsheet by Emily Oster is quite good at reassuring you about certain things using the data and research. Early or late walking doesn't really seem to indicate anything bigger than simply walking earlier or later. If they're developing normally in other ways and can bear weight normally the coordination to walk will come. I never found it particularly helpful when people said 'they'll do it when they're ready', but it seems to be true. But that doesn't mean you can't help them with some practising and reach out to your health visitor in the meantime while you wait for them to decide they're ready.

My DS wasn’t even cruising at that point. He never crawled, just bum shuffled. He was 19 months and suddenly just walked across the living room! He’s 12 now and although not a physical, sporty kid at all, he is absolutely fine!

My biggest walked at 17 months, had zero interest before that not even in cruising. When he did walk though, he was a great steady walker and had stopped using the pushchair before he was 2 so we skipped the unsteady wobbly walking stage.

I had one walk at 11 months and one walk at 17 months. Try not to worry about it, they are doing all the right things, they will get there.

All sounds fine. My youngest started crawling at 5.5 months and only walked at 18 months. So he literally crawled for a whole year before walking.

I read a study in the past the linked time spent crawling before walking with brain development and attainment in primary school. The children who spent longer times crawling before they walked had more neural pathways in certain areas of the brain and did better in school. Certainly, my longer crawler has found academics easier than his earlier walking sister and is especially gifted in maths. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Both DCs were 18-19 months. I'd give it a little time yet. Also one didnt potter or do one two bump type learing: they just left it to the 11th hour and then WALKED. Confidently and never stopped. Now a brilliant sportsman.

Hand holding and a walker aren't generally advised by paeds physios. Here is a game that the physio I used to work with used to like.

Put 2 chairs next to each other or one next to the sofa. Touching. And then put yummy things along it to encourage cruising- cheerios work well. Do this just for 5 minutes 3 times a day. Then the next day make a gap in the chairs- just a few inches, the next day increase the gap and so on. Until eventually they have to let go to get to the next chair and next cheerio. You put the next cheerio down as they eat the previous one- so there's only one at a time to aim for.

We used 3 dining chairs in a triangle and had DS walking in a week, he was 12 months and had been cruising for ages. I don't generally approve of food or bribery but he was really frustrated and just needed a bit of motivation to practise how to balance on his own.

This is because crawling is using opposite arms and legs- it's supposed to activate the brain differently.
Supposedly linked to neater hand writing as an adult!
I've seen it used as a reason to encourage traditional or bear crawling over bum shuffling or just sitting but not to delay walking. Most children who learn to walk continue to crawl when playing for a long time.

My daughter didn't walk until she was almost 18 months old. She was sitting on the floor one day and just got up and walked across the room to me. She might have been late in starting to walk but she was walking competently immediately once she decided to start.

My ds was crawling at 6 months. I was certain he would be running by 1, let alone walking. He didn't walk until he was 17 months though. He was so fast when he crawled that he didn't have an incentive to walk as it slowed him down .

Thank you for all the reassurance! I completely get he’s within the normal range and progressing and I should focus on that. Definitely seem the fast crawlers walk late.

Hey @Chocolat !

wondering if you will see this. How is your little one doing now? Currently in the same boat and starting to worry