[jaenelle]

Yuna's almost a year old (10-1 is her birthday) and she doesn't walk yet. She does pull herself up and walk while holding on to things, but she doesn't actually walk by herself. The little girl that goes to daycare with her that's 10 days younger walks, and her cousin who's 10 days older has been walking since July. When do I need to start worrying? She's been behind most babies in a lot of her physical development, it seems like... not seriously behind, but still a little bit. And is there anything I can do to encourage her to walk? I'm getting tired of people asking me if she walks yet and having to say no.

[blessedbybug]

Originally Posted by jaenelle

Yuna's almost a year old (10-1 is her birthday) and she doesn't walk yet. She does pull herself up and walk while holding on to things, but she doesn't actually walk by herself. The little girl that goes to daycare with her that's 10 days younger walks, and her cousin who's 10 days older has been walking since July. When do I need to start worrying? She's been behind most babies in a lot of her physical development, it seems like... not seriously behind, but still a little bit. And is there anything I can do to encourage her to walk? I'm getting tired of people asking me if she walks yet and having to say no.

DD walked half way into her 16th month. She crawled early so literally crawled for 10 months before she started walking. Honestly, I believe she was busy doing too much other cool stuff (like talking, which she started very early) to worry about it. She got where she needed to go and that's what was important to her, not whether she did it on two feet.
DS is 15 1/2 months and is barely thinking about it. He climbs and climbs and cruises furniture but won't take more than one step before he lunges for all fours.

Honestly, unless she isn't even pulling herself to standing well, there's nothing you can do... and if it were me, I wouldn't push the issue... I found out with DD that after they start walking, there's no stopping them. Enjoy your little one who is still somewhat independent... pretty soon she'll be in preschool and you'll be at a loss (and bawling in the parking lot) when she walks away from you. JMO.

As for the people who asked us when Bug wasn't walking until later we just said... "oh, she's supposed to do that? Well...we'll get right on that!"

[maxkinzie]

Hi,
My DD didn't start walking till she was maybe 13.5 mos old. (even tho she'd been bearing her weight on her legs since about 2 mos, and stood, and did a lot of walking while holding on to things) I too was anxious for her to walk on her own. However, after watching quite a few other babies start much earlier and fall often, ending up with various injuries, I'm glad I let her take her time, when she did walk she was sure of herself and at 33 mos has yet to have a fall requiring a band aid! :-) I'm sure it's not true for everyone, but that's my experience. I do know I was told that many kids don't walk till well after their first b-day

Beautiful pic of Yuna!

[Mommy24]

Like everything else, they do it in their own time and never when we want them to! LOL One way I encouraged my son to walk when he was 13 months old and still cruising was to sit in front of him as far back as possible, hold his hands and then slowly let go, he would stand for a few seconds and then fall. After doing this for a week or so, instead of standing and falling he would try to take a step toward me. It wasn't to long after that he started taking a couple of steps at a time and before I knew it he was running!! He is now almost 15 and I still can not keep him down!!

Good luck!

This always makes me think of what my dad would tell me when I would obsess over the kids not doing things in "my" time....he said "You sit around waiting for them to walk and talk and someday you will look at them and say "Hush and sit down"...LOL

[kelceesmom]

For the most don't compare Yuna to anyone. She is who she is and when she is ready she will take off. Then you will be wishing she crawled a little longer.

Kelcee was and early walker at around 10 months. Let me tell you. I missed the not walking stage really quickly. LOL

[Juliana13]

They say (you know, the big "they") that babies start walking on average at 13-14 months. That includes all the early walkers, so she's not behind at all on this one. We think babies should be walking sooner - I did, too - but I just looked it up in a baby book (by no means an authority) that said "the majority of children don't start walking until after their first birthday.

Also, plump babies walk later, on average (not true for my little buddah), and short-legged ones walk earlier than long-legged ones - it's a center of gravity thing. They (there's the "they" again) also say that if they crawl well, they often walk later than ones who are innefective crawlers. "They" - this book I am looking at - suggest that it is related to genetic makeup, saying that early or late walkers run in families. Not that that helps US much, eh?

As a side note, both of mine (one tall and skinny, one tall and FAT) walked by 9 and 9 1/2 months, and while it was fun to jot it down in the baby book, they were definitely higher maintenance after that! I wanted to say, "Okay! I wrote down the date of your first step - done! Now back to all fours, please!"

[Barksum]

She's progressing and doing all the pre-walking stuff. Don't panic.

One of mine walked by 12 months, one around a year-ish (he started walking before we adopted him, and I can't remember the exact month), another didn't walk until 16 months, the 4th walked around 15-16 months, and the 5th walked like at 14 months.

I remember when #3 was 15 months old and not walking I was all bent out of shape. The pediatrician laughed and pointed out all the things Ds was doing, and that there wasn't anything abnormal about not walking by 15 months. 16 months is still within the 'average' time to learn to walk independantly, and since it's an 'average' this means that there will be those that walk sooner and those that walk later.

If your child isn't moving with some level of coordination, is not able to get to what they want, can't use one side or certain limbs, is unable to ambulate at all (crawl, scoot, cruise using furniture, etc.) then you need to check into having them screened.

Also little kids only work on one kind of skill at a time. So, for instance, if a toddler is increasing their vocabulary and speech by leaps and bounds, they most likely will not be adding to their gross motor skills at the same time. And vice verse, so a child may be making progress with walking skills but isn't adding to speech skills. This doesn't go on for extended amounts of time, but the general rule is that they advance with one kind of skill, then another, but not both simultaneously.

[Shai's Mom]

My daughter walked at 9 1/2 months.
My older son walked at 10 months and my baby boy walked a week after his 1st birthday.

There were many times I wished they'd go back to crawling. Once they walk - the baby time is pretty much finished and they become so much more independent. And, incidentally get themselves into trouble much more.

Yuma is not behind. Enjoy your baby time. And if someone hassles you about her walking tell them that she'll do it in her own time.

After all, she'll have to be on her feet the next 100 years or so. So what's the rush?

[HBV]

Originally Posted by Shai's Mom

My daughter walked at 9 1/2 months.
My older son walked at 10 months and my baby boy walked a week after his 1st birthday.

There were many times I wished they'd go back to crawling. Once they walk - the baby time is pretty much finished and they become so much more independent. And, incidentally get themselves into trouble much more.

Yuma is not behind. Enjoy your baby time. And if someone hassles you about her walking tell them that she'll do it in her own time.

After all, she'll have to be on her feet the next 100 years or so. So what's the rush?

Shai's Mom is right--- all too soon you will wish for the days when she stayed where you put her! H was an early walker (around 8 1/2 months) but the little girl next door took her first steps on her first birthday. Also, I can tell you that if Yuna's cruising now, you may well wake up tomorrow and she'll be taking steps on her own. That transition seems to happen overnight. She sounds just fine to me. (Plus, she's awfully cute!)

[KarynB]

Hi Jeanelle,

Our baby too is not yet walking and turned 14 months a few days ago. No worries - they do it all in their own time! As long as they are getting around one way or another then there is nothing to worry about. Our guys is now letting go of the furniture to stand for a few seconds before tossing himself onto his bum! Very cute...

And it's true - Yuna is her own beautiful soul who will do things when she is ready - don't spend all this precious time worrying and trying to get her to "grow up" - enjoy each day!

[Vogi2002]

LOL I have been thinking about this with Cooper and crawling. He is 8 months today and still not crawling (or rolling over from his back grrrr) but I have been telling myself to be more patient. I am starting to get that "maybe it's because I'm not home with him" guilt. People don't really know what they are talkign about when asking if they are walking/crawling/talking/etc. Most babies do things later than what people think!

[joelynn]

My bio son walked around 12-14 months. My ason walked around 14 months and my adaughter walked or should say ran at 10 months! So it really depends on the child. All are well in the norm range.

[SchmennaLeigh]

Nick didn't start taking his own, unassisted steps until the week of his first birthday. He wasn't walking on his very own until that month afterwards. All kids are different.

Nick now can run just as fast as any kid who started walking before he did. I learned that today at library story time. EEP!

[Casey677]

My oldest dd walked 3 weeks before her first birthday.

My younger dd is 8.5 months and although she is constantly trying, still isn't crawling or sitting up. I keep reminding myself not to compare the two kiddos and that they are all different, but it can be hard for a parent to do....

[KarynB]

Nat - too funny! I thought that maybe my ds wasn't walking or even crawling (he scoots on his bum) because I was home with him and he doesn't get the chance to see other kids do it! LOL. Just goes to show you mother's guilt will come out no matter what you choose for your kids!