[SKL]

Over the past year, I've learned that many of our kids from Guatemala walk later than their US-born counterparts due to the difference in large motor activities during infancy. This has played out in both of my daughters.

Frequently a parent posts that a child walked late, but then "the next day he was running and hasn't stopped since." Is that what usually happens? Because that isn't what's happening here at all.

My daughter came home at 12 months. At that time, she could pull herself to a stand and was starting to cruise. Over the months she gradually developed the ability to stand on her own for many continuous seconds, often while doing something with her hands; to squat down, pick up a toy, and stand back up without losing her balance; stuff that always made me think she was about to start walking any second. But she seemed afraid to take independent steps. Finally independent steps came when she was just under 15 months old. That was several weeks ago, and she still takes very tiny, uneven, wobbly steps and has never managed more than 20 continuous steps - usually she manages less than ten before she loses her balance or reaches for a support.

So I am wondering - does this sound typical or very unusual, nearly a month after the first steps? It's been so long since I was previously involved with wee ones, I can't remember all those details of my experience any more.

Thanks!

[mommy2aidan]

We got home w/Aidan when he was 15 months old and he couldn't even put weight on his legs or crawl. We immediately started helping him walk (oh, how our backs ached!!) and showing him how to crawl. He started walking 2 weeks after we brought him home. He was quite wobbly for several weeks, and just the past couple of days has started trying to "run". It's pretty funny! So, just patience and your precious girl will be walking in no time, IMHO!!
HTH!

[nannyisme2004]

I think every kid is different. Just tonight DS started taking around 20 steps at a time over and over again. He is 14 months old. He is extremely strong. He has been able to stand for long periods of time since PU trip at 10 months. He could walk while holding onto one of my hands at pick up trip. I thought for sure he would be walking before twelve months. To my surprise here it is almost 4 months later and just in the last couple of days has he decided to take a few steps on his own and then all of a sudden tonight at his Nana's house he started to take off - sort of a running start and to start again he will crawl to something where he is able to pull himself up. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of days. I am sort of laughing. Because my mom is of the old school where you get them walking shoes (sturdy shoes) and I am more of the let them learn to walk in barefeet/soft shoes. It wasn't until Nana bought him his first pair of sturdy stride Rights a couple of days ago that he took a couple of steps on his own. We would ask him where his big boy shoes were and he would give us a grin and kick his foot up in the air. Way too cute.

[luv2teach2]

my dd took her first steps in Oct but did not fully start walking until dec, she hasn't stopped since!

[Alexismandyjr]

Son came home at 17 months and could not even stand on his own. It took lots of back breaking work and PT but he started walking at 21 months of age and yes three weeks later he was running. But it took lots of work for those 4 months in order for him to walk without assistance.

[ChristyQO]

Our DD had been cruising since late September and just started to walk at Christmas time. She now walks 90% of the time, but in no way is close to running!!! She is a cautious child.....

[hol332]

I don't have a walking story to report. But, I can say that at 7 months pick-up, my daughter could nor even sit up usassisted. She learned that skill within 2 weeks. 4 weeks later, she was crawling. That was at Christmas. She crawls great, but still can't sit up on her own (can sit after being propped up but can't go from reclining to sitting). So, we too have experienced progress in some areas but not in others. She doesn't pull to a stand but can support herself for long periods of we help her balance. Who knows what will be next? Good luck!!!

[mevertin]

She sounds pretty typical in her walking progression. She just needs lots of practice and to figure out that walking is faster than crawling. She will be on the run soon!
Mary
Waiting for Reginaldo

[A_ROSE024]

That sounds normal to me. Our son couldn't sit up on his own at 8 months when we got him, but it only took a couple weeks for him to accomplish. He was walking at 14 months and running by 15 months. He was very cautious and could cruise along the furniture at about 12 months, it just took him a while to be brave enough to take his first steps by himself. Sounds like your little one is doing fine.

[CurlysGirly]

SKL, Devon is just about a month younger than your oldest daughter. She is not walking yet. She is cruising plenty. She stood independently for the 1st time a week or so ago. She just seems super cautious about the whole walking thing. That confuses me bacause you saw for yourself how she crawls like a wild woman.

[JosieWales]

Owen could not crawl when he came home at 9mo & didn't start till he was 11mo. He just turned 15mo., and he's cruising all over the place and using his little baby walkers to walk all over the house. He can stand on his own for a few seconds, but doesn't seem to want to walk w/o his walker or w/o someone holding his hands. I think he, too, is cautious. It took him more than 6wks from rocking on all fours to actual crawling, so I imagine that he'll be equally as cautious w/walking! Your DD sounds the same!

[dilgra]

I don't know what the norm is but I can tell you what our DD did. She came home at 9 mos and could not yet crawl but she was sitting on her own. I started tummy time with her right away and she was crawling 2 weeks after she came home and was pulling herself up to stand in another couple of weeks. Her first steps on her own were at 11 1/2 mos but then she really didn't take any more steps for about 10 days. She then started walking on a regular basis right around 12 months.

I have seen some kids that take off right away after the first steps, and others that are not as quick to start walking on a regular basis after first steps but within a couple of months they are running along with the other kids their age. I know how anxious I was for DD to start walking because I didn't want her crawling around on the floor but I wouldn't worry about your DD at this point. I am sure she will get moving when she is ready. Best of luck to you

[auntiepippi]

Maya is 15 months and not walking. She cruises and stands very, very briefly. She is super-cautious and drops to the floor as soon as we let go of her. Since she is not standing independently yet, I am expecting her to walk at about 18 months...

My bio children all took their first steps at about 12 months, but didn't really walk with confidence until about 15 months.

[DeeVee]

She sounds like she is making some good progress.

You may have read some of my posts about Carolina's gross motor delays. She needed EI services, which helped a lot. She took her first steps at around 16 mos, and then did not take another single step for a whole month. She is getting around fine now. Is finally to the point where she can even climb up on the sofa on her own!

[airstar98]

When my little girl was about 1 year and and 3 months she walked for the first time outside of her playpen and she's been walking since and running too.

She probably could have walked on the floor earlier but I was too scared to let her due to the hard tile floors.

I kept thinking I would be home soon, so I just carried her all the times she was out of the playpen.

Now, since she was 5 months old, she has had a walker to walk in and used it all the time. I used this to help strengthen her legs and give her some feel of independence and also me a break at times.

At 11 months, we moved to a new location that had a playpen, now I would have bought her a playpen at 9 months because she was trying to stand up on her own and I knew it would be a safe place for her to practice standing up, but again, keep thinking I was coming home soon, and kept waiting.

So, at 11 months, I put some sofa cushions in the play pen and a comforter on top of that and she has had the time of her life.

When my mom visited, she made a comment that she knows how she learned to balance so quick, because my little girl would play with extra pillows, blankets and stuffed toys in her playpen and run from one side to the other, keeping her balance and holding onto the side.

Well, at 1 year and 3 months, she pushed me to let her walk, lol, she really almost gave me a heart attack.

She was playing in her playpen, I had put a plastic bowl in there full of toys, (OMG mistake), she turned the bowl upside down, piles two pillows on top of them, climb up them and by the time I got to her paniced, she crawled over the side of the playpen, held to the outside and plopped to the floor.

I almost passed out, I was so scared and ready to go to the hospital, lol, crazy girl!

I picked her up and she's tried to get down, lol, so I thought, well, it couldn't hurt worse to fall while walking, so I put her down and then almost passed out again, as I ran for my video camera to catch her first steps on video, it was awesome.

Now, I was worried that she may be delayed, cause she was a little chubby and she seemed to have some difficulty crawling as soon as others online reported their babies crawling, but I tried not to worry and just give her, her space and she learned.

*Your little one could probably benefit from a walker and from a playpen to help strengthen her legs and move independently.

*Just last week we gave the walker away, since, she never uses it anymore. She got her first tricycle for christmas, however, she only really pushes it around right now, lol