Toddler Walking

my 3 year old daughter took her first steps on her first birthday and never stopped. my 2 year old son started walking on his own around 13 months but would hide it from us. he would walk around by himself while playing with his sister in her room but around us, nothing...

my youngest (so far...another is on the way) is 9 months old and he doesn't act like he even wants to crawl but is trying so hard to pull himself up to stand on his own.

on the other hand, my husband's cousin is the same age as our daughter but when he was 6 months old he was already walking along the furniture by himself. i think he started walking on his own (without the aid of furniture to hold on to) by 8 months. weird to think of an 8 month old baby walking huh?

my point is that every baby is different. some babies will do it on their own and you'll never know because they aren't doing it when you're looking. others are going to start very young and others won't do anything until much later than other kids their age. if she isn't walking on her own by 18 months though, talk to her doctor. she could just be scared. she may have had a scary fall (one you may or may not have seen) or she might just be stubborn (like my 2 year old son was).

good luck though and before long we'll see another request titled "HELP ME!!! HOW DO YOU STOP A CHILD FROM BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS!!???"

When my son was beginning to walk, I noticed that he always wanted to hold our hand even through we knew he could do it. I ended up getting a hula-hoop from the dollar store and got him to hold the hula-hoop instead of our hand. At first we would hold the other side but eventually we held it less and less and soon he was just dragging the hula-hoop as his "security blanket" then eventually gave up on it and just took off.

This idea may be a little too early for your daughter yet but I thought I'd share it so she doesn't get scared.

Hope you don't think its too silly!!!

She's perfect, theres nothing to worry about! She will probably be walking in two months the most. She is just getting her confidence up. You can just keep encouraging her. Before you even realize it you will be asking how do I get her to stop walking and running all over the house!!! When you look back it goes sooooo fast- enjoy every moment of it!

She probably is scared but I wouldn't worry, she'll walk when she's ready. My son didn't walk until he was 13 months. He was and is a very cautious child. Some children are more cautious and take longer to do things such as walk, swim, ride a bike, etc.. In a way it is good because they will keep themselves safe. I never have to worry about my son doing anything dangerous because he's so worried about getting hurt. I also believe that he is anxious because he's very smart and always thinks about what he's doing rather than rushing in impulsively. He was an early talker and excels academically.

J. my name is M. and I have a son who now is 19 months, but at 10 months he just started crawling, at 12 months he'd get up from the furniture and fall back down, by the time he was 15 months he started walking good. now he's running. don't push her. she is not going to do anything she doesn't want to do. when she feels like getting up and start walking she will. its all normal. by 18 months she should be walking good. If she's not by 18 months then take her to her Dr. and do a check up on her. but I can tell you she will walk on her own. I hope this helps you..

Hi J.,
No worries....sounds completely normal! My boys walked very late (14 1/2 months & 17 1/2 months). They both cruised for months. Our pediatrician said that most walk by 15 months ("normal range"). From 15-18 months is still okay, but a little behind the average and as long as they walk by 18 months there is nothing to worry about. When they gain their confidence and feel steady and safe, they take off. She is probably just being cautious which is great! My son who walked at 171/2 months is now 6 years old and amazing in every way. So don't worry...she will walk in her own time. Good luck!
A.

My son didn't get walking down pat until he was 14 months old. Boys are usually later then girls. I'm sure Tanner will walk in her own pace. If you feel that something physically is preventing her from walking then definitely discuss your concern to your pediatrician. Good Luck! I'm sure Tanner will walk soon, then its a matter of catching her!

Hi there... This sounds like something I could have written about my very own 15 month old daughter . She just started walking and like your little one would sit down if we tried to let go of her hand. What really seemd to work , is we held her hand or hands and let her walk everywhere with our help. Within a few weeks she started waling on her own. Not all kids walk at 12 months, so try not to worry. She will get it very soon. It was almost a month ago when my little one took her very first steps and then one day she woke up and took off. Yup, just like that. Your little one will get there soon. Enjoy every minute with her..... :-)