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Cincinnati Babies
Late walkers?
So I know you all are going to tell me he's only 13 months, he'll walk when he wants to, and not to worry. All things that I already know and tell myself. But C isn't walking yet and really shows no signs of wanting to soon. It's not a big deal to me yet but the annoyance comes from my family. My niece who is 19 days younger than C has been walking since she was exactly 11 months. They are together a lot and everytime I have to hear "Is he walking yet?" and then them telling him "Why aren't you walking", "Are you being lazy?", "Don't you want to walk like your cousin?"
It's not a huge deal because I am thinking the same things to myself but I just don't understand his issue with walking. His legs are very strong and he walks great when you hold his hands. He cruises all over the place (has since about 9/10 months) and will even walk just holding onto your pants leg with one hand. There have only been 2 times in the past 2 months that he has taken like 1 1/2 steps on his own. But almost everytime we stand him up by himself and try to get him to come to us he gets mad, fusses, and sits down and crawls. I've stopped trying this because I don't want his frustration to delay walking even more. Recently I've just gone with the attitude that it'll happen when he's ready.
Just wondering if anyone else had a late walker. If so, how old were there? Any ideas, tips, or suggestions? When will the doctor be concerned? tia!
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Re: Late walkers?
Leah didn't walk until 15 months, and it was a quick thing-- one day she couldn't do it, the next day she could take two or three steps, and within two days she was everywhere.
People did ask us all the time but I was fortunate that in my group of friends at work, two people had sons a little older than Leah-- one was one month older and one was two months older. The one didn't walk until he was 16 months and the other didn't walk until 18 months. Usually by 18 months they start talking about EI, so don't worry yet! He is just taking his time, it sounds like. They like to hold out on us to make us worry, I swear
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Piper didn't walk until she was 18 months old - the very end range of what is concerned normal. Her pedi said they wouldn't get concerned until she passed 18 months but they did recommend we get her evaluated by a physical therapist when she was 15 months old, because she still wasn't standing unassisted. Well, she was fine and the PT said that a large part of it was her personality - she was very cautious and liked to play it safe, and she wouldn't try walking until she felt very ready. We did things to try to encourage her (push toys, walking holding her hands, etc.) but we pretty much just left it up to her, and sure enough right at 18 months she started walking and was a pro at it (she didn't go through those wobbly stages of falling down a lot like some younger walkers do.)
Kady started at 14 months. When she wasn't walking at a year I was thinking "here we go again", then one day she took a few steps, then a few days later she decided she was done with crawling.
I REALLY wouldn't worry, and I definitely wouldn't push him. That said, I know how annoying it is to constantly get the "is (s)he walking yet?" comments...I remember right before she started walking seeing kids who were like 10 months younger than her walking, and it totally stressed me out, although there was really no reason to worry because she's perfectly fine.
ava didn't walk until 13 mos. which i don't really consider late, but is about how old your LO is so i thought i'd say i think he's probably perfectly normal!
she took her first steps between 10-11 mos. but didn't really start using the skill until later on. she just preferred to crawl, probably because it was faster for her for along time and also because i think she is a perfectionist. she didn't want to walk until she was really good at it. 
i totally understand the annoyance from family. dh's cousin's son who is a couple weeks younger than ava started crawling and walking before she did, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all if his family didn't constantly have to say "why aren't you walking yet?" i felt like saying "because she's not exactly the same as her cousin... she's different... all kids are. duh!" as long as she is falling within the normal range, i don't really care when other kids do stuff.
My son started walking the day he turned 17 months. I was so aggravated and annoyed and stressed by everyone else's constant questions about it. The pedi had said that there was obviously nothing wrong with him, but that he would be concerned if he wasn't walking by 18 months, and lo and behold....17 months came around and he finally did it! All I could think was, "Whew!!!" He had been cruising along furniture FOREVER, but just would take those steps, but he has one of those personalities where he is mellow, laid back, and he normally doesn't do something until he can do it right. Try not to let others stress you out. He'll walk in his own time. I hate all the pressure that is put on kids and parents nowadays. Kids used to be able to just develop on their own schedule and no one flipped out about it!
DD didn't walk until 15 months. I was hoping DS would be the same because once they start walking it gets a lot harder to keep them in one place. No luck though because he started at 9 mos.
I would not worry about him not walking at 13 mos and if anyone ever asked my kid if he was "lazy" I'd tell them to STFU. I'm in a pissy mood today and that irked me on your behalf.
Photos courtesy of Jen Rose Photography
We're experiencing the exact same thing! Charlotte started pulling up at 7 mos. and is cruising around the furniture at 8 mos. Am I a bad mom for thinking "I'm not ready for this! Please sit still for a little while longer!"???
Heck no, I've found myself wishing that DS would slow down on everything. Of course he's done it all way before DD because he's trying to keep up with her. I laugh at myself thinking about how stressed out I was about DD hitting all the age milestones and now I wish DS was a little more delayed then he has been.
Owen's a little thing and the other day someone asked me if he just started walking. I laughed and said "Nope, he's been doing it for almost a year and a half."
Ellie didn't walk until darn near 16 months. The pedi wouldn't have been concerned until 18 months, and anywhere from 12-18 months is considered average. As long as he's progressing, who cares? Ellie was always very verbal and not as physical. She's still that way. At tumbling class, she'd rather walk around and identify the colors of the mats than jump on them. That's just how she is and it is A-OK with me.
Honestly, I'd let it be known that the comments annoy you. Anytime anyone said anything to us, I'd say that we weren't concerned, and she'd walk when she was ready. We didn't go out of our way to try to teach her to walk beyond what everyone does (holding her fingers while she walked, etc.). Like everything else, she did it when she was ready to do it and not a minute before. But I'd try to nip that cousin-comparing in the bud if I were you. You don't want to spend the rest of your life dealing with that.
Photo by Melissa Nicole Photography
Why do people have to comment about everything that kid's don't do "when other kids do it"???? Each kid develops in his/her own way. We get that comment about Brandon and his language... "when is he going to talk?" etc... I really think people have nothing better to talk about.
And I will tell you that having an early walker is NOT fun!!! It's very hard to keep up with a very mobile baby who is not quite cognitively there in terms of the word "no" etc... And when they're super short they're not noticed either so it just makes it worse.
Keep doing what you're doing and try not to let other's comments get to you... I know that's easier said than done.
DD walked when she was just shy of 16 months old. It was all or none for her. We never witnessed the take three steps and fall thing. She went from refusing to stand up to walking all over the house without falling in a day. From there it turned into full on running. I was stunned as our pedi was suggesting physical therapy to get her going. There is definitely nothing wrong with that child. She is everywhere now. I resisted the idea of PT, and it stressed me out that someone suggested it to me.
You are fine. Don't worry. It will come. I guarantee that child will be full on running by 18 months. Ignore the stupid people who think that they should walk by 10 months old. Some do, most don't. Focus on the very many other wonderful things that your DC does do. I bet there is something that is being done way ahead of time that the early walkers are not doing. Revel in it and just wait. Your baby will run you ragged in no time.