Will your 14+ month old walk and hold your hand?

PepperStick · December 2011

Whenever I set DD down at a store, she immediately runs in the opposite direction. If I try and hold her hand, she'll just pull away or drop to the floor and whine. She gets really restless sitting in a cart/stroller and I want her to just be able to walk and stay with me. She's been walking since 9 months.

When can I expect this to happen? And what can I do to encourage her to hold my hand, or at least not run away from me?

MrsMommyQ · December 2011

The minute I put DD down she runs away, too. (She is 16 months) I can usually get her told hold my hand for a minute or two, but then she yanks it away and runs in the other direction. She hates the stroller too. Mostly I plan my shopping trips around a snack time and just keep putting snacks in then tray of the stroller to keep her happy. Sometimes I break out new snacks that she hasn't seen before, which keeps her happy a little longer. She'll last about an hour and then shopping is over.

I have no idea when they start to hold your hand but I'm guessing it's closer to 3.

hopeful34 · December 2011

DD will hold my hand longer than DS. Neither one like the stroller but seem to be ok with the cart. But, it takes me and my DH to go shopping now. I miss the days when they couldn't walk sometimes lol....but then again this new found freedom of not having to carry 2 babies is great too.

So...dh just have to come with us right now. And so he should! lol

NG2HD · December 2011

Most of the time she will because I won't put her down otherwise - and she has stranger anxiety, so that helps. When she does try to go in the other direction without me, she's lost the privilege of getting down and walking and has to go back into the carriage.

Kitiara5512 · December 2011

C used to try and run away, but is getting better at holding our hands at the store.

jmgcoggins · December 2011

I guess DS is an odd ball. As soon as he walks out our front door he reaches for DH or my hand. He also holds our hands through the stores and such, but he much rather prefers to sit in the cart.

ETA: He has held our hand since he learned to walk (so 11 months)...

mbgreenwalt · December 2011

DD has since she was about 15 months when I started giving her freedom from the stroller and cart. I never really taught her to do it, I just would ask and she would hold it. She likes it when she is with both DH and I because we each hold a hand and swing her.

Chelle112 · December 2011

He either holds my hand or he gets carried. It's been that way since he learned to walk and now he reaches for my hand as soon as we step outside.

mommytoconnor · December 2011

My LO is 17 months old and he will hold my hand, but if you let go for even a second, he will dart off and not stop. Gotta hold onto him every second.

PepperStick · December 2011

I guess we will start putting her down, taking her hand and if she tries to run/throw a temper then we'll pick her back up.

KGF625 · December 2011

I am just now really starting to work on this skill and my son is 17 months old. I have tried it in the past and the same thing would happen with him running the other way and getting frustrated. He is getting okay with it. We practice in places where if he gets away it isn't a big deal and if he throws a fit we aren't in the middle of food shopping. I do it a lot not from the car into the house or at our library there is a huge sidewalk that is pretty long if you park by the end of it so I will park near the end and once we are on the sidewalk I will practice walking with him into the library holding my hand so that he isn't in the middle of a parking lot. I don't really have any advice. He seems to like when I am super excited about what a big boy he is being and I try to just focus on things up ahead like "look at those big doors" so that he keeps his eye on the prize! Good luck. I envy parents who have kids that are easily willing to walk holding their hands.

kcisthebombdotcom · December 2011

That's pretty age appropriate behavior. My (almost) 2 year old still runs off at times.

A way to work on this is let her hold onto the stroller/shopping cart if she wont hold your hand. If she runs off, tell her no and put her back into the cart/stroller. Repeat. She'll eventually get it's more fun to be able to walk around and listen vs run off and get strapped in.

mrsseguin · December 2011

DS...who is 3, will just now be good and walk and hold my hand. Up until now, he squirms or would run away. At that age, I'd put them in the cart with a toy or some food to distract her.

hopkins5 · December 2011

DD holds my hand most of the time. I only carry her through parking lots and while crossing roads.

[Deleted User] · December 2011

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MNgirl326 · December 2011

LO knows that if he wants to be put down he needs to hold my hand. If he won't he doesn't get to walk on his own.

I have been really consistent with this since he learned to walk at 11 months.

mandapie · December 2011

NG2HD:
Most of the time she will because I won't put her down otherwise - and she has stranger anxiety, so that helps. When she does try to go in the other direction without me, she's lost the privilege of getting down and walking and has to go back into the carriage.

This is DS. As I put him down I say "hold my hand" and his little hand automatically goes up now. He usually won't let me carry him through a parking lot so I let him walk and he'll hold my hand. Sometimes he does the collapse to the ground and throw a fit thing in which case I try and find a cart outside to put him in so he can scream his brains out for being put in the cart against his will before we go inside.

Tbd143 · December 2011

Nope. My experience is the same as yours. LO will not just walk and hold my hand yet, so I tend to keep him in the stroller or carry him.

MrsSR · December 2011

Yes, she holds my hand and has since she starting walking at 10 months. If she won't hold it, she's picked up and put back in the cart or stroller.

When we are walking and she lets go, I'll tell her that she needs to hold hands or she can't walk.

mrs.cam · December 2011

All kids are different! I have twins. One boy will hold my hand, the other runs, lol! I figure he will get it eventually, just keep trying. When she runs, pick her up and say she can only walk if she holds your hand. It might take a while!

ablou · December 2011

When Bean was learning how to walk, we always held his hand, and it became a habit. If he doesn't want to hold my hand, I hold his wrist. Handholding is NOT optional.

Que*Syrah · December 2011

DS will be 2 next month and is JUST starting to hold my hand without trying to run every 3 seconds. We always had the rule that he had to hold hands and after the third time he let go to run he had to be carried/ride in stroller/cart. We just did that over and over and over even if he cried. Eventually it started sticking.

IMO the only way to really get her to do it is to be consistent and make sure there is a consequence for not holding hands. Pretty soon she'll realize that if she wants to walk she has to hold hands.

FWIW, DS started walking at 9 months too and I don't think being an early walker has anything to do with being able to hold hands and stay with you.

nopegoat · December 2011

Mathieu is about 30lbs and refuses to sit in the buggy for more than 5 mins so he learned pretty fast to either hold on to my hand or the cart when we go to the store. He will let go sometimes if he sees a truck or angry birds but usually he is pretty good and will only let go for a second.

JoannaJes · December 2011

mrs.cam:
All kids are different! I have twins. One boy will hold my hand, the other runs, lol! I figure he will get it eventually, just keep trying. When she runs, pick her up and say she can only walk if she holds your hand. It might take a while!

This. DS has always been about holding hands. DD will bolt. Don't compare your kids to others who are good at holding hands. It's all about personality.

AmandaAllison · December 2011

My son hated holding my hand (until recently). I got a backpack/harness/leash whatever you want to call it. I'd make him hold my hand and if he broke away i'd still have a hold on him with the backpack tether. Now I don't really use it as much, but it really worked. He learned he wasn't going to get away.

akaMrsL · December 2011

My DDs got good at it around 19 months. We would practice holding "finger" on short walks around the neighborhood. Now they automatically grab or ask for our finger. HTT

wonkatalia · December 2011

If we're in a store and DD is freaking out to get out of the stroller, I tell her, "I'll let you down but you have to hold my hand!" Then I let her out and she does. I'm not sure if she actually understands me or is just used to holding our hand when we walk around outside of the house.

Good luck!