When do kids start to walk? My kid is 17 months and holds stuff and walks but does not attempt to walk by him self. Do I need to worry?
I am a PT in Early Intervention. While you may not need to "worry" 17 months is definately at the later end of the normal range for walking. I would recommend getting an Early Intervention evaluation if, for nothing else, peace of mind that their isn't anything going on. They can give you suggestions to help get him walking if he is not eligible for therapy. If you need more info on how to refer you can send me a message!
If he is able to pull himself up into standing at the couch, cruise (walk sideways holding on) , turn to look behind him while holding on (so, he is twisting his body to turn and look, shifting his weight from side to side) and able to lower himself down from standing, then I think he is on the right path. Pushing a push-toy is a nice way to practice walking. Using a walker or exercauser is not helpful and can be confusing to kids since they don't learn to actively control their trunk (belly/back) and hip musculature against gravity, so I would discourage that.
Lots of practice playing on the floor is the way to go.
If you have more questions, feel free to send me a note. Take care!
No worries, and in fact, did you know that the longer a child crawls, the better reader they will be? There have even been studies where adults who did not read well got down on their hands and knees and crawled and their reading skills improved! SOmething to do with that part of the brain and the action of crawling. So don't worry! He will probably be a valedictorian one day! :)))
I think the "average" walking age is 12-15 months. My son started walking at 9 months, which I know is early, but I don't know at what age on the other end of the spectrum you should begin to worry. He should be going in for his 18 month appointment soon, so you can talk to your pediatrician at that time. In the meantime, I would really encourage him to walk to you without holding on to anything. Clapping and smiling and encouraging him to walk to you all by himself. That's what we did with our son. Good luck!
3 of my kids walked at 9 months and the last one didn't do it until he was 18 months. Everyone kept saying it was because his brothers would get stuff for him, but I think it was because he was waiting for someone to notice!
I wouldn't worry about it yet. Talk to the dr. at your next appointment. Holding onto stuff and walking, aka "cruising" is a step in the right direction.
When he does start walking, you will wish he didn't do it yet! They pick up on it very quickly and they're off!
M.
My first walked at 15 months but didn't crawl until her first birthday. My second crawled at 9 months but didn't start really walking until 16 months. I think it all depends on the kid, barring any physical ailments. When they are ready to do something, they do it.
Our middle daughter didn't walk until she was 15 months old. It wasn't that she couldn't walk, it was walking wasn't an efficient or fast way for her to get around. She was a super fast crawler!
Our pediatrician recommended that we go away for the weekend. Take her out of her comfort zone of crawling and encourage her to walk with us. We decided to go to the Dells and stay in a hotel that had an indoor water park for toddlers. We encouraged her to walk all weekend and by the time we got home, she was practically running around - so proud that she was walking like a big girl!
I would talk to his pediatrician at his next appointment and see what the doctor recommends.
The school system in your area has an early intervention program. If he is not walking yet they can set you up with a phisycal therapist that would come to your house. I would look into that its fun for the kids plus im sure he would start walking in no time. And it doesnt cost you anything.
Naah it sounds like he has all the gross motor skills (weight bearing, pulling up, stepping etc) and he just lacks confidence. If he's not walking in another month mention it when he goes in for his 18 month checkup and see what your doctor thinks.
Just to ease your fears...my daughter did not begin to walk until she reached 18 months old. She is a lot taller than everyone else, so I thought it may have made it a bit more difficult to keep her balance. She was also a very late crawler (she didn't do that until after she was 1-year old - boy, did I worry!), but now she is very active and a fast runner at 2 years old! She had no issues for why she took so long; I guess everyone just moves at their own speed.
