3 Yr Old Tippy Toe Walking

My 3 1/2 year old daughter does the same. I researched all the scary "maybes" She is completely normal and growing out of it. I did the same as a child. She did have speech therapy, but her little sister did too that walked normal and is adopted! By the way, her legs are strong!!! There are maybes, but I have heard and seen more "normals"

I concur with everyone here--I'd put away the stick and call your Doctor.
:)

Buy him some squeaker shoes. They are made so everything they walk correctly, it makes a squeak! Kids like to hear the noise (it may drive you nuts though!) and walk on their feet instead of toes! They sell them on Ebay and other places I am sure. I just bought my daughter some for about 420 and she loves them! She is 2 by the way. Good Luck!
Missy

K.,

Please have your child son evaluated by a doctor about the tippy-toe walking.

In very bad instances it is connected to a neurological disorder and in mild instances it is connected to a shortening of the tendons in the calf and leg that might need some PT. You can speak with your pediatrician about getting your child evaluated and then move on from there. My good friend has both children in PT for their legs. One 6 year old child tippy-toe walks and her other child was born with a clubbed foot. But the PT therapist told my friend her child who tippy-toe walks has cleverly learned to adapt to the discomfort she was experiencing from her shortened tendons. And therefore her tendons need to be stretched with PT.

Please don't worry about the neurological possibility because I would think you would be seeing other symptoms as well.

Great job looking out for the well-being of your son! And with your help and encouragement, I am sure he will son be walking on the flats of his feet.

Fondly,
ann m.

I think you should talk to your pediatrician. Does your child exhibit any other "uncommon" behaviors? Does he have a problem with bright lights, loud noises, the way certain things feel on his skin such as clothing or the tags inside the clothing, smells, or trouble with certain food textures? If so, he may have something called Sensory Processing Disorder aka Sensory Integration. You can get info on it over the internet and there are books written on it too. If not, he will probably outgrow it but I would check with his Dr. Good luck.

Hi K.,

Take your child to your local pediatrician or orthopedic doc.

Hope this helps. D.

My daughter who just turned 5 has been walking mostly on her tippy toes. She can walk normally also, but when she is without shoes, she mostly walks on her tippy toes. I wouldn't be concerned. I talked to other moms from my older daughter's class and they told me that this is pretty common. After a while they stop walking like that.

I walked on my tippy toes all the time when was I was little. No one seemed to worry and I am fine today. I pray it's just a phase also.

i agree with most here... though i do read the ''austism'' alert with 9 out of 10 requests on this site. i think some people are austism happy, but always check with your pediatrician. i wouldn't use the stick though, he's only 3 and that will do you no good, as he's not behaving wrong... you're teaching him that he gets punished simply for doing something you're not use to (even if you think it doesnt hurt, a child sees the littlest thing as scary or mean)

as i said.. it seems most on here are austism happy, check with your pediatrician but i wouldnt jump to that conclusion. people who have had austistic children, relatives, etc (i grew up with man disabled in my family, austistic and otherwise, so im not talking from a fools point either, lol)... assume everything they have ever done is a sign of it. 2 of my cousins, a friends child, and i was told my older brother (and even myself for about half a year) tip toed a looot instead of walking. oddly enough we all seemed to do that between 2 years and 3 years old(apparently i also did some kinda weird upside down stance instead of laying on my back too) children can be ''weird'' and just do different things that we might not think children do... but an infant often times has as unique a personality and habbits, as an adolescent in ''fads'' :) if you're worried take him to see a doc, but dont get worked up until you talk to his doctor

Not sure how to stop the behavior but make sure you are stretching his calf muscles EVERY NIGHT or morning. If he continues to walk in this way his calf muscles can actually shorten and tighten making it physically impossible for him to walk with a flatter foot. I'm pretty sure if that does happen it can be reversed with intense and regular stretching BUT it'll be much easier and much less painful to be proactive about it and build it into your daily routine. Good luck.

I had this same post a few years back. My daughter is a tip toe walker. She is now 4 and still does it after a few months of physical therapy. A few exercises that they had me do with her are the penguin walk, going up steps leading with the less dominate foot making sure to put her heal down on the step. Also always reminding her to walk "feet flat" when I see her on her tip toes.
I think kids just like the feeling of being "taller" on their tip toes and so they always walk that way. My daughter, my son and now my youngest daughter all walk on tip toes. I just regularly remind them to walk "feet flat", and that seems to do it.
Good luck, and don't worry too much. Both therapist and pediatrician said she will grow out of it.

Actually, as a pre-k teacher this is something that would send up a red flag for me. Most children by age 3 don't need reminders to walk flat on their feet and I would normally recommend to the parents that they see their ped. and discuss getting an evaluation. If children continue to walk on their tippy toes it can lead to hip and back problems and he may need to wear braces on his feet to correct the problem and stretch out the muscles. This is just a possibility.....not meaning to scare you...just make you aware. See your ped. and get him evaluated...the worst that can happen is he'll need physical therapy or surgery to correct the problem...the best that can happen is you'll find out he's fine. Either way you're being proactive.

Good Luck! :-)

I still walk on my tippy toes when I am in my bare feet and I am 44!!!! It's just something I do and so do my daughter's, but in shoes, we walk flat footed...just talk to doc, if he says don't worry, and you still are, talk to orthopedics or more of a specialist...good luck. (I agree with the autism happy mom, work in the field, most kids diagnosed are just quirky, God forbid any kid be a little different now a days - and I don't mean to offend any one who has a child with this disability, because it is real, but way over diagnosed...)

Good luck and good mom for noticing!

I didn't take the time to read all the responses, so I may be repeating.
A friend of mine is dealing with this exact issue right now with her 7 yr. old. I asked my Dr. for her and she said that there are SO many reasons for a child walking on his/her toes. She recommended having the child seen first by an orthopedic dr. and recommended having an MRI of the spine done. From there she recommended going to a neurologist. She did say that tippy toe walking is usually an indication of an underlying problem, however, sometimes it can be an issue of mimicking. She recommended that my friend see someone immediately. I think you should as well. I'm sure the word Autism has you so worried. It really could be any number of things.
I obviously don't know you, but I'd like to take a chance and share a verse that helped me over and over again, giving me the right perspective and a peace that I could have never imagined when I've been overwhelmed by worry.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

I would talk to your doctor because I read somewhere that tippy toe walking after a certain age may mean there is something wrong with his feet. Nothing major or for concern, it is fixable it said but still I would call the doctor. I think it said after age 2 but I can't remember the exact details.

have u talked to dr. about this. My little cousin had to have surgery and she walked on her tippy toes. I forget exactly why (something about the muscles i think) but she had the surgery and walks fine now. i hope everything turns out well, but i'd have her checked just to be sure.

Kelly,
Toe-walking is a classic sign of Asperger's Syndrome. I would be careful using that stick. Rather, I would take a look at his overall behavior. Does he seem to talk alot? Have very limited interests? How does he act with other kids? Asperger's is a "social" autism. These kids have difficulty in social situations. They can't read or interpret body language. I have a son with Asperger's and he always walked on his toes. It would drive me nuts! Now. with the diagnosis we are able to understand and work with the symptoms and with a physical therapist he know walks normally.

Why don't you check with a doctor or nurse on your pediatrician's office to get some info about what age range this would normally stop -- and get some advice. It may be that you are simply ahead of him maturationally. I don't think licking his calves or constantly reminding him is the best way to go about it. At 3, what he's learning from you isn't how to walk, but that he's not good enough.

Well, it's interesting that I saw your question today, because I was just talking about this yesterday with our family. My oldest son, who is now 17, used to walk on his tippy toes.....all the time! he started around age 18 months or so? He did it with or without shoes also. There are some cousins on my husbands side of the family who walked this way when they were young because that tendon on the back of the leg was too short,and it required surgery. So, with my first baby doing this constantly, I was so worried about it. The ped. kept saying it is not a problem...not to worry. Well, this went on for years, no matter what we did to get my little guy to walk normally! I finally made an appt with a specialist....I took him in, and the Dr had him stand at one end of the hallway and then had him walk on his heels with the toes pointed upwards....he had to walk the whole length of the hall like this several times....and because he "could" do this? the Dr told me he is perfectly fine! I was a little dumbstruck because I had spent so long worrying myself over this, and also because I had made this appt with a specialist and waited all that time to get in, and "this" was his big test!?? walking the hallways in a Frankenstein fashion!? LOL! So, anyway, we had my son walk like that at home....when we would remind him...and he is fine today. Truth be told, he is a teenager now and we will still see him on occasion walking around on his tippy toes! If it would give you piece of mind, I'd take him to another Dr or a specialist to make sure his legs/feet are ok. Good luck!

I am not a therapist, but one of my son's classmates did this same thing. She did not get better until she received physical therapy. From what I understand it will not self correct.
Good Luck!
ER

My son is three as well and does the same thing. I HAVE talked to two different pediatricians and they BOTH said that it is completley normal and they just "grow out" of it. The only concern I would have is if your son can NOT walk on his flat feet at all - then you might want to get him checked. If he CAN walk on his flat feet but just prefers (to annoy you :), to reach things better, or just because he likes it . . . ) to walk on his tippy toes, then I really wouldn't worry. I asked probably 20 moms when my son started doing it and I think all but 2 said that their kids ALL did the same thing and that they are all now "normal" kids walking on their flat feet with no spinal, hip, bone etc problems. Hope this helps :)

Several good responses and advice here. (I'm a dance professor with background in kinesiology and exercise physiology used to teach childrens' dance classes and now teach students to teach children's dance classes). And yes, if your child CAN walk flat, he's OK. Just short--many adults wear heels and lifts to make themselves taller.

My concern is with his muscles, which can get tight from all that toe-walking, as well as the antagonist (opposite) muscle, the tibialis, not getting the work-out it needs to stay correspondingly strong. But I believe it's just short of criminal to subject a child to braces when massage and stretching daily will do the same job, is a good bonding experience for you both, helps him understand how to take care of his own body (not to mention cheaper!).

Find a time when he's quiet and relaxed--between bath and bed can be a good time. I won't go through a description of the massage/stretch unless you want it--they're soothing for you both, and my daughter enjoyed them when she was small; still does, and she's 12--so please feel free to respond and ask if you want them.
Best of luck,
L.

My almost 3 year old does too and I have talked to 2 pediatricians about it and they both said not to worry. She will out grow it. They said to remind her to walk flat footed, and as long as she can, there isn't a problem. It's if the achilles is too tight they they cannot put their foot flat down, that is when you need some sort of medical intervention.
Everyone is so into neurological disorders they make you crazy and super-stressed. What about kids just being kids!?!

This can sometimes be a sign of muscle or neurological issues. Have you talked to your doctor about it?

It could be "something" or it could be "nothing." Check with your doctor as soon as possible for an evaluation. I would not hit his legs with a stick to remind him. Until you see if there is a medical issue, I would ignore it completely. Obviously the reminders are not working. Find out if there is a real issue and address it as advised, or ignore it completely if there is no REAL underlying reason. All kids go through quirky stages.

DO NOT FLICK YOUR CHILD WITH A WOODEN STICK!!!!!!!!!! Walking on toes on a classic early sign of Autism. Have him checked.