My 14 Month Old Is Not walking...should I Be Concerned??

Don't know if it helps, but my moms says I didn't walk until I was about 15 months. I throw like a girl, but I've run a marathon!

As others have mentioned she's fine. I just want to add that its actually very good for her brain. I don't remember exactly how it helps but it builds connections or something. My daughter was doing okay but all her cousins walked before they were a year old. She didn't walk until she was 15 months. She is a bright, active 7 year old now. Don't stress, just enjoy it. She'll be walking and getting into everything before you know it.

She's totally fine, and -- take a deep breath -- she's not a late walker. Honestly, anything prior to age 18 months counts as normal!

She's making progress and she'll be walking soon. I had children who walked between 10 and 16 months. I had one who never sat voluntarily until she was 18 months old. She either crawled, walked or slept. Never had any reason to be still and sit!

NO! My daughter walked at 16.5 months and my son at 15.5 months. With my daughter it is amazing how advanced her speech is and I had heard that about late walkers. Plus, things are just easier before the little ones can walk, so enjoy that bonus time : )

V.,

Please don't worry - I did enough of that for everyone! My daughter took her first step on her own at 18 mo, 1 day - the day of her 18 mo appt. She is now 21 mo and almost running. If she is doing all that you mentioned, she is fine - just taking her time.

Just for the record you son was an early bloomer. You're daughter is right on time. My daughter (who is very apt physically) did not walk on her own until 15 mo., but could climb anything at 9. Relax.

Hi Verionica! My oldest daughter was TINY - she wasn't walking at 16 months so the pediatrician ordered a hip x-ray just to make sure everything was alright. Anyway, I was expecting my 2nd child at the time so I had to wait 3 weeks until my hubby could take her in. Wouldn't you know the x-ray came out perfect and she walked 3 days later!!! LOL! I wouldn't worry, but let your pediatrician know if she isn't walking when she goes in for her 18 month checkup. Best of luck!

My daughter didn't walk until 17 months and I was concerned, like you, b/c my son had walked at 11 months. She also didn't even crawl until 11 months! She is now 3 yrs and is a great runner, climber, ball thrower etc. Apparently, she was concentrating on fine motor skills and less interested in gross motor skills.
The fact that your daughter is walking around holding onto things is a good indication that she's fine and has the strength to walk, but is just apprehensive. Our pediatrician said some children don't walk until 18-19 months, which is still perfectly normal, just on the far end.

I know it's hard to watch when all the other little friends are walking around! Good luck.

My son started walking at 14 months. My daughter (his twin sister) didn't start walking until a week and a half ago (they're 17 months now). She just stood up in the middle of the floor and started walking - she hasn't stopped since. I wouldn't worry, your daughter will walk when she's ready.

my daughter was 20 months when she walked independently and this past weekend at age 15 years she placed in 4 dances in a highland dance competition at the Monterey Highland Festival.
my point is some kids just do things in their own good time. She wasn't a particularly super athletic kid but she eventually got it together.
I know my pediatrician would have sent her to physical therapy and run tests etc but she had good range of motion and walked around if holding a coffee table or couch so i just waited and she progressed just fine. at 5 years old she walked the entire mall in DC and was the only one who never complained.
so i guess my point is if everything else seems normal don't panic. if her leg use doesn't look right check with your pediatrician.

Hi, My niece walked at 16 months, and I know lots of other kids that showed no interest in walking until around 14 to 16 months. Unless she is acting delayed in 3 or more areas, like in speech and in eating as well, I would not worry about seeing a doctor.

BTW, I was a child developmental specialist for a number of years, and I tested kids to see if they were delayed. Your daughter would not test as delayed.

Marci

All 3 of mine we late walkers, the girls at 14 and 14 1/2 months, my son at 16 months. Because they were crawling (they were late crawlers also), and furniture walking, our Ped wasn't concerned. We were also told that there is no real concern if they are hitting other milestones and at 18 months they would do an evaluation if they were not walking by then. My son was actually climbing out of his crib before he could walk, he went into a toddler bed at 14 months!

V., please don't worry! You've heard it before but it's true - kids all reach milestones differently. My first son started crawling at about 8 months but didn't walk until 14 months. My second son, who will be 1 on August 8 STILL isn't crawling! He does the "army crawl" but he just started doing that a couple of weeks ago. He just pulled himself up on something for the first time 2 days ago. The doctor says he's absolutely fine. So don't worry!

My advice is to be watchful but not worried at this point.
My oldest was my slowest one to walk. She didn't walk until she was 18 months. At first she would roll to where she wanted to get and she did that until about 1 year and then she started crawling and crawled for the next 6 months. At 18 months she started walking. My doctor told me she was within normal range and not to worry. So enjoy this because once walking they don't stop.

Well, check with your doctor to make sure there are no physical problems. It's always a good idea to check it out; why worry if you don't need to? If she's fine, she's fine. She's close to walking, and one day she'll do it. My younger daughter was a much more easygoing baby than her brothers and sister. She crawled later, stood later, and finally decided to walk at sixteen months... two weeks before her little brother was born. (Double strollers - they're wonderful!) She hasn't stopped since. Now she's a fifth grade teacher. :^)

Both my kids were very late walkers (18 mos and 17 mos.) Way back when...we were very active in a play group when DD was a baby she walked a good 8 months after all the other kids. I got to spend a good part of a year watching her crawl around while all the other kids walked. You know what? When she finally did walk all on her own she was better at it than the other kids. She could run, was well balanced and didn't trip over her own shoes.

Sometimes they just take their sweet time doing things. No stress, no worries. She'll get it worked out.

As long as she has opportunities to try to walk, she'll be fine. I have three boys. One walked at 9 months, the other two at 18 months. My doctor started getting worried about the 18 month walkers at their 15 month check up. She said if they didn't start walking by 18 months that we'd need to have Early Intervention come to our house and work with them. They started walking two days before the 18 mo. check up.

It will be fine. If you're not comfortable with her not walking yet, I think you can request Early Intervention from your pediactrician. I hear they're great (and I think they're free:)).

I had one that walked at 12 months, one at 18 months and one at 16 months. The one that walked at 18 months did, in fact, have some low muscle tone, and had some short term physical therapy which got her back on track. (You would never know she'd had any issues if you saw her now!) When the last one was late as well, the Dr. reassured me that getting a bit behind in one milestone does NOT necessarily mean there is a problem, but they look at the whole picture. In otherwords, everything else was coming along nicely with my youngest. She was simply not motivated. With my middle child, she was showing a pattern of delayed developement in gross motor skills across the board. That is the kind of red flag a Dr. should watch for. The fact that your daughter is at least walking while hanging on to things puts her way ahead of where either of my girls were at that age! And it seems like a good sign. I have a feeling it won't be too long before she takes off on her own. Good luck!

It just depends on the kid. I have noticed that a lot more little girls seem to walk sooner because they are so tiny. If she is generally bigger it just may take a little more to maneuver more weight. It sounds like she is doing fun - 10 months is definitely above average.

V.,

Some babies are only sitting at this age, and not even cruising. You have nothing to worry about. As others have said, a lot of times late walkers are early talkers and early walkers are later talkers.

My daughter didn't walk until a week before she turned 18 months. It's not at all unusual. Don't worry!

She's fine...not a late walker. Normal is between 14 and 18 months of age for walking (according to the material given to me by the pediatrician). My kids both started walking at 15 months. And as long as she is walking around holding on to furniture, she's getting there.

My daughter was 14 mos old when she started walking on her own. Up to that point she was always behind a push toy or something that helped her keep her balance. No biggie about your daughter. Just give her more time. She'll get there.

Our son didn't walk until about week before 18 months. He wasn't crawling, either, so we finally got a referral for an evaluation. If she isn't crawling, it's worth checking into, otherwise, we were told by both the doctor and the PT evaluator that there's nothing they could do until 18 months. I didn't look at where you are located, but the health care may be different where you are. If you don't want to spend money, or if insurance doesn't pay, you can contact your local Child Find and they will have your daughter evaluated and in services within a deadline of a month for each. Our son today is an excellent athlete and gets invited to join teams because of his skill. I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Our other son started walking around 16 months, and at 3 still seems a bit challenged staying on his feet at times. :) Each kid is different. GL!

My niece was a late walker. I don't remember the exact age, but I know that she was still holding on to things to walk when she was over a year old. A lot of it was a confidence issue, I think. One thing they did was walk with her, but have her hold one end of a wooden spoon and they hold the other end. After she was a little confident at that, they would let go of their end, and she didn't realize she was walking by herself so she would keep going a few steps, figure it out, and sit down. But after a while she built the coordination and the confidence and started walking on her own.

She's 7 now and walks and runs and plays like any other 7 year old; no delays at all.

My first daughter did not walk umtil she was 15 months old, and my second daughter walked at 9 months! Since your daughter is doing lots of other things, I wouldn't worry about it at all!

K.

Every child is so different. Usually doctors are not concerned unless the toddler is 2 years. My older kids were both bigger children and they did not walk until they were over a year. I was in a car accident and had to learn to do everything over again and it does take a tremendous amount of coordination. The fact that she is able to walk with you around the house is a very good sign. She is almost there. I had a younger son who had constant ear infections and this also put off his walking. There are several factors that can be an issue. Just be patient!

Hi V.. I would not be to concerned with her being a "late bloomer". My oldest daughter (now 3 yrs) did not walk until she was almost 18 months. She also did not really talk until she was 2. Now she is a happy, crazy 3 yr old that sings all day long and runs around the house. So unless you are really concerned something is physically wrong with her, then just give her some time and she will come to it on her own.

Just a little fyi... I had my daughters legs xrayed at around 10 months b/c she still was not crawling and everything was fine and the doctor just called her a late bloomer.

Best of luck to you and your family.

E.

If memory serves from the books and the pediatricians, the average age for walking is 13 months. So, statistically, your daughter is not late to walk at all. Ten months is actually very early to be walking -- so you're son was ahead of the curve, but that doesn't mean your daughter is behind.

Like the other moms have mentioned, they all do their own thing in their own time. And children's brains tend focus on one area of development at a time -- your daughter is probably more focused on learning language or fine motor skills or another skillset. I have a friend whose daughters didn't start crawling until they were over a year old -- they turned out just fine -- they were just not as exploratory and more interested in other activities. Her son was an early walker and into everything, like a lot of boys.

If your daughter hasn't started walking her 18-month checkup, I would double-check with you ped. to make sure that she doesn't have any physical or developmental delays, but I bet she'll be tooling around as soon as she decides to get on the go.