Hi Everyone! My son just started walking on his first birthday a month ago. But the problem is, he only walks if its from one person to another and we encourage him to do it. If Dad stands at one end of the room and im at the other end, he'll walk over and keep going back and forth. He's great at it and has good balance. But if he's alone and playing, all he'll do is crawl. Has anyone had this problem? When will he realize he can do it on his own? Not just when we encourage him to do it? Thanks!
Thanks everybody for your wonderful and helpful responses! In the past two weeks, as soon as he turned 14 months, he's walking much, much more now. He's walking around the block, all around the house, but he'll do the occassional crawling when he's playing with his toys. Now that I'm pregnant, his walking is helping me much more now by not having to pick him up everytime i want to take him to the car, or even in the store...
My kids all did this also. It's perfectly normal. They'll use what works best until they master the rest.
Completely normal. crawling is still faster for him so he will continue to use it. Just be patient.
My son is also a first-born, only child. He didn't walk independently until the day he turned 15 months old.
I am also due in April and I have a feeling our second-born children will be walking much sooner then our first-born children!
Enjoy this time while he is still your little baby. He'll be walking soon enough and getting into everything... faster!
Everyones advice before me is true , now that he knows what to do he'll do it when he's ready right now he's doing what is most natural and the easiest for him!!!!
I have 3 grown children 1 grandaughter and have taken care of many through the years...before you know it he'll be off and running!!!!
I wouldn't be so concerned about it. He's on track. Only a year old....he's fine. Of course if he's on his own he'll do whatever seems within his abilities. When you and dad are there there's an incentive. And the more incentive, the more inclined he'll be, get used to it, his legs will get stronger and it'll become normal to him.
My little guy turned a year at the end of July and is doing the same thing. I have noticed just recently that he is starting to walk more from point a to point b. I always encourage him when he does this and I think that is really helping. I asked my ped. about it when I was in last and she said if he isn't walking full time by 15-16 months, then we need to think about solutions. So I'm not going to worry about it personally. Just enjoy him and keep encouraging him!
Both my boys did this, I think they just found crawling at this stage to be a quicker and easier way of getting around or getting to what they wanted. He knows he can do it he just finds crawling the quicker option right now. Don't worry, he won't crawl forever, the walking will come naturally soon enough.
Hi D.,
What your son is doing is totally normal. He really wants to learn to walk, but his fastest form of transportation is crawling. So when he wants to get somewhere quickly he'll use the method that for now requires the least amount of thought. Without realizing it, he'll take on more and more walking in the next month or so. Just keep offering opportunities for him to be up on his feet and practicing walking each day. He sounds perfect for his age. S.
Just be patient. Kids do things in their own time. My son wouldn't walk until he was about 14 months. But before that if we would walk down the street he would hold my hand and walk. Kids have to test their boundries in all areas and when THEY fell comfortable with doing something they will. Don't panic and don;t rush it because once he really gets to moving your going to want him to sit down somewhere. :) same thing with talking. Good Luck.
Hi D.
My daughter is 13 months and when se turned one she was doing the same thing as you described and about 2 weeks ago she just started taking off with speed..lol but she will still crawl at times..so dont worry he will be off before you know it.
I didnt realize crawling was a problem :) heck I crawl on the floor when I am playing! You are overanalyzing :) I promise this is ok behaviour! enjoy your little angel!
My first walked at 10 months and my second is still not walking at 15+ months (but he talks more than my first did at 2 years!). It just depends on the kid. Besides, it was a good reminder that each of my children is a unique individual and should be cherished for who they are, not what I expect of them. Just enjoy your baby...he'll get the hang of it!
HI D.,
My daughter is 141/2 months and is finally walking almost all the time. She started taking steps at 12m and could technically walk at 13m. Don't worry...he just needs practice. Soon it will be his first response.
He's doing great! Crawling is best for his brain development so the more, the better. Let him move forward at his own pace. This is very normal! G. B.
Hi D.! I think we all get too eager for our kids to "move along" when it comes to these milestones. All kids are different, and when he is ready, he WILL do it by himself. Many kids crawl still because it is safer and more comforting to them to be nearer to the floor when someone isn't there to catch them. I wouldn't worry at all-- and don't pressure him. Just wait until potty training...trust me, they do things when they are good and ready, instead of when we are! LOL!
And congrats on your pregnancy! How exciting! I am due in November with a little boy-- such a blessing!
my daughter did that when she first started walking, she knew she could get there faster by crawling. it didn't last long i wouldn't worry too much
The longer a child walks the better it is for brain development...i sure wouldn't be pushing it. Realised after my first child and NEVER encouraged the walking soon.
Many children who were not given the chance to crawl ( in a crib or playpen all day were often taught how to crawl at ages 4-6 yrs old!!!
REALLY IMPORTANT TO CRAWL FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT.
No worries mom! Relax. Crawling is GREAT for brain development. It forces the kids to use BOTH sides of their brain. It's that whole opposite arm/leg thing. He'll walk on his own when he's ready.
He's doing fine. Just keep helping him, and he'll get it when he's ready. Obviously he is a 'I'll do it on MY time schedule' kind of guy. ;-) hee hee hee
And trust me... they are much easier to catch when they are still crawling! ha ha ha
Don't worry! I have 3 kids and they all didn't start walking until about 2 weeks after their 1st birthday. My youngest is almost 2 and 1/2 and occasionally she'll still crawl. She could pull her self up and walk around using the funiture before she could even sit up.
The best piece of parenting advice I ever got was, "What kid do you know that is still sleeping in your bed, using a pacifier, not potty trained or whatever it is by the time they are out of the house?"
So ease up and don't freak. Another mistake first time parents make is comparing their kids to others of the same age. Once again using my two year old as an example, she doesn't talk so much. One of our friends had his first two weeks after ours was born. He was over last Fall and showing us all of his daughter's "tricks". She could identify and say the word "cat". I told him that mine could meow! And she could. Even a year later she still won't say cat. She meows! She understands everything you tell her, even complicated sentences like, "You cup is upstairs in Mommy's bathroom," and she'll go upstairs to get it.
One last thing, don't take advise from anyone else but your doctor. Any questions about your son's development I would pose to him/her. I have to admit that it concerned me that she wasn't sitting up by the 6 month marker and at 9 months I gave in and asked. He said if she was pulling herself up then she was using the same muscles needed to sit up, so no worries. After that, I didn't.
Hope this helps!
