DD is almost 12 months old and has been walking confidently with a push walker for nearly 2 months. She also walks well next to me holding just one hand (or finger), but doesn't really use it much to balance at all. When she stands concentrating on something in her hands she balances beautifully until she realises she's not holding on anymore, and then she loses confidence and sits down. The same thing happens when walking next to me, she's barely got a feather touch holding on, but if I gently coax my finger out of hers she straight away sits down.

I'm sure she's capable of taking those first steps, but she seems to lack the confidence in herself to try. Is there anything I can do to encourage her?

I know some babies don't walk until much later, and it wouldn't worry me a bit if she's the same, it just seems like she's at the stage where she could if she just let go.