Is she too little?

My DS1 was walking at 9 month and my DD2 at 10 months. We'd get comments like "oh, she seems too little to be walking".
My sister walked at 6 months and apparently my parents copped a lot if flack over it too. Like my mum said, it wasn't like they could stop her!!


(Sent from my phone, so I apologise if it makes no sense.)

I don't think it is too young to be walking at all - to me that is a silly comment. If you can walk, then you're old enough to walk.

But I must admit, I insist that DS holds my hand when he is walking (other than at the park). If he won't hold my hand then he goes in the pram. Personally i am a worry wart and know how quickly toddlers can get away. I'm mostly paranoid about roads, but when I'm at the shops I'm often distracted looking at things, so at least if he's holding my hand I always know exactly where he is.

For me personaly... I always had mine in the pram when at the shops as i knew the moment they got a taste of that indepdance i'd never get them back in the pram again. I don't handle the crowd and them in amongst it freely well. DS1 would go in the pram without an arguement until maybe 2.5-3ish?!?! DS2 is 2.8 years and is still majority of the time in the pram, especially when i have all 3 with me.

BUT having said that i believe it is your choice and the comments you have received have been really quite rude and unnecessary.

Perhaps they are concerned for her safety? Shopping centres can be very busy places with trolleys and people in a rush, and a baby obviously can't judge how to keep out of the way or whatever.
I suppose sometimes what parents see as cute isn't always seen that way by others.

My little one is a runner (and i am not that fast even on a good day) so she does walk sometimes when we are out, but i have to have one hand holding her at all times. if i had more than one it would be harder to let them run around. i am always on the lookout for parks that are fully enclosed so she can run around without me stressing out.

I say it. But I don't say it in a mean way or anything (hope it doesn't come across like that). And never to a stranger. If a toddler runs up to me in the shopping centre, they're usually followed by a stressed-looking parent whom I always smile at.

Actually, I say it to ZF because her DD2 is just so cute and gorgeous and little. My DD didn't walk until she was older (nearly 18 months), so to see a very cute little person walking is very sweet to me. So I comment, but much in the same way I would comment on gorgeous chubby cheeks ITMS.

So now, in hindsight - I hope I haven't offended you, ZF!

each kid is diffrent...

a kid at our playgroup starts walking @ 10months.

so no i dont think she is too little to be walking

I let Kaden wander through the shops and he is 11 months. Yes it may take me 4 times longer to actually do what I want to do but he enjoys it! He is very independent tho. When he gets tired he goes in the pram..

I haven't had any negative comments, but he does look alot older than what he is.

You could never offen me PRMG, if anything the comments i always got were like yours "she looks too little to walk, how cute is she" so it was all a positive and never a negative for me.. but you know what i wouldn't care if you thought bad of it, if she can walk then why not.
I think some people just don't think before they say things, if my girls had run off on me and someone made that comment then i guess i'd probably just think you know, your probably right, she probably should be in the pram if she can't stay by my side.

Niece was walking at 9 months and SIL had her on a harness when they went out to shopping centres.

DD was a late walker (18/19monthsso I never had any comments about her walking int he same respect but people did look at me funny when I said she wasn't walking yet so just shows you cannot win.

It really depended on how much walking we had to do around the shops. My DS2 was walking at just on 10months so I still took the pram but he could walk some of the time too. Not really sure when i stopped taking it. These days I only use a pram when I'm actually going out walking or walking to pick up DS1 from school.
DS1 was a runner so I think I used the pram longer than with DS2 at the shops.

Anything you do someone is going to have a problem with it. If you're happy with the way things are and it works for you and your girl, stuff 'em

xox

DD used to get out and "push the trolley" when she was less than a year old (probably 9-10 months) or she'd walk between DH and I when we were just going to get bread and milk. she wanted to be out of the trolley, so we let her out. we got the "oh, she's so little to be walking, how cute" kinda comments - not the negative ones. i think if there had been any negativity i'd have responded in a similar fashion to you - you can't tell your child they are too young to walk - they walk when they're ready!

DS is 13 months and I've just returned from the shops where he both walked and was in his pram, he was walking because we bought him new shoes so he was trying them out. Usually I don't bother about the pram at all and he either walks or is in a trolley.

We let DS2 walk in shopping centres. It's getting a little too hard now to make him hold my hand so I will strap him into the stroller if it's really busy despite his protests (particularly with the busy Christmas period coming up).

.... you know, I did eye off the dog's harness the other day - hmmmm, that'd keep him under control but I can just imagine the comments!

Ignore their comments I say - I just love how complete strangers will gladly give you their (unwanted) opinion! FWIW I was told stopped in a shop and told off by a lady because I had my (then) 2 week old baby in my arms as DH and I were grabbing some groceries - according to her expert opinion the baby was "too young to be out and should be at home".

Yeah that is weird. DS walked pretty early and we got rid of the pram quick smart. I hated taking that thing around and DS was never a big fan. If the shopping centre was really busy then I probably wouldn't have let him walk around by himself in case he got stood on or run over by a trolley. Only you in your situation and knowing your daughter can say if you think it is risky for her to walk or not. There are shops here I wouldn't let a 12 month old walk around in, and some that I would be fine with. Just depends on the danger I guess.

DD1 was walking at about 10.5 months and DD2 at 9 months so mine were both really early as well as being really independent misses. Having the two of them though I found it much less stressful for me to have the both in the pram in shopping centres. Neither of them wanted to be in the pram though so I would tend to give them time out of the pram in return for them being good for me in the pram while I shopped for whatever I needed.

Both the girls are very tiny so while I never got any negative comments (lots of comments about cuteness/tinyness), I always had to be really watchful that people didn't bowl them over cos a lot of the time they just weren't seen.

DS1 walked short distances all the time from 10 or 11 months because I couldn't carry him due to my hips (I was pregnant with DS2) and if it was only a short distance I didn't see the point in taking the pram. In shopping centres he was always in the pram or the trolley but only because I couldn't physically run after him if he ran off so it seemed safest. Rule of thumb though, if a stranger deems it important enough to tell you that you are parenting wrong, you can safely assume they were unsure of what they were doing themselves when they parented so are probably not the sort of people you want to take advice from.