walking age & co-ordination

[sconeonamission]

Hi, don't know if this is in the right spot.

I was speaking to my mil about when her sons started walking.
Her first son, my dh, took his first step at just after he turned one. Her other son started walking at 9mths, but he had had a walker before he was walking on his own.

BIL is very uncoordinated - was and still is. Couldn't ride a bike, couldn't catch, throw or hit a ball. He still has trouble.

I've heard that as the brain develops coordination through crawling - ie: the right left motions teach the hemispheres.

I've been told, by the health nurse - and just by watching Jensen, that he'll be walking by 8-9mths. I'm worried that coz he may walk early, they he's going to have the same issues.

Does anyone have any experience in this, or have kids that have the same thing/ or walked early and have no problems? Any literature or links?

Thanks heaps

[Tobily]

Nothing to back up what you're saying....but I can tell you that I walked at just on 13 months and I am THE most unco person on the face of the earth

My lack of co ordination is a running joke within my family, seriously. So I think there's probably more to lack of co ordination than walking early. At least there better be in my case!!

I have heard the theory that crawling teaches coordination - but again my DD only crawled for a few weeks before she was up on her feet and haven't noticed any issues with her.

[Trillian]

My eldest crawled at 8mths, walked at 13mths, my second crawled at 4.5mths, then started walking upright, but on her knees (you kwim? like when you shuffle along on your knees) until 9mths when she started walking properly. My third crawled at 6mths, walked at 9mths and they all have roughly the same level of coordination - they aren't outstanding, but are at age appropriate stages although our eldest is extremely long sighted so that affected his distance judgement sometimes when throwing at catching balls, but thats not an issue now. My fourth has started crawling at 6mths too. They did have excellent manual dexterity skills though and could screw bottle tops on at 10mths old etc. On the other hand, my Nephew (DHs brothers child) is THE most uncoordinated child I have ever seen - this kid will be walking on a level surface and just trip over. BUT he has had about 6 severe ear infections and he is only 2yo. Did your BIL have a lot of ear infections as a child? Sometimes when you have problems with your inner ear, it can affect your equilibrium (your state of balance) and make you very unsteady on your feet etc and I suppose it would be reasonable to expect this to follow on to other aspects of coordination.

[traceyvon]

Hi,

I asked my mum the same question the other day and found out that I was crawling at 4 months and walking at 9 months. My coordination is just fine. May be it depends on the child?!

[AnyDream]

I think the question here is the relationship between not-crawling and later coordination problems, rather than earliness of walking (although many early walkers bypass crawling). I agree with Kimnastics, you can play crawling games later on if you're concerned about skipping the crawling phase, and you can start cross brain activities now, when you're singing songs/dancing together (ie doing something with L arm and R leg at same time, then R arm and L leg at the same time. HTH

[Artechim]

I skipped crawling and walked at 8.5months. I am mildly uncoordinated. I don't fall over but can't walk and drink at the same time without spilling lol. I can't catch or throw but I suspect that my nerdiness and lack of participation in anything sporty that is to blame rather than not crawling. As the others said, even if he does walk first you can still play crawling games with him.

[MantaRay]

I agree with MD Rhianon, it's more to do with the length of crawling than the early walking. Jack was walking at 9 1/2 months, but had been crawling for 4 months before then. Plus he started crawling again heaps when Tom started crawling LOL! Apparently doing wheelbarrows with them, and also for them to climb up ladders and things also develop that "left right" co-ordination, so you can make up for less crawling if need be.

[~Saram~]

Just my 2c worth

DS (has dev delay) crawled awkardly by 9mths walked 14mth is unbelievably unco (recently slammed into a parked car while walking/running)

DD crawled at 5 mths walked at 9-10mths and is amazingly coordinated, her fine motor skills outdo me on days, she kicks a ball and is trying her hardest to jump :-)

If you are worried about coordination try looking up a kindyroo/gymbaroo in your area

[teachmum]

Crawling is an important tool in helping children learn to cross their midline, as someone said some early walkers miss this stage but I'd be encouraging my baby to crawl first.

If you have concerns you can have your child assessed by a physio who specialises in child development (through a referral from CHN) and they can give you excercises to do. My SIL has had to do this with her DS in order to get him to sit indpendently and walk. Some kids take longer than others.

My DS was always falling over his own feet and had poor fine motor skills but he was always a big kid (110th percentile on the growth charts) and is just coming into his own now at 13. He crawled at 6mths and walked at 11mths. My DD crawled at 6mths and walked at 8mths and is well coordinated.