Tips to encourage walking

[chippyrabbit]

Looking for tips to encourage my 14months old DD to walk? She has been creeping along furniture since before christmas and CAN walk if she really wants something, can take about 4 or 5 steps, but she crawls 99% of the time. She doesn't appear to have any hip issues as she can stand by herself and for extended periods of time.
We have a pram that she can push to encourage her to walk but she just doesn't seem to want/need to walk. I know that lots of kids walk properly late but it's driving me mad that she has been 90% of the way there for over 6 months and just won't take take the last step (pun intended).
Any advice/suggestions welcome....

[Tashie87]

Take her hands an help her walk an then as she gets more confident let go and when she walks on her own towards you or a partner or friends make a huge deal out of it. Scream and hug and kiss her and that will make her think walking is a good thing and just keep doing it till she does it by herself =]

[skybie]

patience my DD2was 20 months when she decided to walk, nothing we did encouraged it. she did it when she was ready xx

[RhiChiChi]

patience my DD2was 20 months when she decided to walk, nothing we did encouraged it. she did it when she was ready xx

Yeah, they really will just take off when they are ready. Your DD probably can get to things alot faster by crawling, so probably can't see the point in walking ITMS....

[Arimeh]

My two oldest didn't walk until they were 15.5 months, so as frustrating as it is to watch, I don't think there is much you can really do to help them along, they'll do it when they feel confident enough to do it

[Onelittleprincess]

My dad made dd1 walk at 14 months. It was Easter and was sitting at one end of the room offering her chocolate Easter eggs and she walked for them. Her love of chocolate has continued.

But it's true. They walk/run/crawl etc when there ready. No matter how much we want them to.

[Three Graces]

My boys were 14 and 17 months before they took off. The second one wasn't in a hurry at all and I remember getting sick of having to carry him around outside as there are bullants etc here. If anything, crawling for ages is really, really good for their development - lots of cross brain patterning and coordination skills going on which helps for things such as reading on a page, left to right, cycling on a bike and alternating the legs, balance.... I'd be more concerned if your child skipped the crawling stage and went straight to walking, like my nephew did. Your DD will walk when she's good and ready, it's just frustrating when friends have kids the same age and you get comparisons happening. Just know that she's doing a lot of brainwork when she's crawling, clever little thing

[Rowellen]

Looking for tips to encourage my 14months old DD to walk?

My advice is don't! She has the rest of her life to walk. Enjoy her babyness as long as it lasts because it doesn't last long enough . I know it's frustrating for her & you but she'll do it in her own time. It's a pity we can't pick & choose what day we'll have - today I want a newborn but tomorrow I want a 15mo the next day an 8 mo, maybe then a 6yo then back to newborn lol!

[Artechim]

The last step is confidence. Practice sitting with you and your partner/mum/whoever about a metre or so apart and getting her to walk the few steps between you. Some novelty item helps motivate them. As she gets better at that, move further apart.

Walking holding a finger is good for confidence too. Sometimes they find it hard to let go of the furniture, but if you leave them standing in the middle of a room and call to them from a few steps away they are more inclined to take off.

Or there is this contraption lol
moon-walk-baby-suspenders

[HotI]

Or there is this contraption lol
moon-walk-baby-suspenders

[Santosha]

http://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/03...o-walk-babies/

Was just reading this yesterday... I think she makes some very valid points. I was just thinking that I was in such a hurry for my eldest to walk. My youngest, I don't want him to! He needs to stay a baby a bit longer please!

[RhiChiChi]

OMG @ that contraption! Yanno the sad thing is though some people would have purchased that....

[onthefly]

woah! read the blog article instead

Sounds like she's almost there, anyway! Won't be long

[Shanti]

It happens when THEY are ready no hurry. My DD2 is 14mths (just) and has taken a few steps and then won't do it for 2 days then walks a bit then crawls more etc so she's still not walking all the time yet but they get there when they are ready and then there is no stopping them!!!! such a great time watching them learn how to do it so just watch them and enjoy this time as it only happens once in their life

And while other babies are walking, those babies that aren't yet, are busy learning other stuff

[Three Graces]

That walking contraption was hilarious. Does it come in cotton wool???

[chippyrabbit]

Thanks guys, we have been practising the walking with one hand but i think it is probably more a case of she can get where she wants by crawling faster so why bother..

We will continue to persist and encourage her (and use blantant bribery) and i am sure she will get there soon...

[sloane]

It sounds like she's very close I don't think you can do much more than you are...she just needs to make the changeover when she's ready. My ds walked at 12 months - just decided to walk and never went back to crawling. Whereas my nephew was 16 months - he could walk a bit before then but always went back to crawling because he obviously found it so much faster!

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