help

[Utah Knight]

my daughter is over a year old and she has not taken her first step yet and she refuses to use a walker any ideas on how i can get her to walk ?

 

[wanderingone]

How much older than a year old? Not all babies are walking at a year, she's not necessarily delayed. Up to about 16 months is within the normal range...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T107100.asp
http://www.parenting.com/parenting/baby/article/0,19840,648149,00.html

Sears had these suggestions for facilitating walking:

While you don't need to teach your baby to walk, you can become what we call a "facilitator," which means you don't do it for the child but you create conditions that help the child do it better for herself. You can reinforce your baby's walking skills by taking her hands and letting her walk between both parents. Then, while she's holding onto one parent with each hand, you gradually let go of one hand and then the other, while at the same time encouraging her verbally to walk. Be a cheerleader for her walking skills. Stand arm's length away from Baby, hold out your hands, and give an encouraging "Come to mama." Some normal late walkers will find that crawling is speedier than walking, and she may crawl toward you instead of walking and then climb up your leg. When she climbs into a standing position, hold her by one hand and gradually let go as you back away from her, encouraging her to walk toward you. Do this as a fun game, so that your baby learns that it is fun to walk.

 

[Robinsegg]

Does your baby pull to a standing position? Sit up? Crawl? If so, don't worry about it, it'll come. Some kids just need more time than others!
Rachel

 

[Leanna]

If the doctor thinks its normal then you're probably okay. My SIL's child didn't crawl until 15 months and then he started walking at 16 months.

 

[BeanMak]

My opinion- a walker is the worst way to help a baby to walk. Leave her on a blanket on the floor. encourage her to pull up. Is she cruising the funiture?

 

[GolfingMom]

I used a walker with both kids. They both learned to walk early. However, my sister used a walker with her daughter...she refused to crawl and started walking at close to 16 months...

 

[katelyn]

My daughter is 13 months and has only taken a handful of steps. For her I think it is a mental rather than physical barrier to overcome - she's afraid of falling. I encourage her by sitting just a few feet in front of her and asking her to come to me. Mostly she won't, but at least it gets her thinking about it and helps her know that I believe that she can.

 

[Utah Knight]

How much older than a year old? Not all babies are walking at a year, she's not necessarily delayed. Up to about 16 months is within the normal range...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T107100.asp
http://www.parenting.com/parenting/baby/article/0,19840,648149,00.html

Sears had these suggestions for facilitating walking:

she is 13.5 months old and she pulls herself up on furniture and our legs and walks that way she also walks along side of the furniture but she refuses to let go

 

[Robinsegg]

she is 13.5 months old and she pulls herself up on furniture and our legs and walks that way she also walks along side of the furniture but she refuses to let go

This doesn't sound like a developmental thing, but a confidence thing. She'll eventually get the confidence and do it, probably all at once!

If you're wanting to try to help her, take her to the middle of the room, and let go, putting your hands a couple of inches away from hers, or have her practice holding on with only one hand, if she's not doing so yet.

Rachel

 

[Princessperky]

Give her time, love and aproval, she will.

 

[Utah Knight]

This doesn't sound like a developmental thing, but a confidence thing. She'll eventually get the confidence and do it, probably all at once!

If you're wanting to try to help her, take her to the middle of the room, and let go, putting your hands a couple of inches away from hers, or have her practice holding on with only one hand, if she's not doing so yet.

Rachel

he is holding on with one hand and she lets go once in a great wile fo about a half a second

 

[Zoomer]

Don't worry since she is pulling up and walking holding on. I found with my children that they tended to either focus on physical or verbal. My daugther starting talking at 9 months but did not walk until 13/14 months. However, my son started walking at 10 months but did not really start talking until closer to 18 months. There is a large range of normal, and she will let go of the furniture when she is ready.

 

[wanderingone]

she is 13.5 months old and she pulls herself up on furniture and our legs and walks that way she also walks along side of the furniture but she refuses to let go

Oh she sounds right on track, as long as she's pulling herself up and walking holding on that means everything seems to be working okay she's doing exactly what pre-walkers do.

My youngest took her first steps just before turning 1, but didn't really walk independently without holding on until about 14 months, we had a big sectional couch that was a u-shape and basically she just walked along it to get around the room for a long time

 

[savedbyHisgrace]

My friend's son just started walking at 15 months. He had one of those push toys that he would get behind and walk around the house. Finally, one day he just let go and started walking.

I know it's frustrated but she's on the right track. And once she starts walking, look out!

 

[Manna]

My daughter had a problem with confidence when she first started walking. I got one of those push toys, too, thinking it would help. We got home with it, tookit out ofthe box, and shev walked around BACKWARDS with it for about 5 minutes. And that was it! She was vertical from then on! =)

 

[Rhylla]

my son walked after his first birthday, was cruising around furniture before that.
My daughter decided to get up and charge across the floor to get to her brother at 10 months. didn't ever cruise.
My friends youngest didnt crawl much and didnt even THINK about walking til 16 months... all perfectly normal

-Rhylla-

 

[Utah Knight]

Sometimes I think waiting for a baby to begin walking on his/her own is like the old saying, "A watched pot never boils." Don't worry, considering that he's walking along the furniture, he'll be walking, I'd venture to say, within a month or so.

i hope she (not he) will soon

 

[bliz]

she is 13.5 months old and she pulls herself up on furniture and our legs and walks that way she also walks along side of the furniture but she refuses to let go

She's doing fine!

Here's the truth about parents telling you what their kids did when... we forget and as impossible as this seems to you now, we don't easily remember which baby did what. Unless we kept incredible records, we forget exactly when our kids walked or rolled over or were potty trained or read their first word. BUT, we do know that our child was exceptional and wonderful and so when we "remember" we may "remember" things happening a little earlier, a little sooner, than actually happened.

 

[J0hnSm1th]

she is 13.5 months old and she pulls herself up on furniture and our legs and walks that way she also walks along side of the furniture but she refuses to let go

My oldest was still doing that until 17 months. Dont worry about it.