https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:59:22 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-443243 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:41:05 +0000 BeachMama 443243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac - sounds like she's doing just fine. You could try to encourage her by putting things she wants a few steps away and not letting her hold onto you. She's doing all the pre-walking stuff so it's just a matter of time until she decides to give it a go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-443083 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:14:06 +0000 sarac 443083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BeachMama: I think you're right, I think that it absolutely is a confidence issue, combined with the fact that cruising and crawling work just fine. She can cruise with one hand, yes, with a toy in the other. She walks well with push toys. She'll walk holding on to our pants with just one hand. She refuses to walk if you're holding her hands, because she's a stubborn child (like her mother). I think that she could do it today, if she choose to. She just doesn't seem interested. </p> <p>We've been encouraging her to walk holding onto our pants, and she enjoys that. But that's about as far as she'll go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-442501 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:04:38 +0000 BeachMama 442501@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac - i'm a PT that works with kids and adults. One thing that may help is putting some furniture close together, but not so close that she can just cruise from one to the other. Put them just one or two steps away. It may be a confidence issue. If it's a big open space to walk through she may get intimidated, but if it's a smaller space she may be more inclined to give it a try. Can she cruise with just one hand, holding a toy in the other? Does she walk with push toys? Or if you hold her hands? Those are also ways to help encourage her and build some strength. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-442498 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 02:57:29 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 442498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As you know, she's still well within the normal range for not walking :). One thing that helped with our late walker was to put down a very thin futon mattress on the floor for her to practice on. It was firm enough for her to be steady but soft enough for a safe fall. I seriously think she would have walked sooner on carpets, but we only had hardwood floors! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-442495 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 02:41:25 +0000 erinpye 442495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom said my sister and I were both 15/16 months before we walked. Don't worry, all babies are different! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-439573 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 23:12:59 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 439573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rubies: LO is 17 months and has 4-5 words, so yeah, I feel you!</p> <p>LO was a normal walker but doesn't really talk much, so I guess it's always something we mamas will worry about, right? I may push for an eval at his next appointment ... I think he's probably just going to be a late talker, but still, if I can put my mind at ease, I will! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-439532 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:02:34 +0000 Sweet T 439532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS took four steps a few days before he turned 13 months old but didn't start walking consistently until closer to 14 months. FWIW, my LO's vocabulary is no where near your LO's. I would try not to worry. I've always heard that the average age for walking is 18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-439524 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 21:53:00 +0000 Rubies 439524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 16 months and has only 5 words, and they aren't consistent! And my friend's daughter didn't show any interest in walking until she was 16 months. The running joke is that she was too smart and learned that if she waited long enough, someone would come pick her up and take her to wherever she needed to be! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-439518 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 21:46:22 +0000 heffalump 439518@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: I have the opposite problem.... my LO is in the 90th percentile in height and weight so people know she's not a baby. She's a big girl! But I feel like I'm being judged because she doesn't walk. I'm not sure other mom's know that she is doing it on her own though, I feel like when we're out at the library or somewhere they think I'm a helicopter mom and hovering and picking her up all the time. I would LOVE to not have to do that, but if I don't she cries :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438776 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:20:45 +0000 808love 438776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@artbee: oh good! I am pretty sure it will work! It was totally like a lightbulb clicked on. It is safe for me to fall. It looks fun to try! ....I think you will have fun clowning around too.</p> <p>Oh and my LO is still called a baby always, even walking ...and I bristle wheneverI hear it too! She's not even wearing diapers!' </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438774 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:17:16 +0000 skibobrown 438774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sister and I both didn't walk until well over a year. To this day, neither of us is the most athletically adept, but we both scored in the highest percentiles on our SATs. I have a PhD in a science field from Harvard University, and I'm a college professor. So that should tell you what a late walker might turn out to do with her life. Don't worry about it unless your doctor is worried. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438769 Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:52:53 +0000 BoogieBea 438769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter started walking on the later side too. She was a climber and had no interest in walking. It wasn't until one day when she saw my friends daughter (6 months older) running around, that she decided to take her first step. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438691 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:27:30 +0000 Mrs. Bee 438691@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: people think olive is a baby too because she crawls, but she is way taller than charlie was at her age! she is a tall but tiny thing too.</p> <p>your lo doesn't know any better at this age so i don't think it will affect her in the longterm. yes there are more things you can do when your lo is walking, but honestly it's way easier when they're not walking. but that's easy for me to say as a mom of two. i would be worried too if i were a mom of one, so i understand! but know that as a mom of two, i'm not worried at all about olive walking at 18 months! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438683 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:20:09 +0000 sarac 438683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Bee: Beatrix just decided to start climbing on tables too, what's with that? Kind of makes my efforts at babyproofing look like a joke. I'm really eager for her to walk so that we can go to playgrounds and outside and all the things that are too wet and messy for crawling around now, but that work for winter. </p> <p>And I'm sick of people telling their children not to play with her because she's a 'baby'. She's already a delicate looking tiny girl, and since she doesn't walk, people assume she's way younger. It infuriates me that she's excluded from playing with children because of all these things, and I know that walking will help, some. She's already quite rough and tumble because we don't coddle her physically, and I don't want her to grow up thinking that she has to sit on the sidelines because she's so fragile and ladylike. I hope that once she's walking it'll get a little better, though realistically I know that little girls get this kind of crap their entire lives. Ok, rant over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438676 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:00:32 +0000 Mrs. Bee 438676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: it's waaaaay easier when they can't walk. with charlie i was so excited for him to walk (he did at 13 months). with olive, I'm kinda happy she's not walking. she's sooo easy because she just crawls around and doesn't get into any mischief. charlie on the other hand was standing on the dining table shortly after he could walk! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438672 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:57:47 +0000 heffalump 438672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@808love: Glad I read this, my LO refuses to let go of my hand because she's scared of falling I think! I'm going to try that tomorrow :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-438605 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:56:15 +0000 808love 438605@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: one thing I did with LO to overcome her fear of falling was pretend walking unstable and lose balance in an exaggerated manner, fall down and laugh hysterically like it was so much fun. At first she was shocked and then laughed with me. After a couple days of this acting game she became brave and took more risks...and walked. It wouldn't hurt to try if you want to encourage her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437790 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:47:14 +0000 sarac 437790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all! I know that the normal range to walking extends to 17 months, so I'm for sure not thinking she needs help, at this point. We have a doctors appointment in 6 weeks, and I imagine she'll either be walking by then (which I doubt), or our doctor will have an opinion on it, one way or another. She does crawl and climb and move very well. </p> <p>@Mrs. Bee - Beatrix is like that, too. She almost never falls. She's very adventurous, but cautious. She rarely does anything before she's mastered it. </p> <p>@T-Mom - she's average height, but 4th percentile for weight. She's a tiny little girl. And practically half her weight is in her big giant head - I think she's just been growing that brain at the expense of the rest of her. </p> <p>Thank you everyone! I know she's still well within normal, but it does wear on me to hear people think she's still a baby, when she's really not, anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437150 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:38:54 +0000 yoursilverlining 437150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I posted this on another thread yesterday, but I didn’t walk until I was almost 2 years old. Once I did start walking I was totally fine and was on par with kids my age. I have never had any issues from late walking – I danced ballet for years, ran track in high school, etc. Just took me a long time to walk. I never went to PT as a baby/toddler either :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437139 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:34:41 +0000 Mrs. Bee 437139@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i know a lot of babies that didn't walk until 18 months. since she's cruising, crawling, and climbing, i wouldn't worry about it too much yet. i don't think olive is going to walk until 18 months either because she's very tentative. she has only fallen 3 times ever because she is very cautious. charlie on the other hand fell every single day, sometimes multiple times a day.</p> <p>i think the fact that she's advanced verbally is also reassuring. i would talk to your pediatrician about it, but if it were me i wouldn't worry just yet. i'm not worried about olive at 14 months, and she's nowhere close to walking! in fact she doesn't even cruise! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437086 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:11:26 +0000 RLCeigh 437086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't worry yet- my best friend's daughter didn't take her first step until 18 months. She is 4 now and runs races.<br /> It will happen! I know it's hard to be patient.<br /> My little one is in daycare and they really helped him practice-- even let him borrow those booty, (in my opinion) not very fashionable, ankle supporting shoes. They swear by them and my son walked at 12 months so maybe they helped...does your daugher see other toddlers walking? Maybe that would encourage her a little.<br /> And her vocabulary is amazing!!! I love little voices so she must sound so sweet with all of her words. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437074 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:07:21 +0000 creativemomma15 437074@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Try not to worry! In my experience in childcare most of the physical therapists I have worked with don't start to consider needing extra help until a child is 18 months or older and not walking at all. One of the things I remember most from doing child assessments at 12 months is that they were never expected to walk or needed to walk to be considered "developing as expected". The most important thing was that they were moving from place to place, which it sounds like your daughter is doing. She will get there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437057 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:54:15 +0000 stiffaknee 437057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mother in law was telling me that my brother in law didn't walk until he was 18 months old (his son, my nephew was a late walker too). My brother in law is a neurologist, so I just think late walkers are probably very gifted!! She'll walk when she's ready!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437052 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:50:31 +0000 mrbee 437052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Olive's 14 months and she can't walk either! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437048 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:49:13 +0000 T-Mom 437048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure about the walking... If you have a 15 mo well visit that would be a great time to discuss with the dr. Maybe your LO is tall or high on the weight scale and it is harder to stand /walk? But if it makes you feel better, my 15 mo old has 4 spoken words.. 50 and doing sentences is amazing!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437036 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:45:42 +0000 pelikila 437036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son waited until he could do things all the way. He didn't crawl until he could crawl across a room, and the same with walking. He was never one to practice much if at all so don't be too alarmed yet. I know plenty of babies that are well in the normal range and didn't walk until 16+ months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-437001 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:16:07 +0000 T.H.O.U. 437001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: I would talk to your doctor about it. If there is a need for PT its better to start sooner than later. </p> <p>Thats a great vocabulary! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-436993 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:14:23 +0000 MamaBehr 436993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD was the same way. I think she was maybe 15 months when she started walking, but she could talk up a storm! I wouldn't get too worried about it because she is showing interest in it. For my daughter, she doesn't seem to like taking risks, and any new physical development came on slowly and late, because she didn't like to fall. It's still like that to this day and she will be three in March! </p> <p>Don't worry too much, she'll get there :) Mine did (and I didn't think she would ever walk!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-436991 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:11:49 +0000 heffalump 436991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 16 1/2 months, not ahead verbally, and still not consistently walking by herself :( '</p> <p>She physically can do it, for her it's more of a confidence thing. She likes to hold our hand when she walks and she gets scared and/or upset if she doesn't have our hand. There are times when she will walk by herself, but for the most part she won't. The doctor originally said that we should get her tested at her 15 month apt if she wasn't walking by 16 months, but since she actually can walk they said not to worry about it. </p> <p>So I try not to worry and figure she'll walk when she wants to walk, and we try to encourage her as much as we can. She's not in daycare and doesn't see kids her age walking a lot..... I feel like that has a lot to do with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/not-walking-at-15-months-needing-reassurance#post-436712 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:24:49 +0000 softcream 436712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my nephew didn't start walking until 16 months and even only a few steps then. he just loved being carried around so much more. or crawling. nobody worried though, because it seems like walking is something they just pick up overnight. </p>