I am new so I'm not sure if I
'm asking this in the right place so bear with me... My 15 month old daughter is not yet walking on her own. She walks great when holding someone's finger, she just won't walk alone. Has anyone dealt with this before? Should I be concerned?
Thank you all so much for your help. She is on target with her development in every other area. I am not too concerned with the walking issue because I know she CAN do it on her own. I was just curious what other moms thought because she is my only child .
Hi B., I think walking while holding on to a finger at 15 months is well within the norm.
But if you're worried, why not ask the ped?
:)
Every child is different.
My DD walked at 9 months...
My roommate's baby walked at 14 months (before that, she wouldn't even walk with help.)...
My little brother didn't start walking until he was 20 months!
There is a HUGE range of what is considered 'normal'.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. As long as she is mobile, (crawling) she should be fine. You can ask your pediatrician at the next well-child visit for peace of mind if you want. :)
No, don't be concerned. Her brain has to be ready. It's a big deal, walking on one's own! Some do it early, some a little later. The fact that she is holding your finger and walking means that everything is fine. One day she will forget and let go and walk to something she wants. She will realize that she did it and, voila! She's walking!
Dawn
Welcome to Mamapedia!
This is exactly how you asks your questions, so yes, you are in the right spot.
It is totally normal to be concerned but I think she is well within 'normal' age for starting to walk. You said she will walk while holding onto someone's hand and that is great and proves she 'can' do it, she is just a little timid to try on her own! Totally normal! Do you have any other concerns with her developmental milestones? If not, stop worrying and I bet one day soon, when she is running all over the place (and falling and bonking her head every 5 mins, which she WILL DO and it WILL worry you like crazy) you will look back and be like 'Remember when I was worried about her not walking and couldn't wait for her to do it all by herself...what was I thinking'? Ha!
Now if she does have other issues with her developmental milestones (talking, holding onto toys, feeding herself, making eye contact, that kind of stuff) then you should bring them up with her doctor.
I wouldn't be concerned if she were my child, just so you know! :)
This is coming from a Mom/Auntie to 6 boys and 1 girl, ages 20-4.
*This site is awesome and you will get a lot of good advice here...once again, welcome!
A walker toy with wheels that she can push can be helpful. At this age they get frustrated when they reach the end of the room and don't yet know how to turn the walker around to go more, so you still have to help. But it doesn't take long for them to learn it. I love watching babies' faces when they realize the freedom they have in being mobile!
My youngest wasn't walking on his own at a year but I wasn't concerned because my 2 eldest both walked at 13 months. I brought it up to his pediatrician at his one-year checkup and she said if he wasn't walking on his own by 18 months then it would be time to be concerned and she'd look into it. He walked at 16 months.
So keep giving her opportunities to walk, like placing her a few feet in front of you and holding your arms out to her and just bring it up to her doctor if she isn't walking on her own in a few months, but I'll bet she will!
Sounds normal to me, some just take a little longer before making the plunge :)
Completely normal. My oldest was crawling at 7 1/2 months, walking/running by 8 months. My daughter wasn't even crawling until 11 1/2 months,she finally started walking unassisted at 17 1/2 months. I started walking at 17 1/2 months too. If she is on track wither development I see no reason at all to worry, although I definitely did:).
Yep, that was my niece. She would walk when she was holding someones hand but wouldn't try it alone. Turns out she's just more hesitant about things. When she's playing with her cousins, she's usually the most timid at playgrounds - the last one onto the monkey bars. So it really had more to do with her personality than anything else.
I'm sure your daughter is doing just fine, but if you're anything like me you'll feel much better if you hear it from your pediatrician. Never hurts to ask!
Usually 18 months is the cutoff for most kids to be considered within "normal" range. Some kids who don't have issues walk a bit later but with some help they end up just fine as well. If she walks while holding someone's hand it means walking by herself is around the corner. Is she a cautious child? Put something close by that she can reach with just a few steps and before you know it she will be walking.
My daughter was an early crawler and cruiser, but didn't walk on her own until 15 mos. I tried not to be too concerned, but I know it's hard. Then one day, she took off running overnight. Try to encourage her, but don't worry about it. Some babies just do things in their own time. :)
All kids are different at when they start walking. I'm sure she's just fine, and the fact that she does walk while holding your hands it great. My nephew didn't walk until he was 17 1/2 months. My sis was worried but her doc said he was fine and he is. He's 6 now, totally smart and right on track. So don't worry, she'll be walking soon and then you'll be wishing she'd stay put! LOL
