My daughter is 13 months old and has been walking since she was 9 months old. She crawled at 6 mos. and almost the next day pulled to standing in her crib and has been in motion (crawling and walking) since. She is a "drunken sailor" when she walks. Running into walls, falling down etc. Is this normal? When do they finally "figure it out"?
Thank you all for your advice and assurance. Maggie is running too... but just as clumsily. She had her eyes checked when she was about 6 months old and all seemed fine. I guess it's just developmental. We do go to the doctor for normal visits and I will mention it at her next appt. Thanks!
It could be normal, or she could have an vestibular problem. If it continues I would recommend an OT evaluation. My daughter would get overly "spun out" and had bad motion sickness that OT helped with.
H.
Leader www.mothersandmorepdx.org
Did she go through the crawling stage? If not, then play games where she can practice crawling even though she already can walk. Crawling is a necessary stage in the development of the child. Many children who skip crawling can develop certain learning disabilities because this stage was never complete. In Waldorf schools, many remedial teachers will do this with much older grade children to allow for certain appropriate synapses to develop which aren't there due to skipping crawling.
She's probably in a hurry too much. Just say, "slow down", slowly, slowly. They don't call them toddlers for nothing!
They all do that for a while. Before you know it, someone will ask you when she learned to run and you will say "run? wasn't she born running?" or something like that. My son took his first steps in the month of september at 13 months and did very much the same thing as your daughter. In the spring time my mother asked me one day how long my son had been running (and I think it had only been about a month) and for the life of me, I hadn't quite realized that he was running and not bumping into things anymore. For my son, I guess it wasn't exactly that he quit bumping into things...he just got faster and better at it. LOL, but he can see just fine and is perfectly healthy. He just doesn't pay that much attention to where he is going. He is constantly bumping into the cubbies at his daycare (he is 3 1/2 now) and coming home with bruises on his head because he runs forward while looking backward (does it at home too). Anyway, each child learns at their own pace. I wouldn't worry too much just yet. If she hasn't figured it out in another month or two, I'd get it checked out perhaps, but believe me...they are easier to catch when they can't go that fast! LOL
Dear L.,
It appears that your daughter needs or could use some neurodevelopmental activities to help balance/integrate her body/brain. It doesn't mean that there is something wrong with her, it simply means that she's needing some help.
If your interested in exploring further, look up the Handle Institute for more information. I can relate to balance issues, & have been helped with gentle enhanced exercises to address these types of challenges.
Other options that could be of help is Cranio Sacral Therapy, & seeing an Osteopath. These methods would help in other way's from sensory stimulating activities would, which help strengthen the vestibular system.
Good Luck!
I would meet with your pediatrician about it. It could be that she has a vision or vestibular inbalance. A vestibular inbalance can be inner ear related. After a referral from your pediatrician, an occupational therapist normally evaluates and treats the child with a series of exercises and activities. My daughter had the opposite problem at 13 months--she wasn't walking and hadn't crawled. She did this funny sit and scoot move. So we had her evaluated by an occupational therapist. Sure enough, they found she was eligible for services for her gross motor delay. And the therapy was free because the county's Developmental Disabilities department funded the Birth to Three program. In our case, we worked on exercises at home, the O/T made 3 visits and Malia was walking! I highly recommend occupational therapy at a very early age.
If you are worried that your daughter is clumsier than other children you've observed, or if she hurts herself seriously with any frequency, by all means, talk to her pediatrician about it. Give as much detail as you can. There could be a developmental problem you should be aware of.
But I've seen variations on the theme of Train Wreck for almost every child I've been around who is learning to walk. Sounds like your little girl is so excited about what she wants to do next that she forgets to be careful about getting there. Pretty normal - I think that's why toddlers are built so low to the ground.
My 25 year old son was the same. My mother-in-law said he walked funny, but I didn't think there was a problem; the doctor said he was within the "norm". After several visits to orthopedic doctors and ear doctors, we finally came to the conclusion, when he was about 5, that he has a very flexible hip rotation and mild Cerebral Palsy. There really is not a test for CP so it was a process of elimination. It affects his fine motor skills (lousy handwriting)and he has a "chopped" speech pattern. He is a briliant boy, especially if you think of all he has done to train his brain to recreate whatever nerve patterns were damaged at birth. (Could have been damage from a forceps delivery.) He is an Eagle Scout - having done everything from roller blading to snow boarding and, yes, tying knots. He went on a 2 year Church mission at 19. He is attending a prestigious university. And has now been married for 1 year to a beautiful girl who thinks (rightly so)that he is a wonderful, handsome man.
Anyway, it may not be what you are dealing with, but until my son was diagnosed I always thought that there was only 1 flavor of CP and that it was devastating and limiting. I think he has done so well partially because we never let him think there were any limitations to his potential.
L.-
Don't worry about Maggie. She's totally normal. My 15-month-old did the same thing for a while, and she'd been walking since about 11 months. But not long after her first birthday, she did this funny thing where she would toddle a few "drunken" steps and then fall down, or run into the couch, and she'd giggle and get up again. It wasn't a balance problem or a vision problem, she was just doing it to kind of see "what will happen if..." And the fact that my husband, myself, and a friend of ours were all laughing at her antics. I think we even got some on video.
Don't worry, she'll outgrow it. And then you'll look back on those days and wonder where the time went.
Best of luck to you!
-B.-
You need to speak with your doctor ASAP. If she has been walking that long she should be doing fine and even starting to run. Please make sure you contact your doctor if you havent done so all ready!
Hi L., Boy! it certainly can be normal. Several youngsters in our family had matching bruises on each side of their heads for so long. They have grown up to be skilled athletes, and they were the clumsiest initially. My children were all over the map, and we used the phrase "drunken sailor" too, with a couple of them. If she started walking at 9 months, then she sure has the strength and coordination going for her. Thinking back to when my kids were little, and watching my own 22 month old grandson right now, it's probably safe to say that she just hasn't mastered walking at 13 months. The good news is, 13 months is still pretty early. In no time she will! God Bless You, S.
it's normal to an extent. My 11 month old started walking at 9m and is still a little weeble wobble.Any chance she might need to have her eyes checked? Do either you or her father wear glasses?
Best bet is to get your well child check done and ask the doctor.
It could be normal, but at her next checkup I would want to describe this to her doctor.
You should have her eyes checked. I know it sounds crazy but my son just started watking in to things and we found out he needed glasses. give it a try.
Early walkers have an even harder time than those who walk a little later on figuring out how to walk "normal". Be patient she will get there in her own time.
It may be a vision problem. Does she have a hard time focusing on you when you look at her. Does her eyes seem to wander or roll? This may be something to look into, as you can start training her eyes to be strengthened and give her some carrots mashed up to eat. But be careful not to over do it, her skin could turn orange for too much vitamins.
on the otherhand, your daughter may be completely healthy, and is strengthening her muscles so that she can support herself and not be so wobbly.
May you enjoy your little one and watching her grow and develop.
Hi L.,
My husband had a lot of ear infections, tubes in his ears, etc. as a toddler and it would affect his balance. His mom has told me that she knew he had an ear infection when he was losing balance, couldn't walk a straight line and running into the wall, but he would never complain about any pain in his ears. Might have your daughter's ears checked by a doc. Good luck!
~J.
My son is almost 5 now and STILL walks around like he's got one leg. HAHA I would think it's perfectly normal. They don't start gaining some real balance until they are between 4-6. They're still trying to figure out how all their limbs work and how to get their muscles to do what their brain tells them to do. I wouldn't worry. I think she'll be fine. :D Something that might help you, is to always try to look up what the problem may be. Sometimes, my own investigation into my son's milestones have helped in so many ways. Good luck! :D
~B.
