Walking on Tip Toes

One of my babysitting kids walked on her tippy toes til she was over 3 years old. She now walks completely normal =) I wouldn't worry about it.

For her peace of mind- It's not a big deal, I had a daycare kid who did that for about 3 years.... He's now about 7 and walks completely normal...

BUT I would recomend trying to keep shoes on him. He will learn to walk flat-footed if he's wearing hard soled shoes. She doesn't have to keep them on him all day but just time to time or when she's practicing helping him walk.

I guess I wouldn't worry about it until he is a little older. Kids do weird things until they really start walking and get the hang of it. My 4 year old walks on his toes sometimes. I do too. I have't noticed if my 13 month old does it, though. He is not walking yet. He walks holding onto furniture and JUST started standing on his own for a few seconds. But I am not too worried. My older son walked at exactly a year but so far the baby just takes longer to do things, but then he perfects then really quickly once he starts (like crawling).

My sister, who is 10 years younger than me, did that for several years as well. She's now a very talented classically-trained ballerina! :)

I'd say run it by your ped at his next well-check, but unless your Dr. is concerned just let it be. I would feel kind of rotten if someone was telling me I had to walk differently. He'll grow out of it.

Some kids just seem to be tip toe walkers. While it can be a problem, sometimes it just is what it is. Do not worry that he is not walking at 1 yr. As long as he is trying is the big thing. I highly doubt the walker has caused any problems, but I would still follow the doctors advice. Sometimes the tip toe walking can indicate shorted tendons in the legs as well as sensory issues. Physical Therapy can help with both things. I think it's early to worry about that though. For peace of mind, you can get a free assessment from your school district in MN. Call your school district's ECFE program and they can give you the # to call. They can spot red flags and give you ideas on how to help him. Good luck!

S.,
My daughter did the same thing. The doctor said that we needed to stretch out her ligaments a little - so it was comfortable for her. About 5 times a day I would put lotion on her feet, play foot games with her - anything to get the chance to stretch her ligaments. I would gently press on the balls of her feet and push her toes towards her knees. Within a week's time, she was walking using the whole foot.
Good luck!
J.

My daughter did the very same thing that seemed like forever! I brought up my concern to the dr and he said he was going to keep his on eye on it, but not to be too worried yet. Once she started walking more (and with shoes - she didn't keep them on), she "flattened" out. The dr had said if she didn't get better with it, he was going to check into (I don't remember the exact wording) the tendons in her heel/foot. There is something that some kids get with the tendon in their foot that makes it hard to flex/flatten the foot. I think the tendon is too short or something. I'm sorry I don't recall how he told me, but I just remember getting worried over nothing. Just keep an eye on him and see if it gets any better once he's walking. Let your Dr know your concerns too.
Good luck,
~SR

I am a pediatric Physical therapist. Are his ankles flexible enough? It sounds like they probably are since you say he cruises furniture "normally". Some kids truly toe-walk "just because". If his heelcords are tight, he might need some stretches; Does he use a push toy at all? Try that and see what pattern he uses; if you don't have a push toy, try having him push a laundry basket around. As a pediatric PT I am not a fan of walkers/exersaucers for this very reason--they can promote atypical movement patterns (of course, most kids use them and turn out "fine"). When helping him walk, try to be at his level (I know, not always practical!) so that his arms are not up overhead, which may also promote the tip toes and belly out pattern. Hope that helps! If you need/want more info, feel free to send me a personal message. "Idiopathic toe-walking" (meaning he's doing it for no particular reason) is challenging to stop at this age (is he just turning one, or is he closer to 18 months?) Also, on a side note, I haven't read the other posts, but if people recommend "high-top" shoes, DON'T! I recommend 1/2 the day barefoot/socks only and 1/2 they day in lightweight flexible shoes so that the feet muscles (there are more than you think!) can learn to do their job. High-tops and "orthopedic" shoes (hard soles, etc) don't allow for normal foot and ankle mechanics! Good Luck!

It's part of learning when a child walks on his/her toes.

Also, I've heard it's a sign of intelligence....if you believe in urban legends :)

He will probably grow out of this. I have seen a lot of litle ones walk tippy toed. Make sure that he is practicing barefoot. This is the best way for him to develop his arch. Once he figures out that it's easier to walk flat footed, he will.

I'm almost 37 and I STILL walk on my toes (when barefoot), LOL.

Hi S.,
I'm not sure why the doctor would recommend not using a walker. It sounds like he is capable of walking not on his tip toes. It may be a way for him to feel more stable (I don't know how that would be). The Walking Wings mentioned earlier may help him feel more stable as you walk with him. You might also try having him hold onto a toy with one hand while he walks. For some reason, this distracts them.

If you're interested in the Walking Wings, I carry them in my on-line store. Feel free to email me at ____@____.com if you want more information about them.

K.

My son used to do that all the time, clear up until he was close to three. We kept asking the doc and he said it was nothing to worry about and that it was actually very common and that he would outgrow it. Sure enough he did. To discourage it though, we did use the catch phrase "down on your feet" Good luck

My son was a toe walker, still is and he's 8. Drives me crazy. I have a daughter with special needs, so I was exposed to lots of information about gait when she was young, even though it applied to other children she was around. Since your child is only one, it's nothing to worry about, but if the toe walking continues I'd check with your Ped., they also have a wonderful gait analysis program at Gillette.

As long as he CAN walk flat-footed, it's not a big deal. He's just figuring things out and you need to give him more time. Our daughter is almost 3 now, but it was past 2 when she would occasionally walk on tippy toes. He'll grow out of it. Don't worry.

Not to scare you but just to be honest toe walking is a sign of Autism.

I don't really think you can make or correct the way a child walks. You can encourage but you can't make them.

Our 4th child walked on her tippy toes. I thought it was cute. She was also a climber and would use those toes to climb up the side of the cabinets in the kitchen/bathroom..... She is now 7 and is fine. She still now and then will do it and I still think it's cute. She does have VERY strong little feet/toes! I think she'd be a good dancer! -- I also had a cousin who walked this way as well as her daughter. They all grew out of it.

Hope this helps! B.

The hand holding causes them to have a weird tipped forward balance and in my opinion doesn't help too much with the whole process of learning to walk. Since he does fine when left to his own devices, you could quit "walking" him around. They do get sad at first because you are not doing it anymore but they learn very quickly to try new things. I will hold one of their hands down lower which forces them to actually balance on their own. I also sit or kneel next to them and hold their hand that way. Then when they really want to go, they will try to pull on your hand and maybe cry a bit, then decide to do it some other way on their own when you don't get up and move with them. It feels a little mean at first but its the best for the walking process in the long run. Otherwise, you could just keep doing it and eventually he will not want it anymore because he will be motivated intrinsically. I don't think you need to worry about autism. Many kids, maybe 30% will walk on their toes at some point in their development. Autism is a cluster of symptoms mostly having to do with communication.

We haven't dealt with this, but my first thought was for those "walking wings" or whatever they are called. It's a harness that you put around your child when you want to walk with them. It avoids pulling on their arms to walk, and helps your back, too. I know they sell them at Babies R Us. Just a thought of something to try. Good luck.

both of my sons have walked on tip-toes. My doctor says it is a ligament thing, from being crowded in the womb(both my boys were quite large at birth). Their ligaments just need to lenghthen out and it is quite common in children. i would say don't make it an issue to your boy or he may begin to consciously do it...good luck.