How Long Does It Take to Learn to Walk?

My sons started around 9 months and my nieces didn't start until about 16 months... but now that they are 4, you would never know which was the later walker. Kids do things at their own pace.

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Your little guy sounds like he's right on track. However he may be more likely to walk on his own if there is another child around for him to want to chase after. As for the walker, not all babies like it. My daughter loved it but my friend's son would scream every time she tried to put him in it.

N.

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M.,

There is nothing for you to be concerned about here. He is right on track developmentally. He could take several months to master this one skill depending on so many varriables. He is doing so much more than learning to walk, he may be concentrating more on talking, or seeing, or any number of things that are also going on right now.

Don't under estimate his personality. He does not like the walker but would rather have company to help him along. If your little guy is one that takes the "community" approach to learning, then he has to wait for the comminity to be around enough for him to acheive mastery. Maybe he would rather not walk alone and has not figured out yet that he is his own independent person, and expects for you to be there when he tries to walk. Putting him in the walker says "do this by yourself."

He will get there. Unless you get past age two and have several issues that have you wondering, he is probably just fine. At this stage, you want to be on the look out for skills that he masters and looses, he is not to the point yet where he is behind.

M.

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Absolutely do not worry. My daughter started walking very early and I have a friend whose daughter didn't walk until 15, 16 months and she was so worried. I told her "what, it's not as if she's never going to walk". It'll happen when it happens. Are you comparing your child to another child? Don't, every child is different.

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My son was 14 months when he walked on his own. He was over 25 lbs and I think he just needed to get just a little stronger so he could move his weight. He did better inside barefoot than outside with shoes on, but once he started he got very fast very quickly. By the time he was three, I couldn't catch him anymore (that's why I needed a leash on him when we went to the mall).

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Sounds normal.

One thing to try is to hold onto a toy and let your son hold onto the same toy at the same time. Walk around like that for a while. while he is walking and not looking, let go and see if he will continue to walk..

Has worked many times before.. It is an old trick, but we have seen many, many successes.

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It will be any day yet don't worry it's still well within normal ranges.

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He will eventually do it on his own. He hasn't got his confidence up yet so give him time. Also I don't think that walkers are even recommended anymore. I think the best practice is to let him continue what he is doing. Sounds like he is doing great to me. :) He will be walking before you know it and getting into everything too.

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It took my third almost 18 months to walk and over 24 to talk. She is fine and yours will be too.

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My son is identical to yours. At 14 months old, he still only takes a couple of steps free-walking, although he can walk all over holding my hand and has been cruising since he was 10 months old. I think it's perfectly normal and your son may just be a bit more cautious than some other kids you see around. I know mine is!

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I was worried about the same thing with my son. He was on track with everything even ahead, but at 13 months he seemed nervouse about walking on his own. He carries this trait with he now at 4 years. He wont do anything unless he is sure that he can do it. As great as it was that I never had to worry that he would fall off the swinging bar (cuz he wouldn't climb up if he wasn't sure) I also had to push him to run down the hill and jump off the step like other "normal" kids.

I say make him want to walk. Make walking more important then the fear of falling. My son was terrified of the vacume and I would have to hold him if I wanted to vacume. One night I was to tired to hold him so I put him down (standing) close enough to me that he could crawl it he needed me, turned on the vacume and ...he ran not walked but ran to me. I didn't expect this but it showed me and him that he could do it. He still wasn't thrilled about walking but now i knew he could do it so i stopped inabling him as much.

Try to find ways to gently push him into walking. If he wants a toy pick it up and stand just out of reach. If he really wants it he will have to walk. Make sure to stand so that crawling wont do the trick but one step would!

hope this helps some

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Every kid is different, and it sounds like your son is well within the normal range. My kid is a daredevil, so was never really into the finger-holding thing--she just walked, fell, got up, walked and fell again. In contrast, my cousin's little girl is really cautious--she did the finger-walking thing for MONTHS, and didn't really walk on her own until 18 mos, when she was sure she could do it on her own without falling. She loved a little Fisher-Price push-along lion, where she could hold the handle and walk with that for security--you might try getting your son something like that. It wouldn't confine him like the walker, but would give him something to hold on to while he practices without your having to take quite so many laps up and down the hallway! But it sounds like he's on his way, and will walk on his own as soon as he's comfortable. GL!

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All kids do this at their own pace...and if I were you I would not push it! I know you are excited for this next phase but if you only knew how great it "was" when they weren't walking:) I mean seriously! The walking phase is when all the tumbles and falls happen...and it is NOT fun!

All my kids walked at different ages...6 yr old walked at 10 months, 4 yr old walked at 12 months (the day before his 1st b-day) and 2 yr old walked at 8 months....they all stayed in the "in between stage" for different times as well, the oldest 2 were more like your son walking only along the furniture for a good while and such but the youngest walked like 3 days after she learned to pull her self up on the furniture!

I am guessing that by summer time you are going to be saying to yourself "Why was I in such a hurry to have him walk"?

For mine it was all about the shoes. I had her in flexible soled shoes, like moccasins. She'd just toddle. Hubby came home one day with a pair of knock-off Nikes. Put them on her and off she went! Its been 2 years and she hasn't stopped yet.

M.

Kids do things on their own time. As long as he is able to stand up and has the muscle tone to hold himself on his own, then let him do it when he's ready. My son walked at 9 months old! It was crazy to see such a tiny little thing up walking around, but he just had somewhere he wanted to go (keeping up with his big sister, no doubt). I think a lot of it has to do with personality too. The more timid, thoughtful (meaning logical) kids may take longer because they think so much about everything, while the more adventurous, don't want to miss a thing type kids are apt to just go for it.

He isn't behind at all...just continue to give him the support he needs and encourage him to take steps on his own. He's really close now and one day, he'll do it and then you'll wish he would slow down! :-)

He won't walk without holding onto something until he feels comfortable on his feet without holding something , no matter how much you encourage or prompt him , he will only do it when he is ready. Some babies will walk around the furniture or holding a hand for months. You need to keep in mind that he is still only 13 months no matter how long he has been pulling himself up , my 2 child didn't walk until 16 months and 3rd child was 17 months.