13 month old with no interest in trying to walk

[Anonymous]

My nanny babe is 13 months old and can't walk. I've been a nanny to infants and toddlers long enough to know that that's okay--some kids start walking at 14 or even 15 months of course. The problem is that he isn't even close to walking, nor is he interested in practicing walking.

At 6 months we used the "Johnny jump up" that hangs in the doorway so he could build up his leg muscles, usually about 20 mins a day in 5-10 min increments. He loved it at first but by 9 months he would cry every time I or MB even tried to put him in it... we revisited it a few times but he would cry right away so we gave up on it.

I have been helping him practice walking (walking with him, holding both of his hands) since 8.5 months. He used to love it and we would do that often, but shortly after his first birthday he stopped wanting to. For the past few weeks, as soon as I start holding his hands and helping him stand up, he instantly sits back down and scoots around on his bottom. He used to cruise around a bit holding on to the couch, but now every time he pulls himself up to standing by the couch he then pulls himself up onto the couch and sits down, so he's practicing climbing, not practicing walking. He does have a very basic wooden walker push toy; he never really used it for more than a minute or two at a time (I think he got frustrated because he was always running into things and needing my help to turn it around), and he hasn't shown any interest in it whatsoever in several weeks.

I've been taking him to the park with his shoes on, and enticing him to walk over to the slide or swings... it worked well the first few times but lately he just sits on the ground and refuses to stand up after just a minute or two at most. I've also tried putting on music and getting him to "dance" with me while I hold his hands, but he either sits down or cries for me to pick him up and dance holding him. MB says he's fine physically (which I agree with), and says she's not worried. I asked her about getting a different style of walker toy to help encourage him but she doesn't think it's necessary.

He is the seventh child I've been a full time nanny to from early infancy through toddlerhood, and out of the previous 6, only one child wasn't walking by 12 months. That child was a lot closer to walking on his own by this point though, and did walk on his own at 14 months. This little guy, on the other hand, still needs quite a lot of support to stand and walk. In my experience children can often walk or at least stand with just one hand being held and supported when they are getting closer to walking on their own; this little guy still needs both hands fully supported to walk or stand without falling over.

I really wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for the fact that he no longer seems even remotely interested in trying to practice walking. Does anyone have any ideas for other things to try to encourage him to walk? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Let him develop at his own pace. Anything before 20 months is within the range of normal.

I was the nanny from birth of a 17 month old who wouldn't walk - she could jump, dance and speak in full sentences but just wasn't interested in walking. She is ballet dancer now in her teens and tested in the genius range.

[Anonymous]

Kids usually start walking on their own w/out having to be encouraged daily.

In fact, it looks to me as if you are unnecessarily & unfairly pushing this child to walk on his own which may end up making the whole experience in itself unpleasant for him which may delay his progress.

Stop comparing him to other charges.
I personally do not care if you have had seven or seventy kids.

You have no clue about child development if you are pushing a child at that age to walk.

He has enough time.
You seem to be taking all the joy out of his milestone.
Your timeline to get him to walk on his own is so unjust.

You are making it seem like work to him.
I highly recommend you take a step back (pun intended!) and let nature take its course!

I am quite sure he will be mobile soon enough.
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Try to keep him out of contraptions, try not to "help" him be mobile in any way. Reduce carrying him around, as much as possible.

HE needs to WANT to walk. He'll get there.

[Anonymous]

He's interested in getting places (scooting, climbing), but not in developing a particular motor skill. He's doing fine -- don't worry unless you see no interest in locomotion at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids usually start walking on their own w/out having to be encouraged daily.

In fact, it looks to me as if you are unnecessarily & unfairly pushing this child to walk on his own which may end up making the whole experience in itself unpleasant for him which may delay his progress.

Stop comparing him to other charges.
I personally do not care if you have had seven or seventy kids.

You have no clue about child development if you are pushing a child at that age to walk.

He has enough time.
You seem to be taking all the joy out of his milestone.
Your timeline to get him to walk on his own is so unjust.

You are making it seem like work to him.
I highly recommend you take a step back (pun intended!) and let nature take its course!

I am quite sure he will be mobile soon enough.
Good luck.

I wholeheartedly agree with everything this PP says. I also get the feeling that OP makes it her job to have her charge be an early walker, from the way she describes the baby's jumper exercise "regimen" to bragging about how all her charges were walking before 12 months. Maybe for bragging rights?

Door jumpers and other contraptions don't actually help babies to walk faster, they support much of the baby's weight so they're working the muscles less, and depending on the type of contraption, could be supporting and therefore not developing their core muscles, which are key to any locomotion. They're fine for keeping baby in a secure place, but don't believe the marketing propaganda about this being good "exercise."

The best thing you could do to get baby walking is to first LEAVE HIM ALONE. Sounds like he needs a break from your pushiness. Then after he gets a break, maybe a week, GENTLY encourage him to cruise or walk when HE shows interest. At 13 months, he has plenty of time to walk and will do so when he's good and ready!

[Anonymous]

This is OP. To those of you saying that I am being "pushy" or forcing him to practice walking, you are VERY wrong.

In fact, I have NEVER pushed or forced him to practice walking, EVER. I have OFFERED my hands if he wants to practice walking, usually just 2 or 3 times a day. If he doesn't want to, I move on to something else, and don't offer again for another hour or two. I will say it again just once more, because it is the absolute truth: I HAVE NEVER ONCE FORCED OR PUSHED HIM TO WALK. I give him the option a few times a day, but if he doesn't want to, I NEVER push it.

My mistake for thinking I could get any sort of reasonable advice on here without being attacked. Great job DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. To those of you saying that I am being "pushy" or forcing him to practice walking, you are VERY wrong.

In fact, I have NEVER pushed or forced him to practice walking, EVER. I have OFFERED my hands if he wants to practice walking, usually just 2 or 3 times a day. If he doesn't want to, I move on to something else, and don't offer again for another hour or two. I will say it again just once more, because it is the absolute truth: I HAVE NEVER ONCE FORCED OR PUSHED HIM TO WALK. I give him the option a few times a day, but if he doesn't want to, I NEVER push it.

My mistake for thinking I could get any sort of reasonable advice on here without being attacked. Great job DCUM.

Why are you offering to help him to walk?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. To those of you saying that I am being "pushy" or forcing him to practice walking, you are VERY wrong.

In fact, I have NEVER pushed or forced him to practice walking, EVER. I have OFFERED my hands if he wants to practice walking, usually just 2 or 3 times a day. If he doesn't want to, I move on to something else, and don't offer again for another hour or two. I will say it again just once more, because it is the absolute truth: I HAVE NEVER ONCE FORCED OR PUSHED HIM TO WALK. I give him the option a few times a day, but if he doesn't want to, I NEVER push it.

My mistake for thinking I could get any sort of reasonable advice on here without being attacked. Great job DCUM.

OP, you sound a bit sensitive as well as defensive here.

You specifically asked for advice AND you received it.
All solicited too do not forget.

I have read all of the responses to your posting and none of them seem to attack you on a personal level.

[Anonymous]

Is he pulling himself up to standing position?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. To those of you saying that I am being "pushy" or forcing him to practice walking, you are VERY wrong.

In fact, I have NEVER pushed or forced him to practice walking, EVER. I have OFFERED my hands if he wants to practice walking, usually just 2 or 3 times a day. If he doesn't want to, I move on to something else, and don't offer again for another hour or two. I will say it again just once more, because it is the absolute truth: I HAVE NEVER ONCE FORCED OR PUSHED HIM TO WALK. I give him the option a few times a day, but if he doesn't want to, I NEVER push it.

My mistake for thinking I could get any sort of reasonable advice on here without being attacked. Great job DCUM.

Why are you offering to help him to walk?

...Don't offer to help him walk. He needs to do it on his own.

[Anonymous]

He's fine. My friend's kid starting walking at 17 months. Now is a 11 yo athlete. I know other kids who walked late too.
Be glad you don't have to run after him yet

[Anonymous]

I think it's best if you back off. If he sense that you want him to practice walking, he won't. He's a toddler now, and he's getting that toddler attitude! It has to be "his own idea," not yours.

I would let it be and just go with the flow. Give it a break for a month or so and see how things are going. He'll have an appointment with the ped in a few months, and the ped can weigh in if there seem to be any real issues. I'd let it be until then.