anything i can do to help my daughter walk?

Jenny - posted on 06/18/2011

give her time she will walk on her own try giving a toy in each hand that seems to make them think they have hands

Kylie - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter is 11 months old (1 on the 15th June) and I let her walk around in socks or barefoot, just my personal opinion but I think that's better for her learning. She has one pair of boots and one pair of booties, don't see the point in buying her shoes till she can walk on her own outside. She loves crawling and kneeling, can pull herself up, walk around furniture, loves dragging me places by holding my fingers, let goes of things (also if i have her in the middle of the floor she let go she will stand there for about a minute, start giggling then falling) and the other night took two steps towards her soft toys (I was holding her by her waist not facing me) - but she hasn't done it since. I'm just encougring her the best way I see fit and you should too, everyones different :o)

Samantha - posted on 05/06/2010

my 10 month old daughter is walking round the furniture on her own but holding on and she's quite quick and confident as long as she's holding my fingers she'll walk all over the house but i'm quite happy to let her do it at her own pace, i know it's lovely when they hit another milestone in their little lives but don't be in a hurry for her to grow up, they grow up too fast as it is, enjoy her while u can :)

Stacy - posted on 05/06/2010

We "bribed" my son with his afternoon snack to get him to walk without holding onto anything. I would just place them (we used the gerber puffs) on different tables then place him across the room and encourage him to walk to them.

Shawna - posted on 05/06/2010

My son will be 1 on the 22nd of June. He does all the cruising and furniture walking and toy pushing(he has been for quite awhile) but has yet to take more than 2-3 steps. He would rather plop down and crawl. As anxious as I am for him to walk, I will just let him do it on his own time.

Ashley - posted on 05/06/2010

my son will be one on june 25th and he is not walking yet either!! he can walk across the edge of the couch holding on and he can stand at his table and play but when we hold his hands and try to get him to walk he wont he just wants to jump or sit.

Carrie - posted on 05/06/2010

Yeah, you can help her by backing off! :) Sorry, but seriously, let her go at her own pace; forcing her to walk too early can make her muscles develop incorrectly when they're not ready, and it can make her frustrated and want to walk less! My first two walked at 13 months, my third might walk earlier or he might not. Either way, let this be the first of many lessons in letting what you want for her take a backseat to what's best for her. EVERY baby will do things in their own time, regardless of us. Let her do her own thing (it's a precedent that will set her up for a lifetime of healthy independence and confidence). And remember, if they're not advancing in one area, it's usually because they're advancing somewhere else (eating, sleeping, fine motor skill, etc). My older son didn't talk 'til he was two, but he was learning to throw a mean football!!! :D Now he talks just fine. Give her some time; don't rush these precious moments!

Sherelle - posted on 05/05/2010

My oldest walked right after he turned one and it literally caught us all by surprise. But my youngest is walking now at 10 months and i just put him on the floor bare foot and he would walk around holding my shirt. I would slowly slide my shirt out of his hand and let him try a few steps on his own and once he realized he could do it he walked on his own. Patience is the key and lots of encouragement, she may surprise you.

Lorelei - posted on 05/03/2010

What my husband and I did for our son was we would build block towers and he could only knock them down if he walked to them. It worked for us because my son hates things stacked that he didn't do himself. With lots of patience and work he started walking alone with in two weeks. I hope this helps.

Allison - posted on 05/03/2010

Stay in the present. Remember what it was like this time last year when we were just waiting for babies to be born.

Michelle - posted on 05/03/2010

my son is 11 months and can walk holding on things also i am not doing anything with him but hold his hands and help him walk. they will walk just give it time and enjoy what you have they are precious to have in our lives. my advice to one mom to another is let them be they will walk when they want to. just keep helping her and she will get the concept evenually

Judy - posted on 05/03/2010

you can't force them to walk. every baby develops at it's own pace. anytime between 10 and 16 months is normal for starting to walk. the best suggestions though are bare feet and cheering. let the baby take the lead. forcing to do something that they are not ready for will just lead to frustration for both of you. babies develop quickly and before you know it they'll be running so just be patient!!!

Cathy - posted on 05/02/2010

Well my son is 2 and a half but he didn't start walking til he was 16 months old and he was standing and walking against things but he just wouldn't walk on his own til he wanted too.. so babies will start walking when they are ready too thats what my kids doctor said

Meggan - posted on 04/27/2010

My son is 10 months (as of the 27th) and my husband and I have just starting trying to encourage him to walk. He has been furniture cruising for several months. I sit on the floor with my husband sitting opposite, about the length of your arms spread out and we get a toy that our son likes...My husband holds the toy while i steady our son and then i let go. The first time he just stood there and then sat down, but after a few go's he took one step and then 2. Today is the 3rd day and he is up to 4 steps! He is now letting go of the furniture and taking 1 step and then falls to the floor. He loves it and we praise him by clapping and say hooray! and how clever he is. He gets so excited! Hope that makes sense?

Chloe - posted on 04/27/2010

I really don't think not walking at 10 months is a problem! The average age for Australian babies to BEGIN walking is 13 months. I wouldn't worry at all. If your baby wasn't crawling then maybe. Also, it is so important for later development especially in there academic development that your baby crawls for a long time. In schools there are many programs for children how have not crawled for very long and are experiencing developmental delays. One of the therapy is crawling and basically crossing the mid line. Don't stress. I am hoping my little one doesn't walk until after his first birthday.

Angela - posted on 04/27/2010

My advice is don't rush her she will walk when she's ready . They don't develop there dept perception till they are 12 months. so until then she will do a lot of falling and bumping her head so it's better just to wait till she is ready and stable.

Keeley - posted on 04/27/2010

Thats right, hard shoes can seriouslyu damage a babies feet, and only soft shoes are advised. I got my daughter some cruising shoes from clarks and shes well on her way!! She will be 1 on 21st June!!

Jessica - posted on 04/27/2010

you're welcome Heather! =)

I guess we're just early walkers in my family, b/c I consider 14-16 mos, slow! Actually... 16 mos, is REALLY slow to me! I'm not the kinda mom to tote my kid around all day. I give her some independence. So maybe that's why she's more determined to crawl and now walk. No sling in my house! She's well adjusted though, so it worked for her! Oh and... she started walking across the room last night! Got some great video of it! =) Of course, today... she'd rather crawl! goober girl!

Kimberly - posted on 04/27/2010

Just remember the average age for walking is between 14 and 16 months. Furniture walking at 10 months old is a great sign. She will get there when she is ready. :)

Hayley - posted on 04/27/2010

In early learning centre, there is a walker that they push along there is loads of buttons on there. That's what I used and my daughter is 10months

Shauna - posted on 04/26/2010

My son will be one on June 25th and he isn't walking either. He is cruising while holding onto things, but not yet taking steps by himself. My daughter, who is 5 was walking by 9 months, almost running by 10 months, but every baby is different. I think he will walk when he is ready, until then, I am cherishing him crawling because once he can walk, he won't want to crawl anymore :( He's growing up way too fast

Heather - posted on 04/26/2010

Thank you Jessica Badgett! lol

Jessica - posted on 04/26/2010

oh good grief ppl. who cares what age the poor girl wants her kid to walk! Those of you who say "don't force your kid, yadda yadda..." are just as guilty of standing them up and sayin "come on... come get mommy's cell phone (or whatever)" as the next guy. Yes, the child will walk when he/she wants, but she's not being a bad mommy b/c she's anxious for her to be independent. She's not going to be stupid b/c she walked and didn't crawl til she was 18 mos. And MY child isn't going to necessarily have problems b/c I put shoes on her. I'd rather her have a knee problem as a 10 yr old *which she will b/c it's hereditary among females in my family to have oshgoodslatters (sp?) disease and patella femural disease*... than have ringworm as a 1 yr old. That's like those nasty people at chik fil a and mc donalds that let their kids run from the play place to the bathroom barefoot... EWWWW! My daughter is usually barefoot b/c she doesn't keep shoes on, but I also take the initiative to put shoes on her in public to protect her from catching the nasties on her feet.
But, Just sayin... leave the poor girl alone! If she wants her child to walk, that's just fine. To each their own! =)

Ari - posted on 04/26/2010

i agree with the minority stop trying to get your child to grow up to quickly all kids do things in there own time just let her be a baby for now and when she wants to walk she will trust me you want them to be crawling for a wee while yet there hard work when you have to chase them.

Jo - posted on 04/26/2010

Chill out! You'll be hothousing her in algebra next!! Your wee girl will do it in her own time. |My eldest walked for months and months with just the support of a finger.. and as soon as you took it away he would sit down again! He walked just after his first birthday (which is still fairly early) and by a few days later I was wishing for the days where he couldn;t!! They get fast, quickly! Enjoy her and enjoy this cute stage where plopping back down on their bums is normal - and they do that 45degree angle walk with the push toys! And I second the sensible person who said don;t put your kids in hard soled/ high shoes... TERRIBLE for babies growing feet! You risk doing more damage to babies feet, than any benefit you might think you'd get.
She'll get there!

Shea - posted on 04/26/2010

YES she will walk when she is ready. but a little encouragement is not gonna make or stop her from walking. honestly, no matter what you do shes not gonna walk till she is ready so whats the big deal with trying to get her to... not like she will if she doesnt want to!!! but definitely dont force it. and also, i understand that shoes are not good for the kiddos learning to walk, but she wants to walk around EVERYWHERE not just the comfort of my home, so yes, when we are out at certain places she wears her shoes. she does not wear them other times and i allowed her a good 3-4 weeks of walking without anything on her feet so she could get use to and good at walking. and the shoes are not too small and she didnt not wear the first pair of shoes till necessary.

Nicola - posted on 04/26/2010

She will walk when SHE is ready, NOT when YOU are ready!! If you are putting this sort of pressure on her now... what will you be expecting of her later in life!!

Shea - posted on 04/25/2010

just try and entice her to come to you. get in the floor with her and try to get her to come with her, just sit really close, when Riann was first taking steps i took a lollypop and let her lick it then i got a little bit away from her to make her walk to me....(bribery is so bad... lol). i did a lot of walking with Riann and holding her hands, then just one hand, then she started taking off. she was 10 mos yesterday and has been walking about 3 wks now, she is getting really good now, and we got her first pair of shoes too... and she HATES them and prefers to crawl when she has them on, but she is getting use to them.

Julia Kat - posted on 04/25/2010

It's completely normal at this age for them to still be or just starting to coast. I wouldn't suggest trying to absolutely make her walk. There might be some confidence issues still and the fear of falling down or not knowing how to get down. Her legs are still becoming stronger in order to carry her own weight. But do try little things such as, when you see her standing with support of an object, stand a few feet away from her and call her to you. If she does take a couple of steps but falls, do not be discouraged, rather cheer her on and let her know how proud of her you are. Encouragement is exciting for babies and they do catch on quickly as to what it is you're doing when you clap and cheer for her! She'll want to try it again to get that same reaction from you.



Please, do not put your baby in shoes though! She shouldn't actually start wearing shoes until she's older - 24 to 30 months old unless absolutely needed. Shoes on growing little feet can cause a lot of problems later in life such as pigeon-toes, bowed-legs, cramped feet and other growth issues. My husbands mother put him in shoes when he was very young and still has pinky toes that face inwards and are squished into his feet, caused by him wearing shoes a lot while his feet were growing as a baby. Shoes can also cause posture issues as well. Please don't do it for the sake of her growing little feet!



Also it is totally normal (commenting on another post) for babies to walk on their tippy-toes. This typically goes away after about a year, but if it doesn't she needs to see a doctor. Never force a baby to walk flat-footed if they are walking on their tippy-toes as this could be a sign of hamstring and/or other muscle problems. The muscles being too short or tight can cause extreme pain for the child walking flat-flooted and needs the assistance of a doctor to diagnose and correct the problem. Forcing them to walk on their feet flat without the assistance of a doctor could cause damage to the muscle and legs as well as pain and increase the fear of walking all together.

Karna - posted on 04/25/2010

I really want to differ from most of you. First of all we should NEVER encourage our babies to walk, walk, walk, if they still want to crawl. Lots of Crawling is necessary for the brain to develop normally. It has been proven that babies who crawl longer, tends to do better in mathematics. When your baby starts walking on her own - encourage her, but never force it.

Secondly - I don't know about other countries, but an orto-doctor here in South Africa said that our children should be walking barefoot as long as they can. Way to many adults are today suffering from foot and knee problems - many of those can be traced back to wearing shoes as babies. And I agree with Rowan - the hard-sole shoes are REALLY not good for the little ones feet.

Don't let your personal mommy-pride get in the way of your childs normal and healthy development! The normal walking age is anywhere from 9 to 18 months. Your child will walk once she is physically and mentally ready for it. And just for the record - a child only starting to walk around 18 months does not show that the child has a lessor mental capacity!

Jessica - posted on 04/25/2010

LOL. All I can say is... my son will be a year on June 13 and is only army crawling, barely pulling up on things, and almost definitely will not be walking by his first birthday. And I don't really care... I mean, he'll walk eventually...

Kat - posted on 04/25/2010

Katy Gardener said:
Try high top hard soled shoes. the high tops have more support for her ankles and with the hard soles she can't walk on her tippy toes.


Please please please don't do this!! It will severely impede the natural movement of her feet, and it will be very uncomfortable for her. Imagine yourself having bits of wood strapped to your feet! Try buying a few pairs of soft leather shoes, as babies don't need to have "support" for their feet at this early age. Just protection for surfaces. Hope this helps

Ashley - posted on 04/24/2010

My Daughter will be 1 on June 12th and while she is crawling and will stand up and cruise around the couch and lower tables she will not take steps away from it. She will stand on her own for a few minutes and then 'plop' down, I would love her to be walking by her birthday! I think it also helps if you take them around older kids b/c my niece is 2 1/2 and my daughter is trying so hard to follow her that I think this milestone is just around the corner! :)

Margarette - posted on 04/24/2010

I was told that bubbles works. One person holds the baby one their feet. Another stands in front of the baby blowing bubbles. Then slowly the person blowing the bubbles backs further away. The baby gets so excited about trying to catch the bubbles they try to go after them and start to walk. My coworker said it worked for his 11 month old. I haven't tried it because I'm still babyproofing the house.

Rowan - posted on 04/24/2010

Babies must walk in their own time, and NOT be forced- or their bones in their feet will not be strong enough. Parents really need to chill out and let their child get to each milestone on their own. Babies should also not be made to wear 'baby shoes' or socks that are too tight in order to let their feet grow properly. Just a tip. :)

Alicia - posted on 04/24/2010

My son will turn one on June 2, and he's about in the same shape; he loves to pull up and stand, and likes to walk with support, but isn't quite ready to go it alone. One thing that has helped him to get this far that might work for you is "Walking Wings" that let you support them as they walk independently, and then you just give them less and less support as they get better at it. I think it gives them greater confidence to walk and peace of mind that they aren't going to fall:
http://www.amazon.com/Upspring-Baby-Walk...

Christina - posted on 04/23/2010

She sounds like she is close! Dont worry and dont rush, she will get there! My dtr was a early walker and has been walking completely alone since about 9 months (she is 10.5 now) and I tell you its the cutest thing watching this little thing walk around but trouble trouble anywhere she can get into it! So enjoy the little time left where you dont have to chase her quite as much!

A - posted on 04/23/2010

I agree with Ally, try what she said and it could help. My daughter can book it as long as she's holding on to something. We are working with her as well. She'll be 1 on june 28th. Good luck!!!

Ally - posted on 04/23/2010

my little one turned 10months on the 19th she has just taken a few steps by herself.....i sit a foot away from her when shes cruzing on the couch...then i say Ella come to mommy and she go's for it....now shes CRazy just go and go....ITS TROUBLE...but I've never been so PRoud!!! it will come....too fast

Sapana - posted on 04/22/2010

I agree with the moms who've said that you can't really force them, they will do it once they're ready. My daughter will be a year on June 3rd and she is no where close to walking, she doesn't even crawl yet. She can pull herself up to her knees and if i put her next to the couch on her feet, she will stand holding onto it, but can't take any steps. I hope she will be walking for her birthday too but we'll just have to wait and see.

Shirley - posted on 04/22/2010

My son too will be having his first birthday on the 3 June. I am having the same feeling like you wishing him can walk during the day come. But as the other moms comment sometimes we just need to wait for the right time to come. Just hope for our wish to come true....

Michele - posted on 04/22/2010

Babies tend to move forward with physical progress when they are ready. She will figure it out. My earliest walker was 10 months and my latest was 15 months. It just depends on how motivated they are to move. My late walker wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere and that was fine with me. Once they start walking, they just run away from you faster!

Heather - posted on 04/22/2010

thanks for all the tips!

Kristen - posted on 04/22/2010

Im having the same obstacle with my little man, my mother in law actually told me she used to wrap a towel over her sons stomach and under his arms and would hold him up while he walked and would leave it loose when he would get going. She swore by doing this, he learned how to do it on his own. We have yet to try it because I think hell do it when he is ready, but it sounds like it would work. Keep us posted if it does! Good Luck!!

Katy - posted on 04/22/2010

Try high top hard soled shoes. the high tops have more support for her ankles and with the hard soles she can't walk on her tippy toes.

Jessica - posted on 04/22/2010

It's true that you can't force them... but I guess we can encourage! Mine stands by herself and will jerk her feet, but decides that it's not worth it. I know a good exercise that therapists use is the bicycle. you lay the child on his/her back and pedal their legs like they're riding a bike. it helps them know "hey, it's ok 2 bend and move your legs!" We're trying hard to get my daughter to walk by may 15th b/c my sister is getting married. We'd rather her walk down the aisle than have to be in a wagon. We aren't forcing her to do anything, we just get really excited and clap and say "yaaaaayyy" when she does take a step. She's vain so, she likes it! lol!

Samara- look online for squeaker sneakers. You can also just type in "squeaky shoes" on google and it will put up a ton! DON'T order through ItzyBitzy.com ... the service is TERRIBLE!

Jessica - posted on 04/22/2010

although i can see why you want to help your daughter walk by her birthday, it will be a great milestone, you cant really make her do it before she is ready. you sound as though you are doing everything right and encouraging her loads, there is still a bit of time, she might do it! my son will be 1 on june 8th and is nowhere near walking - he can pull himself to his knees, not even his feet yet lol! it will all come with time, we just have to be patient! :)

Samara - posted on 04/22/2010

I am having the same problem. My daughter just turned 10 months yesterday the 21st. And will NOT let go of anything. She will "walk" holding onto things, my hands and a push toy. She will go all over the house as long as she has something to hold onto. If she lets go, she will plop down. She will not stand by herself without holding on to something either! She did it a few times awhile back (she has been standing and cruising since 7 months) but she stopped doing it once she learned to crawl. I would love to hear some advise or exercise or anything I can do to encourage and get her confidence up!! I have never heard of squeaky shoes before now! I might have to check them out!!

Jessica - posted on 04/21/2010

We're having the same problem. My daughter's bday is June 12. She has taken several steps before, but now she's decided crawling is easier! Squeaky Shoes are really annoying, but they actually work. She thinks it's funny, so she tries really hard to move her feet. she gets about 2 or 3 steps and plops down! Good Luck! =)