I'm actually getting a bit tired of the question and am trying hard to be gracious about not showing my irritation.
BUT so many people have asked that I was about to google it to check what is average (when have my kids ever been normal though?!) when the answer popped up on Ask Moxie.
If you're interested, it's between 9 and 18 months of age.
The poor lady that wrote in had a 14-month-old who thought her son was not normal because he wasn't walking yet.
Anyway, I scanned some of the comments just so I'd be informed and there were much later walkers than 18 months too.
I get her concern because it is a bit disconcerting when absolutely everyone's kids are younger than yours, and walking.
Just for the record, I honestly am in no hurry for mine to walk (talk - yes :)). I'm not worried because we've seen it over and over again - they do what they want when they're good and ready, and not a moment before.
However, here is Kendra. She's been able to stand by herself for a couple of weeks.
These pics were taken when they were exactly 13 months. Amazingly, I actually had the camera nearby!
1
standing is serious business
standing is serious business
2
hmmm, don't know if this is such a good idea...
3
aaah, much better
On Friday last week, she took a few steps all by herself towards me and D.
Once she collapsed to her knees, we made a big deal mainly because we're so grateful we got to see a milestone!!!
What a lovely start to a Friday morning.
Later that day she let go and again took a few steps toward me.
By the way, is that classified as walking? Or what's walking? (you all know I'm VERY literal)
That is most definitely the start of walking. So walking. Okay almost walking. Soon!!
ReplyDeleteI just had to laugh at your question, is that walking? I was just having this conversation with a friend yesterday. I think I'm a pretty tough judge of things. I don't credit our girls saying a new word until they say it *correctly*, for example. Even though I've known that "gah" meant "cat" for ages, B only finally said "cat" this week. And so I finally wrote it down. :)
ReplyDeleteI was the same way with walking...I didn't really claim our girls were walking until they used that as a means to get around (at least a little bit).
But K is definitely well on her way! And how great that you got those pictures! I think it took me a couple of weeks to capture such with our girls.
I don't count the first steps as walking. One or two steps to me just isn't walking. When Tarynn started actually taking about 7-10 steps at one time without falling, I said she was toddling. When she started walking more than crawling- I said she was offically walking.
ReplyDeleteTarynn took her first steps- then two weeks later was up to about 5-7 steps and about a week later she was able to walk across the room. My boys were so different. One day, they got up and started taking steps, by the end of the week they were walking EVERYWHERE! Tarynn is more careful.
She walked! That's it. A few steps is all it takes. Soon she will be everywhere.
ReplyDeleteMine were as follows: The Princess at almost exactly 13 months, C at 14 months (on my birthday - now that was a present) and L only at 17 and a half months after physio and a check out for cerebral palsy at a neurologist. So do not worry!
I say that it's walking if you want it to be walking!!!
ReplyDeleteYea, walking if YOU say its walking! Who cares what others say. :)
ReplyDeleteMy Abby didn't walk until she was 18 months old. And now she's running, jumping, ect. They always catch up. :)
I feel people have a time line, they look at your kids age and just make conversation from that timeline! Seriously? My kids will do stuff when they are ready, don't continually remind me that they were born early! Do you often get that? My mother constantly brings up that they were early, so they're not really that far behind-gee thanks!
ReplyDeleteI am also in no hurry to walk, walking leads to running which leads to public embarrassment! I would love for them to stand because we have street parking in front of our house and taking two babies across the street and trying to open doors and get them in is impossible! I've decided to start in hard with baby signs because they girls are starting to get demanding around meals and all the screams sound they same to me!
I would say if she's taking a couple of steps, she will be walking for real within just a couple of weeks. So get ready! My girls were 14 months...and I wasn't worried, either, but got tired of the question too. (And I know I'm one who has asked you recently--ha!) I love the walking...it makes them SO much more independent. We are beginning the climbing stage now, which I am a little more unsure about. : )
ReplyDeleteMatt started at 11 months and Hailey started at 13/14 months...it's all different. I would classify that as "she's starting to walk." People are so annoying with those silly questions. One would never ask an older person, "are you peeing yourself yet? I hear that happens around 60 years old."
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. I seem to recall that average walking age is 13 months. Mine walked at 11 months (9 corrected) and I found myself wishing they'd waited!
ReplyDeleteWho wants an average baby, anyway?
I constantly compared my 1st of twins with a friend's baby who did everything early. The child was walking at 8 months, I kid you not...talking at 13 months (as in 2-3 word sentences). I was even doing EI services with mine and still no milestones until much later. My EI therapist was hilarious and said, "Well, your kids are normal...it's your friend's kid who's the freak of nature". She was trying to be funny of course but it did make me feel better.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, you are so right...I couldn't wait for mine to start walking and then I wished they had never started!!! Easy does it, for sure!
they will walk...don't you worry about that! all kids are so different, you are right. i mean, why is it that my eric started to fully walk at 12.5 months (first steps at 11.5 months) while patrick was 15.5 months? no reason...just different kids. eric can now jump like crazy but patrick cannot just yet...but he will!!! and so will yours...:)
ReplyDeleteI walked at 7 months. Kendra walked just after her first birthday, but didn't take off for almost 2 months. Vannan was just shy of her first birthday, and had it down pat within a week. Joel was nearly 15 months old before he discovered that he could walk away from the couch - ever a slow child, he does stuff like this at his own pace - but can outthink many boys his age. It all comes out in the wash.
ReplyDeleteLaRue is standing more every day on her own. She is taking steps when she isn't thinking about it. I don't know if she'll take off before her first birthday, but it wouldn't surprise me ... then I remind myself that she is 5 weeks older than Kendra was at this same age, and then I go "Ehhh, who cares."
I can see they are happy, learning something new every day, exploring their surroundings, mimicing everything they see done around them, interacting with others ... so why worry about which order they did it in?
I consider dependant on furniture / walls / fingers as cruising. I consider it walking when they do it by themselves by choice instead of choosing to crawl - no coaxing. Such as choosing to walk from the couch to a toy or table instead of crawling the 3 steps over to the toy. LaRue is cruising and taking tenative steps, she's not walking yet.