Not yet standing alone at 18 months

does he have a jumperoo or walker that you can sit him in? Maybe just being able to feel his feet on the floor will get him off.Mine were very different ,daughter was on her feet before she was 9 months ,son was a year and 3 months .He'll do it when he's ready

My grandson, same age, walked at 8 months. BUT is very behind with his speech. His mum, my daughter, could say short sentences at the age hes only starting to learn words.

Like you, I worry.

If his parents are not concerned I would not worry. He is not abnormal in waiting a bit longer to start walking, he knows his own body the best. He will walk when he is ready, if all else seems fine.

Thankyou for your reply. He had a bouncer gym both here & at home when he was younger - he really enjoyed it but he outgrew it. I had walkers for all my own children but his parents decided not to use a walker for him & I follow their wishes. When I sit on the floor with him on my lap beside the sofa I encourage him to reach for toys on the sofa and he can but he sits back ASAP. I wonder if he's just very laid-back & hope I'll look back at this & laugh when he is up & running around

Faye17, I wouldn't worry unduly, he'll stand suddenly and trot off as though he's done it for ages.
My eldest D didn't walk until she was 18 months and previous to this showed no sign of bothering. She was a very bright child so I knew it wasn't anything in the brain department, then one day she just stood up, wobbled and took off.

In fact my younger D didn't walk until she was 16 months. It varies in all babies but nothing to be worried about, I'd have said. He'll do it when he's ready. It's just that they become heavier to carry

Don’t worry
DD2 was over 2 before started walking and she was no worse off for it.
She was a bum shuffler as opposed to a crawler which of course freed up her hands for playing so that might have been a factor. I note your DGS also favours that.
Just think - how many children do you see crawling to infant school?
Parents can be so prone to compare progress with other parents (is s)he sleeping through/standing/walking/potty trained/on solids/feeding themselves yet etc et etc
Especially first time parents.
Relax!

He should be ready to start walking by now so just encourage him by holding him up and helping him. Take him outside with one person holding each hand. My family are all late walkers but the grandsons liked 'walking' with one of those toys which is like a walking frame. They used that for quite a while before walking on their own. Just keep standing him up so he gets the feel of his feet on the ground and I'm sure he will suddenly take off one day. There is an advantage with walking late because he probably won't be falling all over the place once he gets on his feet.

Bum-shufflers can be late walkers because it’s such a convenient way to move around. You’re mobile but you still have your hands free to grab at things you’re not meant to have!

My youngest GC walked late, nearly 18mths, but once she decided to do it, she was off. No stumbling or teetering around, she was walking solidly.

By all means ask the health visitor to run a check if you’re concerned for his physical well-being but don’t compare him to others. I’d put money on him walking as well as the others before he’s two years old!

GagaJoe - it must be in our nature to worry as grandparents I suppose & while we should know better having seen the variation with our own babies we just want to see them reaching those milestones. My grandbaby has lots of words & while he doesnt sing the actual words he can intone the first line of a cupla songs to let us know he wants us to sing them so of course we think he is SO clever

faye17 can your grandson take his own weight on his feet and legs if you stand him with his tummy against the sofa? If so that's a good sign.
My youngest was 19 months before he walked and my sister was 22 months. Both were the youngest of three and I think they had no real need to do so lol.

Aw Thankyou all for your encouraging words, I needed them

Bottom shufflers are often a bit late pulling to stand. It sounds as if your doing everything right to encourage him to pull himself up as in offering a toy so he has to reach up. I spent a good deal of my working life looking at babies/ children’s development and saw lots of late walkers all of them eventually walked and it didn’t impact on their future gross motor skills. Some of these late walkers were often really good communicators. If he makes no attempt by 20 months ring your health visitor but even then only as a precaution. He sounds a delightful little fella.

I can see that he has quite a laid-back personality

And there you have it!

How is his vocabulary?

DS was two before he started walking. I worried because all my friends' toddlers were running about yet every time I stood DS up he plonked back down again.

I took him to the GP who examined him whilst holding a conversation with him about the bottles of medicine on the top shelf of a cabinet. They then moved on to the weather!

The verdict was: 'He's having you on!'

Once we ignored our concerns and moved things away from him so he had to make more of an effort he got the message.

Don't worry. Your DGS will do everything at his pace.

If you want some more information, www.actionforchildren.org.uk have a child development guide called "What to Expect, When?" you can buy for £3.49.
It's written in layman's terms and is the parent/carer friendly version of the Early Years Foundation Stages document that all childcare professionals follow. Your grandson's nursery will be monitoring his progress against this so you could talk to them if his parents agree. (Working in partnership with family is encouraged by Ofsted!).
It shows there's a lot of cross over in the age bands that children do certain things, and it gives ideas how you can help.
Your grandson has a very varied and stimulating week, and sounds absolutely delightful. Lucky little boy x

There’s nothing at all to worry about, he sounds like a delightful little boy. He’ll have had all his developmental checks so any physical problem would have come to light.

Please don’t start trying to force him to do what he’s not ready to do by hauling him to his feet or making an issue of it. And don’t take any notice of negative comments from “concerned” non-medical people.

My DD1 didn’t walk till she was nearly two and a half, but used to get round as quickly as any walker on her bum. DD2 was only 17 months younger, so it was a bit of a toss up as to who would walk first. Then one day DD1 just stood up and walked as confidently as any other child of her age.

Interestingly, DD1 was a very early talker too, and was a bit of a star at toddler group where I’d find the volunteer helpers gathered round her being highly entertained by the grown up conversation she’d have with them.

My daughter walked at 10 months three weeks, and one son walked at 19 months he was a bum shuffler and could get around so fast he wasn’t worried about standing let alone walking , I wouldn’t worry

I also believe that every baby develops at their own pace.
When you are sitting holding baby facing you do they push up to standing?

^ Chestnut Sun 16-Feb-20 12:36:30^
He should be ready to start walking by now so just encourage him by holding him up and helping him
I’m afraid I think that is less than helpful Chestnut most of us agree that there is no such thing as “ready to start walking by now” and to force him up on to his feet is not going to do any good, and may even do harm.
He will stand up and walk when he is ready and there is no reason for faye to worry or even to try to hurry things along.
Childhood is not about ticking boxes.

MawB I did say I'm sure he will suddenly take off one day which I stand by. Of course he will do it when he's ready, but there is no reason why they shouldn't encourage him or use a baby walker. Why on earth would that harm him? He won't take his own weight until he's ready.

Esspee- yes he does & can support his weight but just seems to prefer not to & so sits back down. He is very strong riding his toy rocking horse with the gusto of a gaucho

Don't worry. Both of mine were late movers and my youngest didn't even move until she was 14 months (!) She then bum shuffled and walked at 23 months.
Both were talkers instead.
Will be fine

I'm inclined to think that he will do it when he's ready which is just not now. I myself walked at 11 months & I doubt we had much in the way of aids to get me up & running - it was just my time. Similarly, while I have pull-along, push-along aids for him and I continue to encourage him to enjoy being up on his feet I still think he will quite rightly do it when HE is ready. He has had all his checks & he is a delightful little boy.
I appreciate all your advice & comments- sometimes you just need reassurance that all is well.

As previous members commented son was walking at nine months, daughter was eighteen months before she decided to go. She was also very reluctant to give up her pushchair, I think she would have been quite happy to go to school on it!

Regarding baby walker, I remember reading an article about babies learning to walk in our culture and in other cultures. In one African culture they dug small ditches in which they could stand the baby and encourage him/her to walk.

The conclusion of their research was that all babies walk within the same age range as every culture , no matter whether walkers are used or ditches dug or any other ‘aids’ used!