Late Walkers

My friend's brother didn't walk or talk until after 2 years old. Health Visitor and Mum left big sister and little brother on their own in the living room for a few minutes. Health Visitor quietly peeped around the door. Baby brother pointed to a toy and big sister fetched it. He had no need to talk or walk while his sister was doing everything for him. Worth checking this out with your two.

My DGS was a late walker, he was nearly 3, but he has Down syndrome, so his muscles work a bit different from other children. He makes up of it now!

My eldest daughter didn't crawl until 13 months, I remember moving her toy out of reach to try to encourage her to move, nah, didn't bother her, she just sat and scratched at the flowers on her plastic playmat, she finally walked at about 15/16 months old.
My son's youngest didn't even support his own weight with help until it was picked up at nursery when he went at 13 months, finally crawled a couple of months ago and now began walking about three weeks ago. Obviously they do it when their ready. Nothing wrong with either of them, my daughter is a bio medical scientist, and is a pretty laid back person!!

My DD1 was a bum shuffler. She didn’t stand up and walk till she was nearly two, but completely missed out the holding onto furniture/tottering about phase. On the other hand she was a very early talker and would have the volunteers at playgroup in fits of giggles as she sat there chatting away with them.

Looking back, I’m so glad I had a health visitor who reassured me. The number of posts on here about late walkers shows that it’s very rarely anything to worry about.

He is obviously able to move limbs and weight bare so don't worry. Befire long you'll be posting GS is running and climbing everywhere driving you mad.

Do not worry!
My DB was at least 2 before he walked. He was a speedy bottom shuffler. He grew up to play cricket for his university etc etc
Two of my DGD were also late walkers. The younger one's feet turned in as she crawled so she was referred to a paediatrician who said as soon as she walked the feet would support her and not to worry.
She now plays under 15's football in the county league

My daughter walked independently at 9 months ( I have photos!) And my son at the more normal 14 months….my grandkids both at 12 months….my brother didn’t walk til he was 3 years old !!! We are all different .

My granddaughter wouldn’t string two words together at 3 …she was babbling and nobody could understand her ! Woke up one day talking like a mini scientist ( which she’s still doing) we are all different …if the physios are happy ….then just give him encouragement and he’ll be off and running soon.

Clever ploy theexwife, for your nephew. Maybe a distraction like that is what’s needed. Little children are very unsure and afraid to let go when they’re learning to walk. But they can be easily distracted by a “shiny” object. Then they’re totally surprised when they take that first step. I love the look on their face! So proud!
USA Gundy

Please try not to worry, by the time children go to school most of them can
Walk
Don't need to wear a nappy
Usually don't need their dummy

Please try not to worry. By the time children go to school most of
Can walk
Don't have to wear a nappy
Usually don't need a dummy

He's been checked out by professionals.ans it doesn't seem as if there is a physical.prpblemz I know a fair few children who walked later than average plus others who walked sooner than average. In a few months he will .sure be running around, but if he isn't then pop him back to the doctor.

My granddaughter was exactly the same and her nursery were beginning to make a fuss about it - but now at 28 months she is running about and quite hard to keep up with. Now they are fussing about her speech, but as a second child she just doesn't need to talk as big sister does everything for her!

Retired speech and language therapist here. I used to see a lot of infants with queries over some aspect of development (obviously involving communication, in view of my profession). The mean age for walking is 13 months, some children walk at 9 months, some not until 21 months. 22 months is quite late. The usual guidelines for referral to Paediatrics for late walking was 18 months, by which time the vast majority of children are on their feet and can take at least a few steps independently. The reasons for late walking are many: heavy child; general developmental delay; motor issues such as dyspraxia, dysarthria or dystonia. There are some rarer genetic and metabolic developmental conditions which cause motor delay. I would always refer to Paeds if the child was not walking at 18 months, whilst advising the parents that this might just be something which sorted itself out while they were awaiting their appointment with the consultant, but to nevertheless go and have things checked out. Just a personal note, my mum said I never crawled, but bum-shuffled. I walked at 13 months, but, Like M0nica, I am dyspraxic.

Tenko

My dd didn’t walk until she was 22 months . She was a bum shuffler . However once she started walking she was very sturdy , no tottering or wobbling like children who walk early .

Just like my DS. No wobbling, no hesitating, just walked confidently.
The same with talking, he didn't say much but when he did, he talked in sentences.

My dd didn’t walk until she was 22 months . She was a bum shuffler . However once she started walking she was very sturdy , no tottering or wobbling like children who walk early .

My DS2 did not walk till 22 months, if he wanted something he would point at it and scream until it was given something, so why walk when you have servants!.When we started to ignore his screams then he got up and walked.
His actual first steps were at my MIL's house.I had left him with her for a couple of hours, and got the shock of my life when he toddled after her to the front door when I got back.MIL's response was "He has been walking all over the place here"So he walked for her and not me!
His two youngest children were the same, both were 22 months before they walked. His youngest daughter was actually very flat footed and "walked" on her knees from 14 months, so we assumed it was her flat feet preventing her from standing up.

Madgran77

Apparently I didn't walk until 23 months! Great shuffle bum technique. Ironically walking is now my favourite hobby! 😏

I did the shuffle bum technique too, never crawled.

Apparently, at least one study showed that babies who never crawled were slow at learning to read.
Another theory disproved here as I could read before I started school 😁

Ds was slow to start walking, at about 22 or 23 months. He was just happy crawling (late with that too) but could walk around the furniture.
One day he just stood up, walked quite a distance, turned round and came back again.

He has always been and still is very sporty.

My eldest grandaughter didn’t walk until she was 22 months old. For some reason she was ginormous (9lb 10oz) in teeny size DD1. She was solely breastfed and only given extra water for her whole childhood (to this day she still only drinks water). At six months old she was very overweight but nobody has any idea why and there was no chance she could support her own weight till she was much older. She went on to be netball captain at her senior school when she was 15 and was a hurdle jumper. She’s slim now. DD1 walked at 11 months, DD2 at 10 months but her own daughter was 17 months before she walked. There seems to be particular reason that I can see.

Apparently I didn't walk until 23 months! Great shuffle bum technique. Ironically walking is now my favourite hobby! 😏

M0nica

Consider the possibility that he may have dyspraxia, Dyspraxia is nothing to worry about. It falls into the neural diversity bag with dyslexia, ADHD etc and it means that you tend to have poor fine motor control.

DS and I both have it. It means we were slow to walk, ride bikes, our hand writing is atrocious and we are cack handed. Unless it is very severe and if this child has it, it is unlikely to be severe, because there would be other problems. you can go through life perfectly normally, as DS and I have done, and beyond knowing that we lack the fine motor control needed to be brain or heart surgeons, it has caused us veyr few problems.

Absolutely agree with this. My older son was a late developer and l only investigated when his 15 month younger brother was far advanced of him. Was given a dyspraxia diagnosis, physio and a list of things to 'not expect him to do' he did them all, though rather later than average. Of course there are different levels of severity bit it hasn't held him back.

My eldest daughter just sat on her bottom for the first fifteen months, never crawled, but could say quite a few sentences. At sixteen months she got up, walked away, and was toilet trained within a week. She is now 50 and can still be stubborn and contrary. My son walked at nine months.

DGGD, at 16 months, is a high-speed crawler. climbs all over furniture and, if watched, up the stairs. She walks holding on to the furniture and holding an adult's hands. We saw her, one day, taking one unsupported step, but so far, no more independent walking. She's tall, strong, generally confident and apparently quite capable of walking, but is content to go on all fours.

I think my DD was 19 months before she walked. She never crawled but shuffled along at speed on her bum.

I was embarrassed to see other toddlers, 6 or more months younger than her, running along!

How silly I was.

Please try not to worry. My DDs walked at 12 months my DS was almost 20 months
He was slow to sit up and never crawled. He did pull himself up on furniture though. He was the most placid baby ever with an older sister who got him everything he needed! One afternoon he just pulled himself up and tottered across the floor - I was so pleased I rang my DH at his work to give him the good news ! He was such an easy child to care for and had a very sunny disposition. He is now mid 40s and still has that sunny disposition!! Happily married and doing well. Your GS is being monitored so that is the main thing , and in the unlikely event there is a problem I feel sure his family will deal ok with it. Bide your time and one day your lovely little GS will surprise you !! Keep us posted please and relax !