It’s totally natural to feel unsure—parenting doesn’t come with a guide! At 21 months, every child is different; some are happy to walk around, and others might still need that sense of security. You could try giving him little chances to walk when it’s safe, like holding your hand for short distances. This can slowly help him gain confidence and independence while you’re there to support him. And yes, having comfy shoes he’s excited about might make him more eager to walk on his own! Just take it step by step, and trust your instincts; you’re doing great. ????

Your babies are only babies for a short while, it won’t be long and your baby will be too big to carry. So make the most of it, do it while you can for as long as is needed

I think you need to do what you feel most comfortable with. There will come a time though when bubs will know they can walk and suddenly they don’t want to be held and will run off on you.

Do what feels right for you. I have a 2.5yr old boy who I carry a little bit (yes he does walk a lot of the time) but places like a busy carpark if at the grocery store, or a place where there is a risk of him not holding my hand and running off with the risk of injury I find more peace of mind in holding him until we get to the shop.

Never enough cuddles!

I always tried to let my kids walk…….. unless I was in a hurry because it can take soooooo long to walk a short distance when they’re that age ????

It’s not good to carry your child too much, he would need to be developing his muscles and getting exercise, etc. so the more he is able to practice his walking, the better he is able to develop. However, in the instance of shopping, I would walk my child into the shop and then put them in the trolley seat. You don’t need the extra work of chasing a child around who might like to pull things off the shelves.

You can encourage him to walk more, and maybe a new pair of big boy walking shoes will give him confidence to try more, but he’s still young and has plenty of time to navigate those steps.

It is really up to what is good for you and your son. He’s still very young. He’ll want to take off running at some point, so try not to worry about comparing yourself to others

I think as he gets bigger and heavier you’ll have an incentive to get him to walk more! But in general, I think if you’re both okay with what you’re doing now, you shouldn’t worry too much.

It all depends on how you feel about it. If you are in a hurry, then obviously carrying is the main way to get things done quickly. but encouragement to walk will help you son grow into a healthy young man.

Yes, encourage him to walk when ever it’s an option or you’ll be carrying a big kid! lol
Any shoes that fit well. Teach him to hold your hand or the trolley and stay with you.

If he is able to walk, you should be encouraging it as much as possible- it will build his muscles and confidence- practice makes perfect.

Some kids walk early, some kids walk late. You could expand his walking in safe places like home and park. But really, he will get there

It really depend on how your feeling / how confident of a walker they are. If they need the practice then absolutely let them go and learn their feet. It takes long but it is so great for them to learn early on what to touch / can’t touch eg.

I hear you, My four year old daughter still wants to be carried most of the time and I have to try to get her to walk more often. Like another mum wrote, we’re also learning that mum’s back gets sore if I’m carrying her too much.
I think it’s to do with my daughter wanting the closeness and comfort of having her mum carry her.
Do what feels right for you.

You should always base this on what you feel is right and not what others may think. My daughter is 4.5 years old and still likes me to carry her from time to time. We are learning that this hurts mum’s back so we find alternative ways like using a trolley etc.

The answer should always depend on what you think, not what you see others doing. If it’s a problem for you, then yes, if it’s not a problem for you, then no.

My children were early walkers and loved their independence. All children are different and follow your intuition and your child’s lead and do what works bet for you and your child.

I dont think you’ll do any serious long term damage by carrying your son, even if it is too much, he’ll eventually be too big to carry and he’ll have to walk