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How could it be that my (not so) little boy got his PhD mere moments after entering the world, yet I am still waiting for him to take his first solo steps?

Fast approaching the 18-month-mark, he is growing-up before my very eyes in almost every respect.

He goes to sleep at night as a cherry-cheeked bub, with blonde hair slightly damp and curly from his bath, and a woollen onesie that shows off all his delicious rolls. He wakes up the next morning as a boy. “Have you grown overnight again?” I ask him gently every morning as I lift him out of his cot. He grins back at me with that winning smile of his, and nods earnestly like he knows what I’m asking.

Then he’ll go about his day – pointing to the fruit bowl and asking for a “nah-nah” instead of his toast, muttering “uh-oh” as he drops something else from his highchair, taking off his cardy and then deciding he needs it back on again, chatting gently to his teddy before giving him a big hug and then chucking him to the ground (he hasn’t learnt this from me, promise!), stacking his blocks and knocking them down, playing peekaboo with the dirty tea towel, reading/ripping his books, waving and blowing kisses at the girls (of all ages) he sees in the supermarket, saying “hi” to the kid next to him in the playground, and anything else that important busy toddlers do.

Except, walk. When will you walk little man?

Nevermind that he can walk next to me holding onto nothing more but my little finger. Nevermind that his mother is 5 months pregnant and soon will be incapable of carrying him much anyway. He just won’t… let… go.

We have tried everything. Giving him a walker, then taking away the walker because we thought he was relying on it too much, then giving it back to him again when he lost all confidence in walking without it. We’ve moved the furniture to encourage him to take a step between things, but he just drops to the ground and crawls to the coffee table instead. We’ve tried holding his hands and letting go, holding under his arms then letting go, holding his waist and letting go, enticing him with an iPad, enticing him with food, enticing him with money. I’ve even refused to carry him when I’m in the house so that he can realise how slow and boring crawling everywhere is. But he just grins, and plods along on all fours in his own good time.

I know he’ll let go one day and take a couple of sweet steps on this own, and when he realises he can do it, he’ll graduate to running straight away I think. I just hope this little cautious streak of his extends to his teenage years too, and makes him think twice about driving fast or getting into a schoolyard brawl.

Despite my (almost) desperation for him to walk on his own, I do secretly love that he’s still my baby. For a little bit longer at least.

Tell me beautiful mums, anyone else out there have or know of a late walker too? 

 

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  • I love how you write about you son, so sweet and descriptive.
    I look to the future and wonder how my son will be. If he’ll walk and talk early, average, late. I look forward to finding out!

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  • I’ve got a cautious little guy too. I was getting worried about his lack of walking as we were approaching 18 months also. I booked in to see a Paediatrician but had a 6 week wait. The day before the appointment my little guy didn’t just decide to walk, he ran. And he ran and he ran and he ran. He must have done AT LEAST 100 circuits of our dinning room whilst giggling like a mad thing. At almost 3 now he’s certainly made up for lost time. It’s just true what they say, all kids are different and will do things in their own time :-)

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  • My kids were both walking before 12 months, one skipped crawling completely to walk at 10 months.

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  • some babies are just happy to do what they see as working for them. i think that by the age of two, that is when you should seek advice from your doctor, if they don’t want to walk, but otherwise, enioy this stage of babydom! that big milestone will happen!


    • babies grow up too quick. they will walk and then run the next day, or so it seems

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  • my son was a late walker. he has ASD.

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  • late walker and late talker but the happiest bub you could meet!

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  • There’s no real hurry. Thanks for sharing.

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  • I know a late walker, but he turned out just fine! :)

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  • I dont think we should be quick to set a timeframe on kids development

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  • Have know many late walker babes

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  • Yup, my son didn’t let go of his ‘pusher thing’ until he was 16 months.

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  • Thank you for sharing this information.

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  • My son didn’t take his first steps till he was 16 months, by then all the babies around us at the same age had been walking for ages. But once he started he never stopped. you would never know that he didn’t walk till that late.

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  • thank you sharing this article good read

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  • Is he walking yet? every child is different but 18 months does seem a little late

    Reply

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