12mo and pre-walking skills

Motor Development
#1

Hi there!

My son is 12 months old and seems to have zero interest in standing without holding onto anything. We try and practice standing solo and he will legit pick his feet up (almost like he’s sitting in the air lol) so we can’t stand him up or immediately plops onto the ground. He pulls himself up and walks along furniture all day long, but refuses to try and stand by himself. He has no interest in pushing walkers or walking with assistance from my husband or I. Should we just let him be for the time being?

#2

Independent walking can begin anytime between 9-15 months-some even a little later, so the fact that your son is cruising along and not yet ready for push toys or independent standing is totally fine! Babies need to develop balance, body awareness, and confidence to let go or push a toy on wheels which feels unstable so the more he practices himself the more likely he’ll gain the skills needs.

Something you can do to challenge him can be putting small toys or couch cushions on the floor along his crushing path so he has to step on, over, or further away from the furniture he’s holding. This will help improve balance and motor planning.

Unless there’s something “wrong” babies don’t need to be pushed along towards their milestones. If they’re making steady progress and motivated to move, then practice practice practice will get them there :slight_smile:

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#3

Thank you!

He’s EVERYWHERE :joy: He’s smart enough to figure out how to climb up onto things (like the coffee table and the couch) to get to other things that are out of his reach. :woozy_face:Needless to say, he keeps us on our toes in the best way. We’ll just keep offering practice until he’s ready.

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#4

Just keep offering opportunities for him to be on his feet and move between furniture and it will happen! Also, if he is crawling I’m always happy for kids to crawl longer!

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