I can understand the urge to walk babies. After all, they seem to like it so much. When we help our babies walk, they are gleefully entertained — enjoying us enjoying them — while we’re getting a preview of one of life’s major milestones. Sometimes we’re compelled to walk our babies because we think they need help developing their motor skills and believe it our duty to teach them. We worry that our children will fall behind if we don’t give them a hand or two (literally).
So, why rain on this innocent parade and suggest not walking babies?
1. Body wisdom
“Only a baby knows just the way his or her joints should align,” notes Carol Pinto, a longtime RIE Associate, Feldenkrais practitioner and friend. In other words, when it comes to motor development, babies are self-learners — they really do know best. By holding our babies’ hands to mobilize, position and reposition their bodies, we hinder their natural ability to find balance, sense spatial relations, and judge what they can and cannot do. Better to trust our babies to walk when they are ready, and by doing so encourage mental and physical awareness.
2. Safety
Awareness and safety go hand-in-hand, and walking babies makes them less aware — gives them a false sense of balance and of their abilities — which can be dangerous. In Don’t Stand Me Up I describe an unfortunate incident at our home involving my unwitting husband and a friend’s toddler who was accustomed to being walked down steps.) But babies who are given freedom to move and develop in their own way gain a self-knowledge that keeps them safer. Their inner sense of balance and judgment intact, movements are carefully calculated, and they tend to make fewer reckless moves. In a 1971 study on natural gross motor development at the Pikler Institute (as reported in The RIE Manual) researchers described the children’s movements as “well-coordinated, economical and cautious”. They also noted that “the children, without exception, attained age-appropriate skills.”
3. Habits, dependencies
Walk babies, and they’ll probably want to do it again and again. Not only does this create an unhealthy dependence on an adult for body balancing, it makes a habit of an activity that the baby will likely be much more interested in continuing (and doing far more often) than we are. Babies are extremely fond of repetition. And, personally, I’m not fond of having more situations with babies where I have to say, “No”. Babies who are not walked or otherwise positioned never ask to be.
4. Parent’s backache
Enough said.
5. Thwarts independent play
The walking habit creates an unnecessary and unproductive dependency on the adult for entertainment. Engaging the parent to repeat the activity becomes a distraction when the child could be happily working on developing motor skills his way, or engaged in other more educational, creative and exploratory self-generated activities.
6. Restrictive
Although we probably believe that our well-intentioned manipulation of a baby is helping her learn to move freely, we are actually restricting her (just as we do when propping her to sit and holding her to stand). Babies need lots of practice moving freely to attain new skills. It is best to encourage that freedom and trust them to be inner-directed. Only babies know what they are ready to do and what they’re working on.
7. Loss of transitional movements
Researchers at the Pikler Institute also noted in their observation of the 722 children raised in this model orphanage (the only place that I’m aware of where natural gross motor development has been officially studied) that the children maintained a “stable high activity level during the whole period of learning new motor skills and changed their postures on average of at least once per minute. This indicates that a child restricted from moving freely is deprived of the long hours of exercising in transitional postures before mastering the next developmental skill.” (From The RIE Manual.)
These wonderful transitional postures are one of the striking differences I’ve seen over the years between babies who are allowed to develop without interference and those who aren’t.
There is an agile 7 month old boy in my new class who spends the majority of the class in perfect straddle splits when he isn’t sitting (a recent development) or scooting across the floor. The parents (neither of whom are dancers, gymnasts, or even circus performers) and I were marveling at him just last week, wondering if, and for how long he will maintain this astonishing flexibility.
Transitional postures are building blocks, each one having a distinct and valuable developmental purpose for our child. When we, however subtly, nudge our child to sit or walk, we believe we are helping, but the child ends up losing out on experiencing a healthier developmental process which includes the wide array of naturally strength-building postures.
8. Trust + Mastery = Self-Confidence
Basic trust in our baby means allowing him to drive his development. When a baby feels our trust and is allowed to experience his appropriate self-chosen struggles and then eventually to own his independent accomplishments (like walking), self-confidence is nurtured. Instead of, “Now I can finally do it without daddy’s hands holding me.” It’s “Wow, look what I can do!”
9. I’m enough
When we’re dating, everyone wants to know when we’ll be married. Then we get married and it’s, “When are you having a baby?” Then, “Is the baby smiling? Sitting? Walking? Talking? When are you having baby number 2?” Why is it so hard for us to appreciate what’s going on right now?
Babies need to know that they are appreciated, enjoyed and loved for what they are able to do at this moment. Generally, they never need our help for the basics like sitting, standing and walking. Our interference only confuses the process, and in many ways corrupts it. They really don’t need our help, as much as we’re driven to give it. As Magda Gerber writes in Dear Parent – Caring For Infants With Respect, “If infants are ready to do something, they will do it. In fact, when they are ready, they have to do it.”
I share more about this organic, child-led approach in Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting
This by far the funniest thing I’ve read. Unless parents are walking babies their every waking moment, which we’ll all agree no one has time to do, in all my years this activity is usually just a little bit of fun for adult and child alike. With all the baby yoga, baby activity toys and baby every kind of development apparatus out there where we force them into some sort of activity and don’t let them develop at their own pace, shouldn’t those be under attack instead?
AT .. they don’t need to be attacked. If people follow the basics of letting the baby develop at her/his own pace, as this article suggests… make the connection … then the things you listed wouldn’t be used. Simple.
AGREED! This is beyond ridiculous…Mom of 3 adult boys who are very coordinated….and who were each “walked”…
Our parents in the early sixties never walked us. Mom said she figured we learn it on our own.. no hovering there
The more I read and learn about RIE the more it makes sense to me. Unfortunately I didn’t discover it until my son was over a year old. We have been those parents who spent hours last summer walking him up and down the driveway until he “finally” began walking on his own at 11 months.
I’d love love love to see you post an article about how to transition to RIE strategies/philosophies after you didn’t start out that way! How to change behaviors like whining and poor independent play skills that have been pretty well instilled by what I’m now considering poor parenting choices at the beginning.
If you can’t tell yet, my 20 month old is currently doing a lot of whining and neediness and not letting me cook dinner! 🙂
Love your articles Janet!
I think this is a normal stage in toddler development Amanda – not anything you could have prevented. You can support him from now but don’t think you could have changed things – children’s brains have a lot going on!
This is a really good article and I’m sad that a lot of people don’t understand that these are facts.
It doesn’t mean that you have to do it that way but accepting it would be a great start.
I’m a physiotherapist for babies and children and a huge fan of Emmi Pikler.
So I would sign that any day.
Parents just don’t see what they are doing to the children when forcing them to turn/sit/walk to early. But I do. When I have to therapy their 12/13 year olds with back pain. With head aches. Caused (also) from to early sitting (f.e.)
I don’t say that this is the case with every child that is forced to walk but you can definitely see a majority.
I think patents should accept that each and every baby has its own unique way of growing up.
Great article! Thank you! 🙂
It seems there could be a happy medium on this one. There are some very good points here. I always naturally allowed our son to cruise along (safe) furniture/surfaces, which he loved. Of course, there are times when you are somewhere where there are no cruising surfaces at all – our big backyard, a big church/building lobby, etc. Our son also spent his first 10 1/2 months in an orphanage/group care and didn’t walk until he was 15 mos. old (not that late, I know, but late compare to some). He found it frustrating for him to not be able to stand and observe his world as loved to do, simply because there was no convenient cursing surface. I found that if I offered him just two fingers and completely followed his lead then I could be his cruising “surface” in those moments. It was also yet another way to foster attachment, which is essential for kiddos from orphanage backgrounds. SO, I didn’t “walk him” all that often, but the times I did I feel were just fine and worked well for us both. Point being, I think this can be done in a respectful and advantageous way and a blanket statement against it doesn’t need to be made (while education on the points in this post is certainly great and necessary). (By the way, now that he is 4 1/2 my son is a wonderfully independent little guy whose agility and balance boggle my mind. He learned to ride his two wheeler just after he turned 4 and in only 15 minutes!! So, think he’s doing okay, haha.) As with most things, being educated, trusting your mom gut, and respecting your child usually leads to a great experience and outcome for everyone.
Sorry about the typos 🙂 – “cruising surfaces”, etc. Typing too fast :)!
My daughter also was in an orphanage until 5 days after her first birthday. Physically she was like a 3 or 4 month old, unable tocrawl, get to a sitting position, let alone walk, but her brain was a year old. With a physical therapist through early intervention, she went swiftly through all the stages, like she’d read a baby development book. Swimming backward, forward, commando crawl, all 4 crawl, cruising and took her first unassisted steps at 17 months. By 2 she was sprinting and had abs of steel from all the core work the PT had done with her. The will in that little body was amazing. She’s now 15 and a varsity gymnast.
awesome info. how i wish i knew these months ago. my boy has now started walking. thanks.
I have RIE 1 training and I tried so hard to follow this, but please in the future include a little bit about babies who develop along traditional milestones, even 1 sentence would be nice. My toddler has hip problems and needs chiropractic care to walk- we had to guide her along, hold her hand, put her in a walker, etc. we needed to teach her to walk. If we had left her on her own, she would not have learned and would have needed more invasive intervention so that her left leg wouldn’t be in pain everytime she tried to put weight on it. Sometimes, the absolute ness of these articles can be misleading.
My toddler began walking just now at 18 months but we still need to help her since the muscles on her left side are not as strong as her right.
This article pretends to offer knowledge about about a very varied part of a child’s evolution. It seeks to offer a solution to problems that do not exist and is really preying upon parents who lack confidence and experience. The set up is all ways a presumption of concern where none exist. Many parents who are learning their way a looking for advice…I personally wouldn’t look here. Trust your heart and speak to mums, dads, grandparents. Raising a child is not a complex issue, we have been doing for millennia and trust your own instincts and common sense
It probably looks like these “problems” don’t exist because they’re just so subtle. That’s why it takes a long time to really understand kids, and even these educated child care professionals make mistakes and have hard times, exactly because it IS a complex thing teaching and raising a child.
One thing I learned by my early childhood education and child care experience combined is that you cannot rely on instincts alone. This website is the only one where I feel I can get sound advice even after the education I’ve had.
This is absolutely ridiculous. My daughter has been trying to stand in my lap since 6 weeks old, was sitting on her own at 4 months, and from 6-7 months was crawling, pulling herself up onto furniture at taking small steps while holding into items and also in the same month she said her first word. You know your own children and it is up to you to encourage their development. Sometimes recognizing their early milestone development and encouraging it is best. Don’t listen to anyone tell you how to raise your child. Also don’t force your child to do activities they just can’t or won’t do. It is a balance and no one way is right or wrong for anyone.
Bernadette…I like your points. My youngest walked at 8 months and not because I forced her too. I didn’t want her to walk early…yikes! My other one walked at 10 months I knew what I was in for. She did absolutely everything early. Once she could pull-up she started demanding that I walk her around when we were at places that didn’t have furniture to cruise on.
Perhaps, this is meant more for those parents that try to walk a baby around before the baby shows in any interest in it all?? And isn’t developmentally ready for it?
So I have read quite a lot about RIE and Emmi Pilker, the idea is you never put a baby in a position they cannot move into on their own, so a new born you would only ever put on their back and eventually they will find the movements to roll over in their own. This is the same for each mile stone, sitting, crawling walking etc. many doctors encourage tummy time but this is not recommended in RIE. Hiwever if a child is pulling theirselves up the that is fune and shows the child is ready to do that. My son has been pulling himself up since about six months now at 13 months he is still not walking but after moving he mastered crawling up and down stairs on his own in less than a week. He is evidently happy and can go where ever he wants, I have never walked him or forced his position but sometimes other family members have as people are desperate that he is already achieving the next step, i am a back ache sufferer so If I can avoid it in my son I am happy to try and believe the research is very well done and true.
Hi there. Thank you for this extremely informative article. I need your advice.. so my baby started showing interest in standing and walking about 15 days ago.. and we have done all the things you have asked us not to do. He loves it like you said. He is a year old (adjusted age – 9.5 months) he sits without support but hasn’t loved the transition move yet too..
Really young babies exhibit the desire to “stand” because they have a retained kicking reflex from the birth process. Babies actually “kick off” during the last phase of birth. It isn’t because they are developmentally ready to walk.
Do you have some kind of citation for statements like this?
Emily is right. It is often called the ‘Walking reflex’ have a google it is quite common knowledge so should be easy to find. Most babies lose the reflex by about 4 months. In many countries it is part of the six week check to see if they still have it.
Bernadette, the article is not saying one should actively restrict their child from doing what is developmentally appropriate or within their ability to do – just the contrary, it’s saying – in a nutshell – get out of your kids’ way and let them achieve what is possible without unnecessary scaffolding. You say you didn’t do any of this stuff and yet the child accomplished it ‘early’ without your ‘help’ – well bravo for proving what the author a asserting!
Oh and I should also note that I was able to stay home her first 4 months and even now spend 80% of our time together on the floor on her level playing with her and practicing milestones when she seemed to have an interest in something new. At 4 months I started teaching her baby sign language and at 6 months she could drink from an open cup. She is extremely independent player and always been a wonderful sleeper and eater. Every child is different. Love your kid, play with them, encourage them when they show an interest, and don’t force anything and your baby will develop just fine.
Bernadette: good for you…? You sound so proud of yourself!
Is this for real? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.
Right?! Couldn’t have said it better!
I think this is a natural response for uneducated parents who have the best intentions to help their children. I’m in a bit of a pickle myself, overly consciencous of responding to my baby’s cues, I reacted to nearly every little winge which has made my baby a little too dependant on me. He loved standing, which has now turned into a terrible habit of standing and being walked at 11 months and never crawling… (Was this my fault, I will never know if he would have crawled without my interference, the guilt riddles me). To break bad habits is so hard…. Do I stop walking him altogether now? Especially as he can’t crawl his frustration is high. I do leave him on his own quite a bit next to furniture and sometimes he will pull himself up but he is always whining for me and wanting to be walked. Should I just go cold turkey? Help please not judgment!
THere are all sorts of fun things you can to do encourage crawling. It isn’t too late. Put your baby on all fours, get a few feet in front of them with their favorite toy and encourage them to move towards you on all fours. Play tunnels are also a great way to encourage crawling. You could always have one session with a pediatric OT who would also have ideas. I would just wean him off of walking him. It is never “too late” and I’m sure you’re a great Mom!
It’s so sad. Why are people so offended? I am always interested in learning newer and better ways to parent. It’s not like there’s an act of congress being passed forcing people to follow these recommendations. Why can’t people just read them, follow the ones that makes sense for their parenting style, ignore the ones that don’t, and stop belittling people who WANT to follow these recommendations? Is that really too much to ask? Why is everything such a fight?
Agreed 100%, Amber!
So I’ll assume your opposed to training wheels on bikes also.
Not as opposed, but I do believe they are unnecessary, unless we are in a hurry to get our child on a bike.
Would this be where the wooden ‘balance bikes’ come into their own Janet? We just bought one for our three year old and she loves it so would be interested in your feedback. My understanding was it is their control (putting feet down) so when they are older they don’t need training wheels?
What about in cases where the baby initiates? My daughter has always grabbed my hands and started stepping on her own, without my direction or interference? I’m curious to hear what you think about that. I feel I would have been ignoring her lead, had I not allowed for assisted walking.
Thanks for all of your wonderful articles!
Surely if the baby is initiating then that is fine so long as you are just a support and not holding her arms in a position that throws her off balance, every baby will get their in their own way after all.
Interesting article. I’ve followed the RIE approach with my 9 month old son since he was born and I’m happy with the results. He initiated rolling from his back to his front on his own, which soon led to “crawling”. He pulls himself along with his belly on the floor. He can sit upright if placed in that position (which I try not to encourage) but he hasn’t moved from a crawling position to sitting on his own yet. Well not in a traditional sense. It’s actually kind of funny. He pulls a small dvd container off of a low shelf in our living room and attempts to crawl/climb on top of it, sometimes he’ll unintentionally roll off of the container in a way that he ends up sitting upright. It’s pretty cute to watch.
Anyway, my question is…will he progress to cruising, standing, walking without any help from me? I’m having a hard time imagining how he’ll get vertical on his own. I want him to develop naturally but part of me is worried that he won’t walk on his own if I don’t help him. Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen a baby that hasn’t been “walked”.
Sounds like your son is still figuring out his own body and how it works. I wouldn’t worry too much about his progression, sounds like he’s doing fine and he’ll get there in his own time.
My baby will be a year in two days time, but she has not starting making a move to walk or even stand on her own, what marvels me is that her age mate started walking at eleven months. My baby is too fearful but she grabs anything and stand.
I just want to point out that my son loved to be ‘walked’ from a very young age- we did it often and he also had a lot of time to lay on the floor and discover his mobility on his own. He was an early sitter, stander, crawler, and began walking without any support at 9 months. We ‘walked’ him all of the time, so in his it clearly didn’t delay his development. I think parents need to be less concerned with the way that they play with their babies and when they reach their milestones. Seems like a lot of worry for nothing.
I think the “a lot of time to play on the floor” is key here. That is part of the foundation of building healthy movement, but it doesn’t always happen which is a big part of what this approach speaks to
it’s even hard to remember when he asked for our hand, but can surely tell it was way before he felt comfortable crawling. and we did. we offered him support and thought at that time that he will be an early walker. he’s 16 mths old now and first thing he does when he wakes up is to grab my hand and say “let’s go”. he started climbing recently and he’s still a crawler. we have been many changes in the last 3 months (moved cities and been away on the road without our routine or comfort). q: how can I allow him to develop independently now that he’s so used to having me to hold on to? I’ve always known holding his hand won’t do him any good but it happened. How do you go back from this without making him feel we are not there when he needs us to be or without making him feel he is not enough? thank you
Can I ask what professional degree you hold that gives you expertise in the area of child motor development and intervention?
I am a pediatric Physical Therapist and I don’t agree with the information you presented here.
With respect, I don’t need a degree in child motor development to share the expertise of pediatrician Dr. Emmi Pikler and child specialist Magda Gerber, among many others.
Janet, you have a huge following in New Zealand and this ‘don’t force the physical milestones’ philosophy is now widely promoted by healthcare workers here. Thanks for sharing with parents.
Aww, that’s wonderful and I thank you for your kind comment! 🙂
I was hoping for a PT to chime in. I too would like cited peer- research on the effectiveness of this approach as well as peer-reviewed research on the claims made in this article.
i had 3 babies.my first walked at 11 months the second at 9 months and the 3rd at ten months.i did not have all the new fangled stuff thats out to day ,so they got alot of floor play time and learned to pull themselves up and hold on.for example my second child walked at 9 months.i have pictures of her.she use to pull herself up from this big square foot stool that went with our couch and she would hold on and walk around and around it holding on until she finally let go.i would not have believed anyone up until then that a baby could walk at that age.all 3 are healthy and fine and no problems.oh yes and i did walk them holding on from time to time,but it was not alot.they are now 33,26 and 21.i have 5 grandchildren.2 are both 5 months(not twins) there were born 30 hours apart from seperate moms.anyways nowadays seems like every little thing is scutunized when it comes to babies.dont do this and dont do that.while i can see some practices are for the better,i still use old methods that would would have the universe in an upheavel.im going to be watching one of the babes when mom goes back to work and im sticking to the basics i raised my babes on.so much easier and babies turn out healthier and happier.
Hi Janet,
We have a 10.5 month old who stands and cruises along furniture quite well. However, she is very happy to crawl and enjoys sitting and playing with her toys and books and often engages herself for awhile doing those things.
I mention the above because I’ve noticed a slight “regression” with her standing, and daycare has mentioned it as well. She doesn’t seem to want to do it as much, but she never seems uncomfortable / in pain when doing it. Have you seen or heard of this pattern in other babies?
We fall pretty much in line with your philosophy on letting babies and children develop on their own timetable… and I’ll note to other commenters above that many studies have shown average or late walkers to actually have higher intelligence scores than early walkers. I digress…
Just hoping you might help to shed some light on why this could be occurring. In the meantime, we’re just letting her do her thing, crawling, standing, cruising and climbing when she wants to!
Thanks in advance,
Krysten
Not trying to be proud, as an average child is much easier one to raise than one with a high IQ, but we have many offspring in my family with notably high IQ’s. Their walking began anywhere from 8 months, to 14 months. IQ plays a very small role in walking short of the child also having an perfectionism OCD, which is not unusual for a child with a high IQ, and they will walk/talk once they know they have mastered it.
I feel like this article could have been summarized in less points. Some are repetitive or not different enough to be a separate topic. I also found contradictory statements. Essentially, I could organize all these points into two categories:
1. Trust that babies are self-learners (see also: points #8, #9)
2. Don’t trust that babies know what they want (see also: #3, #4, #5, #6, #7)
There was some interesting information mixed in there (namely the old 1970’s study & info about transitional movements) but unfortunately it was just so chaotically written and repetitive most got lost because there was so much ‘filler’. Bummed. Mostly bummed that the statements were so contradictory at times! The first line of this blog post was how babies ‘think’ they enjoy holding our hands but don’t trust that instinct! Sure, both you and your baby enjoy it but no no no, that instinct is wrong. Oh but see number 8+9.
In other news, a recent study of adult high performers (done by Brendon Burchard) found that the greatest way to gain Confidence is through Competence- which means learning from masters. Which means having support. It’s the same reason people go to college, or see a doctor, or go to physical therapy, or have parents. We seek those who know more. It’s the same reason you wrote this blog post, to share information. You’re literally trying to hold our hands as we learn to walk, and yet babies aren’t allowed to reach out for our support ‘naturally’?
So confused. Maybe I’m missing some big point. Or perhaps there was not enough distinction made in what “walking your baby” looks like. So maybe my confusion is simply due to the poor organization of this blog post and less so the content itself. I do agree with many points (*within reason) but it was hard to take the whole article seriously when the contradictions were so evident.
Though, despite my confusion, I do appreciate the opportunity to overthink this topic and settle on my own gut instincts to parent my baby. It made me think.
I’m surprised to see so much resistance to something that is both intuitive and logical. When babies’ muscle, bones, joints and nerves are ready to take on a new task, they will do so. To put babies into a position that her/his muscles, joints, bones and nerves are not ready for obviously puts undue and unnecessary stress on those systems. It just makes sense. Thank you Janet, for raising everyone’s awareness.
I agree that this article (and those like it) need a disclaimer that they’re generalist and may not apply to all kids. Babies working with OT need different things and reading articles like this online can shake a momma’s confidence. In general I’m a big fan of RIE parenting but we do need to mention that kids with special needs may not be candidates for strict RIE parenting. And that is JUST FINE.
Dear Janet, it is so greatful for me to find out this article. My parents in law enjoy a lot walking my 9 month baby and I have mentioned several times that I would prefer that they leave him alone so that he can move by himself the way he wants, but they think that as parents we have to stimulate the movement for the baby, otherwise the baby is not happy. I will try to discuss with them again and maybe explain to them your point of view, hope they will understand what I want the best for the baby. Thanks again.
Maria Montessori on mind/body experience. So critical.
http://www.michaelolaf.net/1JC1stCPS.html
Janet do you have any articles or thoughts on teaching your children how to safely go down stairs, a slide or get off of a chair? My 1 year old is great at independent play, and we don’t generally walk her. She easily climbs up stairs or onto her little chair, but she likes to throw herself face first of her little chair and is inclined to go face first down stairs. She climbs up on her own just fine. How do you recommend safely letting kids learn how to go down things? Thanks!
Hi Tammy, just my own experience here… my boy started crawling about 9 months and we have a couple of steps in the house. When he would crawl to the top of the step I would say “feet first” and gently spin him around and help guide him down. I did this EVERY time he came to the top of the step. Consistency is key 🙂 He eventually started to turn around on his own when I said “feet first” and found his way down the steps. I would give him praise and a kiss and he loved it – he was so proud of himself! (And I was too!) Once he had mastered it, and it was really quickly, I used it for any obstacle like bed, stairs, play equipment etc… I would just say “feet first” with no other intervention and he would instantly turn and go down feet first. Watching them learn and put into action is just so amazing and fun. Hope this helps!!
I read the article and the comments with dismay…As a parent are you really going to succumb to the advice of ‘professionals’who have never met you or your baby? We have managed to survive for thousands of years as a species…these ‘experts’ are clutching at straws; only YOU know your baby and what is good for them. We, as parents,have an innate instinct and do not need generic advice to guide us. Do not use age as a guidance for achievement, just go with the flow. The danger here is that the advice is telling you that you are not a good parent. Yes, kids fall, yes, kids roll over, yes, kids love to hold you for support, yes some bum-shuffle, yes, some walk without ever crawling, yes, some roll one way and not the other – they are all individual and therefore, this advice is meaningless and derogatory. Go with the flow,enjoy your little munchkin and learn with them…
How about everyone quits ridiculing and undermining others parenting ways and get a life. Everyones child is different and you need to stop saying the “uneducated” are the ones offended. Sorry not every parent reads and abides by every baby book on the planet. No one cares that you you never “walked” your baby and certainly no one gives a flying you know what about your college degrees. Mommas you do what you feel is right plain and simple get over yourselves.
Hi. Interesting article. So, I agree with all the above having taught childcare development a number of years.
I was also given to believe that interfering with a baby’s physical development , such as walking them, could contribute to in- toeing or knock / bandy knees. Possibly due to not allowing their muscles & bones to strengthen naturally. Do you feel there is any truth in this, particularly the in-toeing issue please? Thank you
I have a question Janet, my 9 month old pulls himself up in a standing position, but doesn’t know how to sit back and if I am not assisting him, he will hurt himself (falling down or bumping his jaw on the table edge). What would you suggest? I have read the books, but don’t remember what to do in this situation… Thanks
Hi Ivana! Please take a look at the second video in this post “Baby Stuck Standing” https://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/05/fearless-baby-empowered-by-risk-surprising-video/ I was able to demonstrate how I would spot in this situation and then a parent practices it in the video.
Interesting article. I walked each of my babies once or twice. Not easy on the back. Lol
I totally agree with this article and confused as to why so many people get offended by it .
I have interfered in my baby’s development more than i ‘d wished but it never crossed my mind to walk my baby like it is shown on the picture. Of course i offered her support when she asked / my judgement told me it was necessary in a bit of a risky situation, Support meant a finger at her waist level for her to use as she wished.
I was actually shocked when a well intentioned person pulled my baby up the stairs: the poor thing didn’t know what was happening as it put her totally off balance, her feet not firmly planted on the ground, and she knew how to managed stairs just fine by herself then.
Personally i don’t think i would like walking with my arms pulled up in the air. No doubt there are many nuanced ways of walking a baby and I’m sure babies that have been walked will do just fine, but maybe it’s not necessary and keeping an open mind is useful?
Thank you Janet for sharing that information and offering different perspective to what is often regarded as the norm without it even being questioned or challenged. All your work has inspired my journey as a mum and i am grateful for it.
Thank you, Noelie.
Haha these parents on here commenting and trying to defend themselves and their force walking their babies, trying to make them walk early is so funny to read.
My son had no help whatsoever and was running independently at 10 months and me at 8 months, he just did it himself in his own time and never used a walking aid, just sat and stood and walked with his own determination and own muscles and joints, hand and eye coordination and balance etc and we couldn’t be more proud to see him so happy with his own unique achievements and his face light up because he did it all by himself
I see my sister in law and husband making their now 10 month old daughter walk with a little trolley, pushing the trolley for her so her legs have to move or she’ll fall on her face. She can’t yet sit independently either but being forced to walk because that’s what daddy did so you must too!
Ahh the need for parents to look good, to show their child ‘excelling’ and how parents need to constantly be competing with the outside world so that they can feel better about themselves, all at the expense of their child. Love this article, so much truth in here. Calm down parents, your child is already enough just the way they are, promise