[Jule'sMomInOR]

Juliana loves to walk while holding my hands. I tricked her into doing it while holding just one hand by giving her something she loves to hold onto with the other. Once she started doing it one-handed, I got really excited and praised her a lot, Now she does it holding onto one hand like a champ, but I need to figure out how to trick her into doing it without holding on (when she's ready, and I don't think she is yet).

I'm curious how the walking babies got started. Did you set up some furniture with a small gap so they'd have to walk a few steps to get there? What else?

[Daffodil]

Oh that's awesome!! I'll have to try that!!! My daughter isn't even pulling up or cruising yet, but she demands to be walked constantly. Can't wait until she manges on her own!

Right now though it seems like she is trying to learn how to stand up. I guess pulling up never occured to her (unless its pulling up by a person's hands) so she's just trying to stand on her own. Hasn't made it quite yet...might be awhile since she can't really stand on her own for more than a few seconds anyway.

[Wren]

Stella cruises a lot, sometimes one handed, but she still won't walk if you hold her hands.

[Karlie]

Can Julianna stand without holding onto anything? Noah could stand by himself at 9 months so we would just crouch a little away from him and he would take a step or two and then fall into our arms. He was walking at 10months. Luca is 10 months and is nowhere near that.

[sweetliberty]

Aaron's first step was from my knees to the couch. I was sitting leaning against the couch with my knees bent and he pulled up on them and then kind of half fell half walked to the couch. Within a day or two he was taking 2-3 steps at a time. I think it may have helped having our furniture set up in a way that he had to take a couple of steps to walk between them. He's now taking 4-6 steps at a time by himself (I think the most I ever counted was 7).

[Jule'sMomInOR]

Originally Posted by Karlie

Can Julianna stand without holding onto anything? Noah could stand by himself at 9 months so we would just crouch a little away from him and he would take a step or two and then fall into our arms. He was walking at 10months. Luca is 10 months and is nowhere near that.

I don't think so but I never really encouraged her to try. I guess I should work on tricking her into doing that first! Are babies who stand by themselves usually getting that way on their own from the sitting position or are they holding onto someone and then letting go?

[Karlie]

Originally Posted by Jule'sMomInOR

I don't think so but I never really encouraged her to try. I guess I should work on tricking her into doing that first! Are babies who stand by themselves usually getting that way on their own from the sitting position or are they holding onto someone and then letting go?

Holding onto something and then letting go is the norm I think. It would take a lot of balance to go from sitting to standing. But yeah, I think they need the balance to stand first before they take steps. Or at least thats what mine did, but all babies are different I suppose!

[Genesis 33-5]

M&M started furniture cruising really early. McKynlee was the first one to take steps w/o holding on to something, but she still prefers to hold on to something. None of my other kids were walking until 1 yr or older. I think my girls walking early, is 1) because there is 2 of them, and 2) they want to be like thier older siblings. However, I personally don't think an age should be put on milestones such as rolling over, crawling, walking, sleeping. Each child is different and will do things in their own time.

[Daffodil]

Our realtor said one of her kids just took off walking super fast one day...she said he didn't know how to balance himself so he kept stepping to prevent himself from falling LOL. So I guess you don't HAVE to be able to stand to be able to walk, but its probably more common.