Indeed, within a week, Libby was fearlessly attempting to charge up a small staircase. Liam pulled himself up to a stand, turned, and took one or two steps before hurtling himself into my arms. He didn't become a true toddler until he was 17 months old. Both of them. But I had to see hundreds of children before I understood how vast the range was.
Scientists now know that humans are genetically wired for walking.
But a newborn's head is enormous in relation to the rest of his body, his center of gravity is near the chest, and his nervous system develops from the head down. So it takes about 12 months for a baby's proportions to readjust and for him to get his movements coordinated enough even to try, says Michael Wade, Ph.D., a kinesiologist at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. Since laid-back kids tend to approach most developmental milestones more cautiously than their more active, restless peers, in general, infants with an easier disposition often walk later. As long as your child has reached the skills that lay the foundation for walking, such as pulling up and standing, experts say, there's no need for concern if your child's content to crawl while most of his friends are toddling. And it's fine if your child doesn't conquer every gross motor skill in the exact order baby books suggest.