# How Long Does It Take A Baby To Go From Trying To Walk To Walking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366 "2011-06-13T22:59:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hotcoldhot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58f4c7/32.png) [@hotcoldhot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotcoldhot)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/21 "2011-06-14T20:27:14Z")
My kids were lightning fast crawlers, but once they started the furniture gliding, they were off in about a week. I did not expect them to just take off like that and be so quick. I had to rebaby proof everything for their new ability ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/22 "2011-06-14T20:29:31Z")
My mother tells me that I was a total lump, rarely moving, till the day I was 18 months old. Then I stood up and started walking straight away. Pretty much how I’ve done everything in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/23 "2011-06-14T20:36:09Z")
It didn’t seem to take my little girl too long, but then again she’s 5 already and that seemed to arrive in no time at all. I loved the oh so careful way she walked independently at first. Not wobbling and teetering, but very careful, calm steps, one after the other. Just looking like someone who had nowhere she had to be and all the time in the world to get there. ---
**Author:** ![hotcoldhot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58f4c7/32.png) [@hotcoldhot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotcoldhot)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/24 "2011-06-14T20:43:34Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I loved the oh so careful way she walked independently at first. Not wobbling and teetering, but very careful, calm steps, one after the other. Just looking like someone who had nowhere she had to be and all the time in the world to get there. But you have to admit they are so darn cute when they’re wobbling alone trying so hard not to fall over. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/25 "2011-06-15T01:40:06Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I had to admire their tenacity as I was there for a half an hour and when I left they were still trying. I mean they could’ve given up and crawled, but they were both determined to walk. It doesn’t take most babies long to realize the huge advantages they have for walking over crawling: a. it’s a much higher vantage point being on your feet than from on your hands and knees b. you can carry things. These two advantages make them very determined to figure this more difficult walking thing out. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/26 "2011-06-15T01:47:26Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > My mother tells me that I was a total lump, rarely moving, till the day I was 18 months old. Then I stood up and started walking straight away. > > Pretty much how I’ve done everything in my life. This was my son only at 14 mos. He never crawled properly. Only did the army crawl or butt scoot. Then one day he stood up and walked to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/27 "2011-06-15T01:59:17Z")
On babies falling, it’s not just a matter of padding. They’re also not falling very far, since their butts are already pretty close to the ground. You probably “fall” harder when you sit down heavily in a chair. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/28 "2011-06-15T03:43:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On babies falling, it’s not just a matter of padding. They’re also not falling very far, since their butts are already pretty close to the ground. They are also not nearly as massive as an adult, so even from the same height they won’t hit nearly as hard. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/29 "2011-06-15T15:08:12Z")
I remember my little brother never learned to walk, he went straight from crawling to _running_. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/30 "2011-06-15T17:39:00Z")
im curious about the adults who posted that they didn’t crawl, did you ever suffer from coordination or balance problems later in life? my SIL didn’t crawl either went straight to walking and running. At age 18 she had to spend some hours each week crawling for about six weeks because she had terrible balance and foot coordination problems. Apparrently because she skipped crawling as an infant. My little guy went from low crawl to high crawl to cruising to walking in about 2 monthes (sigh now he’s discovered he can make a ladder with the drawers in the kitchen) ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/31 "2011-06-15T19:35:39Z")
My favorite is the tripod stage. You know, when some babies are crawling but they get one leg under them in an attempt to stand. So they’re still on all fours, but it’s two hands, a knee, and a foot. So cute. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/32 "2011-06-15T19:38:41Z")
You spend a year eagerly anticipating when your child will start walking. And then spend the next two years tearing your hair out because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/33 "2011-06-15T20:07:00Z")
Yeah, I talked to someone with four kids. As they put it, with the first kid, you’re desperately trying everything you can think of to help them get up and moving. With the fourth kid, when they start pulling themselves up, you start pushing them back down. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/34 "2011-06-15T20:40:18Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > You spend a year eagerly anticipating when your child will start walking. And then spend the next two years tearing your hair out because of it. Yeah, that’s it. We were wondering when our son would start walking. Well, it happened too soon, and now he’s running, so we have to chase him. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366/35 "2011-06-15T20:59:04Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Yeah, that’s it. We were wondering when our son would start walking. Well, it happened too soon, and now he’s running, so we have to chase him. That reminds me of my mum. She was 59 at the time and a a neighbor asked her if she could look after her grand-daughter for a few hours. I came home and my mum was on the couch exhausted. I asked what’s wrong she said, “I forgot what it’s like to watch a two year year old. All she did was run.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-baby-to-go-from-trying-to-walk-to-walking/585366.md?page=1)