My 15 month old isn’t walking yet {tips to help}

I find myself using a Boba baby carrier a lot for our 15 month old.   Why?
My 15 month old isn’t walking.   She will be 16 months in a week and while she will walk with some help (holding our hands) she won’t take steps alone.  Some parents worry with this scenario, but to be honest, this is perfectly normal and still developmentally appropriate.

If she is 18 months and still not walking, I will have her evaluated (although I don’t see that happening).  18 months  is the age that she should be starting to walk, although I have worked with several little ones  (I am a play therapist) that didn’t walk until they were two and they do great now!
By the way, I was 16 months before I walked, too!  Like Mother, Like daughter? 

Here are some tips to help (if YOUR 12-18 month old isn’t walking yet)

• Work with her daily, offering her enticing things (stuffed animals, snacks, toys, yourself with your arms outstretched) on the “other” end of the table, or the “other” side of the couch- if she tries to crawl, I just stand her up again and she cruises right along again.
• Walk with her – holding her hands
• Let her use her push toy (push walker, stroller, shopping cart)
• Don’t put her in slippery shoes or socks.  I try to let our baby have bare foot at home, so that she won’t slip when she does try to take those first steps
• Don’t use a walker (the one that looks like an exersaucer with wheels) – they aren’t good for your baby’s legs or hips, plus a LOT of babies end up in the ER from injuries using walkers near stairs.   It is dangerous.  We just never had them in our house.
• Give her plenty ‘floor time’, letting her crawl and cruise around on her own, but…
• Wear her in a carrier when you are out and about (I hate to have her crawling around, getting germs, but when she is in a baby carrier, she is content to be held.  When we are home, she is back to it…)

So, to make things easier when we are out and about (or even at home), I have been baby-wearing a lot.   I’ve ‘worn’ each of our children in a carrier at some point. I studied child development in college and learned about the importance of keeping your baby close when they are young.  Two of our kids were premature or had a very low birth weight, so I had them in baby carriers a LOT- close to my heart…

I felt like it was important for them to be with me (there are facts that prove that children do better when they are worn.  We practiced Kangaroo care with each of our babies, too ~ skin to skin.)

Other than the fact that it bonds you with your baby, I like to do this with our youngest baby because we have four young kids.  I need to have my hands free to help them.  Pushing a stroller or carrying her in my arms isn’t the easiest thing for me, but wearing her is a solution that we both love.

I recently came across the Boba baby carrier because all of my friends were using them.   I’m sure you have seen them around because they are very popular and for good reason…

Did you know that Boba is the only baby carrier company that exclusively sells baby carriers that keep baby facing inward?

Here are a few reasons why this is a benefit:

• Research shows that carrying your baby facing inward helps your baby to attach, in a healthy way, to parents.
• Having your baby facing inward also prevents hip dysplasia, allowing your sweet little one to stay safe and healthy, both physically and psychologically.
• I found that when I carried our baby inward vs. outward, it helped my back immensely.   Carrying any of our four kids facing outward just hurt me physically.
•  I faced them out because I thought that they would be ‘bored’ facing inward, but really, that is where they were most comfortable.  Facing them outward was over-stimulating, which would make them fussy.
•  It’s much harder on your body and back to carry something that curves away from your body than something that is meant to be carried inward, to curve towards your body.
• Another good point is that carrying your baby outward doesn’t support your baby’s legs.   Since your baby’s legs should be pulled up to at least hip level,  you need to find a carrier that has the fabric that covers the whole back of the thigh to the backside of the knee on your baby.  When facing outward and their legs are unsupported, his spine and hips are unsupported too.
• Prevent hip dysplasia~  Check out this medical research by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute and the infant biomechanics of different types of baby carriers.  “A baby carrier that supports the upper legs encourages proper hip development.  Front facing carriers do not support little hips.”

I encourage you to give baby wearing with the Boba a try.  It is easier on YOU AND YOUR BABY (and better for both of you, in my opinion.)  I think you’ll love it.

Here are some more great ideas about Baby Wearing on my Pinterest Safe Baby Wearing Board. 
Follow Becky @ Your Modern Family Baby wearing tips on Pinterest If you want to find out more about it, check out their website at  https://www.bobafamily.com/  To learn more and connect with Boba, “Like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Boba. The opinions and text are all mine.   What are your thoughts on safe babywearing? Comments submitted may be displayed on the Boba website, Facebook, or Twitter.