Walking around on her knees~?~

My DD "walks" around all over the house on her knees. Sometimes she will take baby steps (not walking yet)....but, mostly just walks on her knees. She did this with crawling, too...she would army crawl everywhere, then just decided to "really" crawl one day.

Should I be worried? Has anyone experienced this? It has got to hurt her little knees!

 

The girls both did this, Emma more than Mia, when they were learning to walk. They figured it out eventually.

 

My girls still enjoy walking on their knees! They also enjoy backward walking, crawling, and slew of other things that they think are sooo funny!

 

My sister's eldest did this until he was nearly 2 years old - he also couldn't put his heel on the floor when he was held in a standing position. He's now a 6'6" star of his high school basketball team. At the time, 18 years ago, they were given all sorts of scary diagnoses including muscular dystrophy and cerebal palsy, but it just turned out to be that his achilles tendons (at the back of the heel) were too tight for him to put his foot flat on the floor so he couldn't walk and kneel-walking was the next best thing. As he got heavier and taller the tendons stretched and he was fine.

 

I can't tell you not to worry, but my DD did this for quite some time. Now, at 2 years, she's walking and running just fine. hang in there!

thea

 

My DD does this. She didn't start until much later (maybe 15-16 months) doing it. She took her first steps at 17 months, and still isn't an official walker. She can walk and is walking further and further distances, but she mostly chooses to walk on her knees still. And it is frustrating!

My DD goes to EI and the PT says it is good that she can walk around on her knees, she's building needed muscle strength.

I was mostly concerned because my other DD (who walked at 11 months) never did that. But since the PT is okay with it and Grace is definitely progressing to more and more walking, we just go with it. Sometimes it means dirty pants or tights though, and she wears down the knees of pants pretty fast.

 

Oh the worries kids cause parents. Sounds like lots of people's kids have done this. My neice (who excells at absolutely everything) did this until about 14 months. Then she had tubes in and walked that day. The fluid in her ears was throwing her balance off so she wasn't able to walk. An easy solution. However, each child develops differently and at their own rate (irregardless of what the parent thinks should be happening). So, if your doc isn't worried about anything, just enjoy these memories being created!

 

Thanks, Everyone! Glad to know she is not the only knee shuffler out there!!
(I know I worry too much! It drives me crazy, too!)

 

cameron did this - he was a late walker (15 months) and was in PT from 7 - 18 months - like PP said - our PT said this was a good sign and good developmentally for him.

 

One of my DDs did this (at about 11 months, just before starting to walk for real) -- it's totally normal. It does seem like it would be hard on the knees, but so is crawling... I think their knees don't hurt as much as ours do!

 

DD did this and she was also a late walker - interesting pattern.

She crawled until 17 months and then spent a couple of weeks doing the knee thing. It was so funny because she had no speed whatsoever, but she wouldn't crawl either. Then, one day she just got up and walked. She rarely crawls anymore. It's like she told herself she had had ENOUGH of that crawling and it was time to get up and go.

 

My boys do this now, at 27 months. I think they're mimicing me since I'm always on the floor with them so this is the way I end up walking 1/2 the time. :icon_biggrin:

 

DD did this from about 11 months until 16 months when she started walking. I asked her pediatric orthopedist (she had hip dysplasia at birth) at her 12 month check-up and the doctor said it was fine.

I worried too, and got a lot of surprised looks from relatives and playgroup members. I didn't mind it much but many had never seen it.

 

DD#2 did this too between crawling and walking. I used to think it was hilarious and have many video clips of her motoring around the house this way. She started walking at about 13 months and this just seemed to be an interm step for her. Now she runs everywhere. Capture it and have a good laugh later when you are chasing after her for the 853rd time!