ASK THE EXPERTS

Send your questions to sally@mumstheword.co.za.
Please specify which expert you would like to ask.

Click here for Heidi's photo's of the Ed. & her family

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EXPERTS ARCHIVE

Help with a toddler who is not yet walking

Q: A reader writes:

I have an 18-month old son and I'm very concerned because he cannot yet walk. He can stand however but doesn't want to walk. Is this normal at his age? What do you suggest I do?

A: Erica Neser, Baby & Toddler expert, Replies:

Here are the ranges for some baby milestones: Sitting without support: 3,75 to 9,5 months Standing with assistance: 4,5 to 12 months Hands & knees crawling: 5 to 14 months Walking with assistance: 6 to 14,5 months Standing alone: 7 to 17 months Walking alone: 8 to 18 months (From: Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice, ILCA, 2008) So you can see they are quite 'wide' and your little one is still just inside the range. Often babies will be able to stand alone, but crawling will still be faster and therefore their preferred mode of transport. Sometimes they just need to be shown that walking can be as fast, by holding one or both their hands and encouraging them to walk every time (this is quite exhausting!). I had to do that with my 3rd baby at 15 months. It might also be wise to take your little one to your pediatrician or GP, and he/she may refer you to an occupational therapist if necessary. OT's usually help by giving you specific exercises to do with your baby at home, depending on the reason why he is not walking yet. And remember if you little one can take a few steps by himself, he CAN walk, even if he doesn't want to do it often! Hope this helps.

Email your questions to sally@mumstheword.co.za.

PANEL:

Dr Paul Sinclair - Paediatrician
Paul is a well-known and much-loved Cape Town Paediatrician, with a special interest in newborns, kidneys and feeding. He runs a busy practice from Vincent Pallotti hospital, and also does session work at the Red Cross Children's Hospital in his capacity as a Paediatric Nephrologist. Paul is a father of three, including a new baby which keeps him on his toes!

Erica Neser - Sleep, Breastfeeding, First Aid and Massage Expert
Erica is the author of the original Baby Sleep Guide and has recently launched the second edition, titled Sleep Guide for Babies and Toddlers. She is also a Breastfeeding Consultant and Infant Massage Instructor with the International Association of Infant Massage. She has a BA degree in Psychology, and is trained as an Aromatherapist, Postnatal Depression Group Leader and Infant CPR Instructor. She is well known in the baby community, and often speaks at parenting workshops and to groups of health professionals.

Kerry Pienaar - Pregnancy, Labour, Birth and Postnatal Expert
Kerry is a trained Professional Childbirth Companion / Doula.  She offers physical and emotional support to the labouring woman, offering skills in non-medicated pain relief techniques while supporting both the mom and dad. She has also completed a Lactation Management Course and offers advice on Breastfeeding & Postnatal Care.  

Helen Gosnell - Parenting Expert
Helen is the mother of a six year old and a four year old, and initially studied and worked as a remedial teacher before moving to Cape Town 8 years ago. She started working at the Parent Centre as the facilitator of their toddler support group when her youngest was 18 months, as well as giving talks and facilitating workshops on various parenting skills. She has attended parenting and leadership programmes and a number of other workshops through the Parent Centre, and ran the support group for 18 months before moving exclusively onto running workshops and talks in parenting skills.

Angela Hutchinson - Parenting Expert
Angela is a Parenting Skills Coach, running her own business which involves providing parents and caregivers with skills to manage behaviour in a way that promotes and enhances childrens' self-esteem, while still providing the boundaries and limits that they need.  She also works for The Parent Centre, an NGO based in Wynberg focused on helping parents raise their children effectively.  Angela has three children of her own, aged 8, 6 and 4, so has plenty of opportunity to practice the skills herself.  This doesn't mean she always gets them right, it is a work in progress!

Hayley Bilski - Social Worker
Hayley, as well as being a mom to a busy toddler, is a qualified Social Worker specialising in family counselling and drug awareness. After doing her final year practical at a well-known drug counselling centre, she spent three years in the U.K. working in various fields, including child protection, fostering and adoption and counselling families on drug related issues. On her return to South Africa she worked for three years as a school counsellor with adolescents and their families. She now has her own private practice in the Southern Suburbs, focusing on counselling, stress management, drug awareness, career development, building self esteem and parenting skills.

Jo-Marie vdM Bothma - Clinical Psychologist
Jo-Marie is a qualified clinical psychologist who has been in private practice since 2005 and is currently busy with her doctorate in the field of child psychology and play therapy. She has a special interest in neuro-development and child psychology and is a trained and registered Integrated Learning Therapy practitioner. She also runs a baby academy and is a trained infant massage, babygym and baby sign language instructor.

Sally Hetherington - Mum (need I say more?!)
Sally is the founder and editor of Mum's the Word, which she started when she saw a need for a website and newsletter offering support and advice to mothers who felt as clueless as she felt when she had her first baby! Sally offers non-medical advice on all things baby and toddler related, having "been there, done that" (including having a baby with severe colic and sensory integration disorder). She is now happily settled with her two little girls, juggling the pressures and joys of motherhood with her "other baby", Mum's the Word.

Janine Tassi - Supplementation & Aromatherapy Expert
Janine was previously the editor of the Vital Health Foods Vital Club magazines. She studied Aromatherapy for 2 years with the SA School of Aromathepy in 2000, and qualified as an aromatherapist in 2002. As a mother of a young toddler, she understands the value of essential oils, as well as the Bach Flower Remedies, which are both available from Vital Health Foods.

Meredith Bonte - Signing & Communications Expert
Meredith is a qualfied teacher with a Bachelor of Primary Education degree (cum laude) and taught for 10 years before becoming a full time mom. After she had her son she researched the benefits and process of using sign language with hearing children and introduced her son to basic American Sign Language (ASL). She was so amazed with the results that she went on to complete a South African Sign Language (SASL). Meredith pioneered the use of signing with hearing children in South Africa by starting parent workshops teaching key word signing using SASL signs and developed a small SASL dictionary to accompany workshops. She also wrote the first South Africa book about signing with hearing babies and toddlers and developed a DVD and dictionary to accompany the book. The SIGNsational KIDS Programme is also used by schools and parents with special needs children, as well as speech therapists, and is also moving into playgroups, creches and childcare centres.

Disclaimer: Mum's the Word reserves the right to edit questions and answers. Emailing your questions will not guarantee a personal response or publication on the website. Mum's the Word and its affiliates will not be held liable for any loss, harm or injury that may be experienced directly or indirectly, as a result of the use of this service.