I remember reading somewhere that babies either focus on speech or motor skills first, and once they master one, they move on to the other and catch up pretty quickly. I have no idea whether this applies to all babies, but my four certainly followed that rule.
When Crevette was 18 months old and not yet showing any signs of walking, I was worried, but he was my first baby so I was a bit more anxious about milestones happening ‘when they should’ than I am now. Beanie and Jumpy were determined to move around and by the time they were one, they could both walk.
With my fourth baby, I have enjoyed watching her taking her time. Wriggly is a little chatterbox. It was obvious she would be more verbal, like her big brother, so I was not anxious to see her walk too early. I was also secretly enjoying my youngest taking her time and just being happy.
I found it rather annoying when she had her 12 months’ visit and the health visitor who saw her seemed really concerned about my baby’s lack of interest in walking. She gave me all sorts of exercises to do with her and gave me lots of leaflets about encouraging better motor skills. How rude! My little one was clearly thriving and not yet ready to walk.
I started putting crawling shoes on her when she was 16 months old, just so that she would get used to the feeling of wearing soft shoes.
She was not showing much interest in standing up or walking alongside furniture until we went to the Highlands just before she turned 17 months.
As we were visiting her great grandmother in Liverpool, she took her first steps in front of all the people on her retirement home. There was a lot of cheering and clapping. There might even have been a few tears of joy.
She was wobbly for a couple of weeks, but did not crawl much after that. Since then, she has not stopped walking.
She walks, runs, hops, jumps and climbs everywhere now and if you try to strap her in the pushchair, she will put up a fight and shout, “wolk, wolk!”
Her language has actually got clearer since she started walking. Until three or four weeks ago, she was still wearing her very first pair of baby shoes, but now she walks outdoors, she has a ‘big girl’ pair of shoes and a pair of wellies.
Her first shoes were a gift from Bobux. I chose the ‘Origin Xplorer’ shoes with fleece lining because they looked really comfortable and warm.
I also loved the pink and black together and thought they would look good as slippers at home, with a funky outfit or with a pretty dress for special occasions.
They are perfect for little ones who are still crawling but almost there with their walking.
The sole is incredibly flexible, but also durable. Wriggly wore hers every day for over three months and they still look great. They are now safely stored in her keepsake box.
They are easy to get on (always a bonus with first shoes!) with an elastic and also Velcro opening, and once they are on, they stay on! Both Jumpy and Beanie lost one of their first shoes because they were so easy to take off, but this time round, we still have both shoes!
Last but not least, those little beauties also have a ‘micro-armour toe cap’ which prevents scuffing and keeps baby’s feet comfortable when crawling.
I absolutely love those shoes and I think they are much better first shoes than those I bought when her siblings were about to walk. They look incredibly comfortable and every time she sees them, she asks for “shhhhooooes.”
I want a pair for myself, they would make ideal slippers!
You could win a pair of Origin Xplorer baby shoes in the size & colour of your choice (subject to availability).
How to enter the giveaway:
You can pick and choose a range of ways in which to enter. The only one you must click on to get into the draw is the one asking you to leave a blog post comment. You must also leave a comment telling us where you favourite spot is for a long walk.
Entries are open until 23.59 p.m. GMT time on 29 March 2016. Good luck!
Bobux
Disclosure:
– The prize will be supplied directly by Bobux.
– The giveaway is open to UK residents over 18.
– All opinions and photographs are my own.
I have listed this giveaway on ThePrizeFinder, SuperLucky and Loquax.
We often walk around the local park – if you get it right you start at the car park, do a loop of the park and stop for a cuppa. They do yummy pancakes too so you can stop for breakfast (And then do the walk!) If we go for a really really long walk we head for Graham Water – it’s something like 8 miles all the way round!
Oh that sounds like my sort of walk! If there is a good café, it’s always a bonus, isn’t it?
oh yes! Cake, coffee, pancakes, other yummy grub at the end of the walk is all good! Especially if the weather is a bit sucky outside – makes it all better.
Definitely!
P.S. Jaxon started walking around 15 months – talking wise though we have pointing and grunting rather than proper words. Occasionally we get “Da da da da di di di” which is daddy lol.
I think Wriggly managed to get understood because she has to with 3 older siblings! Saying that, what she was saying was gobbledygook too: we were just pretty good at deciphering it!
The new forest
Cheviot Hills Northumberland
my boys love to go to where daddy works and walk around the huge lake outside, we took their baby sister for the first time in half term and fed the ducks 🙂
We’ve just moved to Bedford & love doing a long walk along the Embankment into town.
our local castle grounds,loads of paths and routes
I think a good spot for a walk is our local park x
Around Loch Lomond
The beach is my favourite spot for a long walk!
Love a walk at nearby Chatsworth
We live in Scarborough and we love taking often walks along the beach x
There is a park near by us with a wooded area that the kids can see lots of wildlife – squirrels and birds mainly!
The kids and I love a walk to the swan pond at Sandwell valley county park!
The New Forrest
We have a nice lake near us with a great wooded surround
round the lake with the ducks.
Delamere Forrest
I Love walking to Cheam where Nonsuch Park is, Beautiful Greenery
Grizedale’s great for a long walk – there’s signposts so we don’t get lost and the views and surroundings are awesome!!
my local country park
I love walking along the Norfolk Coast.
By the seaside, as can be calming and relaxing.
would be a gift for nieces little one!
Love a long walk along the jurassic coast
the seafront
On the moors close to where we live.
we go to a local rugby ground or to the park by the cemetery, can sound creepy but its very nice there and quiet!
Moses Gate Country Park Bolton
Love to walk along any beach, usually along the Yorkshire coast
love walking in the woods
our local woods, it’s lovely there
Ridgeway Park
we love walking in our local park, there’s always something to see, do, explore……
Caerphilly Castle, we go there to watch the ducks
Love walking on the beach especially in winter when it’s deserted and watching the waves crashing x
I love Loggerheads
in the woods behind my house x
weston super mare beach
Love to walk around the lakes or out in the countryside
I love woodland walks with the dogs
The seafront is the nicest place to walk, breathe in the sea air .
The New Forest
We live right on the beach so taking a walk along the beach is gorgeous and frequent 😛
The Crook ‘o’ Lune, Lancaster x
the local canal outside my house xxx
newmillerdam its lovely there x
The North Downs – Lovely Views 🙂
My favourite place to walk is always along the seashore as I love the smell and sound of the sea and the open expanse it gives the landscape. x
Cuningar Woodland park
The Sussex downs!
We walk around our local room on the broom trail (can’t remember the name of the park!)
My local park
beachy head
I love to walk along the river to the park, it’s a really lovely route x
I love beach walking … Brighton beach is a great walk
Jurassic Coast
I live a stone’s throw from the Thames. Our favourite walks are along the riverside paths. If we go south west, we pass the nearby town with lots of riverside restaurants & bars, and on to a historic palace set in its own park. In the other direction we walk for 5kms through semi-managed green space to reach a weir and lock, then on for another couple of kms to the next town. I love walking along the river because there is always so much going on: teams from the local schools out sculling or rowing, sail boats racing up & down, canoes and the regular tourist boats plying between the towns and the palace.
I love walking around the lake at our local park feeding the ducks.
We have a local park with a duck pond
Avebury – lots of history and fab little spot x
The local country park for us
We have a local river with bridges and a weir to throw golf balls down.
On the beach x
The coastal path 🙂 Thanks
The fields as my daughter lives in the countryside
The beach 🙂
shoreham beach 🙂
We live close to the new forest do enjoy going there regularly x
through our local village lots of lanes
We live close enough to town for a nice walk there and then along the river 🙂
the beach
Beaches on the Kent coast.
We have a forest nearby that we love to go for a walk through.
We like to walk in Sutton Park!
Along a local beach called Grobust
Without a car we are limited to local places but a new park with a pond has just been opened nearby and we enjoy walking around it,
My local woods.
Love walking round clumber park
Love going for walks in our local park and finishing with a cup of tea and some cake
Anywhere as long as I have my two dogs with me
The beach
We are very fortunate to leave near the sea, so love a strong stroll along the seafront
The beach 🙂
our local woods 🙂
A park near us that has a nature trail, garden centre, cafe and an ice cream van
The local park!
Newcastle Quayside – lovely.
I like to walk down Newgale beach
In our local woods x
We are lucky to live only 5 minutes away from our local big park. It makes a lovely long walk and my daughter loves spotting the squirrels and on a good day we can stop for ice cream!
knowlton church and rings
I LIKE TO WALK TO THE PARK NEXT TO OUR HOUSE
we live near an old canal which is really lovely it has a lock, lots of wild life and paths to trail along plus lots of ducklings which we like to feed 🙂 we can also take the dog without worrying about bikes as they are banned (the dog gets overly excited by cyclists)
Along the promenade where I live in Kent.
I like to walk around my local cricket club & golf course. They are adjoing & set across some pretty countryside.
We like to walk on the Tas Valley trail in Norfolk
I love long walks up on Dartmoor.
I have a woods near to where I live, I love going in there with my dog
Willen lake near us, it’s a nice walk
near my house in Loughborough there is a public footpath with woods ether side. its really nice!
We are lucky enough to live near Cheddar Gorge, we have beautiful walks there and never tire of the stunning scenery 🙂
We love walking in the local woods also on footpathers threw country side not noing where we will end up x
Our local mere is our favourite place for a walk
We like to walk along the beach at Kingsdown in Kent
We love walk along the Wirral way
My favourite place for long walks is Windsor Great Park.
The lovely country lane round the corner from us, we admire the changing seasons and say hello to the sheep and horses along the way
We love to go to Alice Holt Forest 🙂
The Cotswolds
loch lomond
We love walking along the beach trying to discover shells! x
Burry Port to Llanelli via the cycle path is a beautiful walk
The Lake District is ideal for some nice walks and hikes.
We love to take a stroll down by the Canal, cycle path in Bristol. We often go with the dog 🙂
Princes St Gardens, Edinburgh.
The Lake District
I don’t really have a favourite spot, there’s not many nice walking spots where I live, we just tend to walk wherever we need to go. I do like taking walks along the beach when I go on holiday though
I love going for a long walk on the beach 🙂
We go for a walk in nearby Epping Forest
On the scarborough to whitby cinder track
We love walking along the beach
In our local woods, there is a great trail through and its very pretty
Along our local canal
We love walking along the canal 🙂
we walk round the local park then go to the café after x
Wicksteed Park Kettering and feed the ducks half way round!
On a beach (I live in Cornwall so lots to choose from) xx ?
We have a walk to the local reservoir to feed the ducks and play at the park
When we holiday in Tenerife we like to walk the coastal path from Los Cristianos to La Caleta. There are lots of nice places to stop off at along the way. Then we might get a bus back or sometimes we walk back to our hotel.
North York moors
Cramond Beach and Island
Central park in scunthorpe
Across the Somerset Levels, floods permitting!
exmoor
I love to walk along our stretch of the river Thames. We feed the ducks and look at the lovely riverboats along the way
I love walking anywhere, wish we lived nearer the sea but when at home it has to be clumber park
we love walking along the coastal path x
We love a walk along the beach
The park with a gorgeous lake near our house 🙂
Buttermere in the Lake District!
I love to walk on the beach in Blackpool
Well we live near a racecourse so there’s quite a few walks round there and also round the park that surrounds it. But we also love a walk on Whitby beach. Usually New Years’ Day if the weather isn’t too bad, but we visit throughout the year as well.
Daisy nook country park, it has everything, trails, rivers, ponds, wildlife 🙂
Cosmeston lake In Penarth,lots of grass,we can feed the ducks too
Hove seafront to Brighton
The Clent Hills
Along the Thames x
Down Exmouth Sea Front where we live
such a lovely prize <3
We go to local park and around a golf course. At the bottom of it there is a swarm if bunnies running freely 🙂
We love going for a walk to our local park. Its not very far for the litte ones, but it goes past a farm with horses, has a huge grassy area to play in, and as a reward swings, slides and climbing frames
Up Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons
The Lakes
We love a long walk over the Quantocks x
There’s a lovely local park but I miss walking in Ireland and the Lake District.
We love walking along our local beach, especially near the rock pools, looking for crabs and other creatures x