“When did your baby start walking?” I used to eagerly ask every parent I talked to. It seemed like the answers ranged between 9 months to 16 months. I kept a mental note and secretly wished my baby would start walking very early so I could brag about her to everyone I knew (for the rest of my life).
That was two months ago. I’m a different person now. I no longer want my baby to walk so early.
Allie started crawling when she was 8-months old. Our family was very excited when it first happened. We cheered when she first moved forward, and we happily watched this new skill develop.
Then we realized we weren’t prepared for her crawling. Our house had so many baby hazards. Allie started getting herself into so much trouble – opening doors, picking up bits of dust on the floor and putting them in her mouth, pulling over chairs, poking at electrical outlets and grabbing at wires. We scrambled to get a baby gate up and baby proof the house. We had to constantly keep an eye out for Allie to make sure she wasn’t crawling into some hazard we had forgotten about. It was a bit stressful.
Now we finally feel like we have baby-proofed the house for a crawling baby.
But the house is not baby-proofed for a walking baby. We’re not ready yet.
Babies change so fast. As parents, Olive and I feel like we are constantly trying to keep up with Allie’s latest developments. Changing sleeping patterns. Changing feeding habits. New physical developments. With every change we have to adjust. We feel like we’re always playing catch-up, trying to figure out what to do. And right when we feel like we’ve got a routine going, something else changes.
It’s nice to get a breather sometimes – even for a few days. That’s why I’m no longer super eager for my daughter to start walking yet. I’m going to enjoy these days of relative peace before she starts running around the house and causing new sorts of chaos.
So Allie, please don’t walk yet. Please give me and your mother a few more weeks of semi-peaceful living where we can let you roam about the house without worrying that you’ll hurt yourself. We feel like we’ve just caught up to your development – let us enjoy it for a while.
What advice do you have for parents when their baby starts walking? Answer in the comments.
photo credit: mrtopp