My baby is a genius, I am not.

Get ready for lots of bragging.


I have been bragging that my third and youngest, J, started walking at 9 months old. When I say walk, I mean taking as many as 15 steps independently before falling, getting up and continuing. The month before this he would take a 2-3 steps then laugh excitedly while waving his arms until he fell down. He is very proud of himself.

Today, I called to schedule his 9 month check-up. I apologized to the receptionist for scheduling it so late at 10 months old.  It was at this moment I learned the depths of my idiocy. She politely informed me that he was 9 months old and would not turn 10 months until the 29^th of this month. Like any good mother, that tracks their child’s progress, I argued with her. Somewhere in the middle of her rebuttal, I did a quick finger check counting backwards from his upcoming birthday.   I was briefly mortified. I did not know the age of my own child.

In my paltry defense, all of the other birthdays in my family happen very early in the month.  I was born on the 2^nd, so was my husband, my oldest on 6^th, so on and so forth. I am not used to dealing with the outlier that a birthday on the 29^th presents. It jangled my delicately balanced brain.

After scolding myself, I sat down to figure out when I got off track. Then I realized what my error meant. My darling has been walking since he was 8 months old! He has been making 2-3 steps at a time since he was 7 months old… My boy is a genius of acrobatic proportions!

Honestly, if had not seen it with my own eyes I would perhaps doubt the timeline I just presented. J was always physically advanced; he raised his head, rolled over, and sat up very early. He has been trying to walk before he could crawl, which he accomplished at six months. He would stand up, and try to lift a leg, but fall over. The day he managed to take two successive steps, he giggled so excitedly he fell into a seated position.

These are the simple STEPS I followed for J and my other children:

·         Safety – Safety is the first concern. We make sure J’s play area is free from sharp edges, things he can pull down on himself, or things that he could choke on. Play pans are great for this.

·         Tummy – playtime is belly time with small hand toys. This begins the early work of coordination as they reach, scoot, and wiggle themselves towards their toys.

·         Encourage – In our home, walking efforts are meant with smiles and quiet giggles from the audience. J now seems to think walking is a fun game that makes him laugh even when there are no witnesses.

·         Practice – J has a team of six people to help him. Everyone from the oldest to my 2 year daughter, H, holds his hands as he practices stepping.

·         Soft – I let J practice on a large rug that was for his use exclusively. A rug’s surface has enough friction to practice moving. The plush material softens falls, allowing J to remain confident and unafraid of falling at the beginning. 

There is a wide range of what is considered normal. I have witnessed firsthand how differently children develop. Before a year, my daughter had a strong vocabulary, whereas my oldest son excelled in empathy. We don’t choose their development patterns.  Sometimes all we can do is watch, wait, and then brag when a milestone is reached.