Why do toddlers go up and down the stairs on hands and knees ?

My son is 17 months international age currently. He started walking early up by 8 months like my parents say I was and very active. YET he can't be walked or led up and down stairs on his feet. He will let go of your hand..... just so he can turn around backwards to go downstairs looking backwards and stepping down carefully with his hands on the dirty ground or either crawl up the stairs down on all fours like some kind of animal. How can a kid walk, run, jump, and skip literally everywhere they want to go even climb and fall off of where they were placed when you don't want them to YET can't walk stairs on two feet?!

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SW-User

What does international age mean?

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SW-User

I heard in some Asian cultures people calculate their age from the time they got conceived so you become ~ 9 months older than your current age. Maybe he was referring to that. Lolz

@Nanori

Elessar · 26-30, M

@SW-User Wouldn't be surprised if the Americans came up with their own unit for measuring age as well

malaki11 · 31-35, M

@Nanori okay.... in Asia where I was born in the Republic of Korea and in spent my whole life between here and Mainland China as a foreign national everyone automatically turns a year older during the New Year's Celebration. I was born in November 1992 so I'm officially 29 years old in my passports according to international age BUT considered already 30 years old by Chinese and Korean New Year's. I hope that makes sense. My son was born in the Republic of Korea in September 2020 so he has a local age as a year older.

TinyViolins · 31-35, M

It could be a confidence issue, but my guess is that they probably don't have the proper sense of balance or leg strength to walk up like we do. Elderly people struggle to get up stairs as well for the same reason, they just have enough experience to know what the body needs to do in that situation

ElwoodBlues · M

I would guess your toddler is afraid of falling down the staircase. It's much bigger fall than just running on flat ground. But the reason why doesn't matter very much. You need to gently teach him not to be afraid.

Hold his hand and go up one step. Then turn him around and ask him to descend that one step. Do it a few times, then reward him. Later, try again with two steps. Get him comfortable with two steps, and reward him. Next day, three steps, etc. Show him you're holding the rail, if he stumbles you've got him and the rail. It's just a matter of gentle teaching.

And if all else fails, beat him with a cane. NO! JUST KIDDING! I would NEVER suggest anybody beat a child!!

Fluffybull · F

That's very common. A lot of toddlers do that too. If that's the only "problem" he has, he's luckier than a lot of kids.

Lackwittyname · 51-55, M

Probably a sense of balance loss when lifting one foot of the stair to go to the next stair. Probably feels dangerous compared to the alternative. At that age kids are not logical but running off of more instinct in a primal way.

SW-User

Probably just for safety reasons? Or maybe it's fun? I used to sit and play on the stairs sometimes. Sometimes dash up the stairs on all fours. Kids do kid things. 🤷‍♀️

JaggedLittlePill · 46-50, F

He isn't ready for walking up stairs. Walking and going up stairs are two very different things.

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