{"h1":"Is my 6–9 month old moving as expected?","faq":[{"a":"No — walking is not expected this early. Most babies take first independent steps around 12 to 18 months. At 6–9 months the focus is on sitting, rolling, reaching and beginning to move across the floor.","q":"Should my baby be walking at 6 to 9 months?"},{"a":"Not necessarily. Crawling timing varies widely and some healthy babies skip crawling entirely, moving on to scooting, bottom-shuffling or pulling to stand. What matters more is steady progress and curiosity about moving.","q":"My baby isn't crawling yet — is that a problem?"},{"a":"Have a friendly chat by around 9 months if your baby isn't sitting even with support, won't take weight on the legs when held, rarely reaches for toys, strongly favours one side, feels very stiff or floppy, or has lost a skill. It's a check, not a cause for panic.","q":"When should I speak to a doctor about my baby's movement?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 6-to-9-month-old moving and walking as expected?","entity":{"key":"infant-6-9","kind":"age_band","name":"6-to-9-month-old","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Infant-6-9","value":"infant-6-9"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"ages","label":"Ages & Stages"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-motor-milestones-should-a-6-to-9-month-old-reach","title":"What motor milestones should a 6-to-9-month-old reach?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-on-track-developmentally","title":"Is my 6-to-9-month-old on track developmentally?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-motor-milestones-should-my-6-to-9-month-old-have-reached","title":"What Motor Milestones Should My 6-to-9-Month-Old Have Reached?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-motor","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Motor Skills?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-3-to-6-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 3-to-6-month-old moving and walking as expected?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-9-to-12-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is My 9-to-12-Month-Old Moving and Walking as Expected?"}],"summary":"At 6–9 months, walking is not yet expected — that comes around 12–18 months. What to watch for now is sitting (with then without support), rolling both ways, reaching and grasping, and early floor movement like scooting or crawling. Babies vary widely, so a little earlier or later is normal. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*Those wobbly first sits, rolls and reaches are your baby telling you their body is learning — and between six and nine months there's a wide, healthy range of normal.*\n\n## In short\nWalking is **not** expected at 6–9 months — that usually comes much later, around 12–18 months. What you can gently watch for now is the *foundation* movement: sitting, rolling, reaching, bringing things to the mouth and beginning to move across the floor. Babies reach these stages at their own pace, so a little earlier or later than a friend's baby is completely normal. If your baby is curious, using both sides of the body and steadily gaining new skills, things are most likely on track.\n\n## What's typical at 6–9 months\n- **Sitting** — many babies sit with support around 6 months and without support somewhere between 7 and 9 months.\n- **Rolling** — rolling both ways (tummy-to-back and back-to-tummy) is common in this window.\n- **Reaching and grasping** — reaching for toys, passing them hand to hand, and bringing things to the mouth.\n- **Starting to move** — some babies begin rocking on hands and knees, scooting, or early crawling; others skip crawling altogether, which is fine.\n- **Pushing up** — taking weight on the arms during tummy time and lifting the head and chest.\n\nRemember: crawling style and timing vary hugely, and *not all babies crawl*. Standing and walking are still months ahead.\n\n## When to mention it to your doctor\nHave a relaxed chat with your paediatrician if, by around 9 months, your baby is **not sitting at all even with support**, is **not bearing any weight on the legs when held standing**, **rarely reaches for or holds toys**, **strongly favours one side** of the body, feels persistently very stiff or very floppy, or has **lost a skill** they once had. These aren't reasons to panic — they're simply worth a friendly developmental check.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general guidance, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed **only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care**. If you'd like reassurance, our team offers a warm [developmental check](/) and, where helpful, gentle [physiotherapy for movement and motor skills](/physiotherapy) that builds strength and coordination through play. You can also learn how your child's profile is mapped through our [clinician-administered AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC developmental milestone guidance for infants; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) on movement and motor development; WHO milestone windows for gross motor development.\n\n**Next step —** Unsure if your baby is on track? [Book a gentle developmental check with a Pinnacle clinician](/).","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-my-6-to-9-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-my-6-to-9-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-my-6-to-9-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age-te","lang":"te","indexable":false}],"dimensions":[{"key":"ages","label":"Ages & Stages"}],"meta_title":"6–9 Month Movement & Walking Milestones","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Give plenty of supervised tummy and floor time each day, and place a favourite toy just out of reach to gently invite reaching, rolling and scooting — let your baby do the work at their own pace.","published_at":"2026-06-10T14:24:00.087063+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-motor","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Motor Skills?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-on-track-developmentally","title":"Is my 6-to-9-month-old on track developmentally?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-motor-milestones-should-my-6-to-9-month-old-have-reached","title":"What Motor Milestones Should My 6-to-9-Month-Old Have Reached?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-motor-milestones-should-a-6-to-9-month-old-reach","title":"What motor milestones should a 6-to-9-month-old reach?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-adaptive","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Adaptive Skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-cognitive","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Cognition?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-communication","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Communication?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-emotional","title":"Emotional Development at 6–9 Months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-sensory","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Sensory?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-social","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally Socially?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-adaptive-milestones-should-a-6-to-9-month-old-reach","title":"What adaptive milestones should a 6-to-9-month-old reach?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-adaptive-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Signs of Adaptive Delay in a 6-to-9-Month-Old","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":25},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-9-to-12-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is My 9-to-12-Month-Old Moving and Walking as Expected?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-3-to-6-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 3-to-6-month-old moving and walking as expected?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-adaptive-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Supporting adaptive development at 6–9 months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-cognitive-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Supporting cognitive development in your 6-to-9-month-old","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-communication-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support communication development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-emotional-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support emotional development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-motor-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support motor development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-sensory-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Supporting Sensory Development in Your 6-to-9-Month-Old","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-social-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support social development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-much-screen-time-is-safe-for-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How much screen time is safe for a 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-talking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 6-to-9-month-old talking as expected for their age?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-6-to-9-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I get my 6-to-9-month-old assessed for development?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":15}],"what_to_watch":"By around 9 months, mention it to your doctor if your baby isn't sitting even with support, won't bear weight on the legs when held, rarely reaches for toys, strongly favours one side, feels very stiff or very floppy, or has lost a skill they once had.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Developmental milestones for infants"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — Movement & motor development"},{"url":"https://www.who.int","label":"WHO — Gross motor milestone windows"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T14:24:00.087063+00:00","meta_description":"Walking isn't expected at 6–9 months. See what movement is typical — sitting, rolling, reaching, early crawling — and when a gentle developmental check hel","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}