Afraid to walk on grass?

[kikimezz]

My son is now 14 months old, he is walking great, we chace him around the house, he loves it, I have been taking him to a new park I found (the other one was just astroturf no grass or trees, the new one is beautiful quiet lots of nature) he cries when it comes to walking on the ground and the grass? I dont get it?

[Mal85]

DD was the same way the first several times I took her into the backyard. It just took a few times of her standing in it, unsure of it, for her to get the hang of it. I think it was the uneven ground that worried her the most. It was harder for her to walk on than a flat surface like the floor or the patio.

[westcoastlady]

We had exactly the same experience. We live in the North so DS only walking experience had been inside. We recently went on a trip South and it was like he had agoraphobia. We would go to the park and he would talk 1-2 steps and then cry to be picked up. He has always been kinda timid in new experiences so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. The first couple of times outside he would just stand then and hug my leg for the first twenty minutes and then he slowly started to take a couple of steps. Soon he was exploring like a trooper.

Now this was all with shoes on as well. As yet, we haven't had him outside barefoot (We're back north now and there is still snow) I think that will be a whole new ball game just because of all the sensations on his feet. It'll sure be interesting.

[Autumn Breeze]

this caught my attention because both of my kids didn't like grass at first either. If you acted like you were going to put them on the grass, they'd lift their feet away. Poor dd used to think when I'd go to set her n the blanket next to me that I was aiming for the grass.

It just feels REALLY STRANGE to their sensitive skin.

[SageR]

My toddler isn't crazy about grass either. If it is later in the day when it gets warmer and the dew has dried he is ok, but he'll cry if I set him down in the morning. I don't think it's fear, I think #1 their little feet are just very sensitive, and #2 new walkers are used to flat even surfaces and bumpy lawn is intimidating. They get over it!

[sapphire_chan]

They definitely get over it. But while it lasts, if it doesn't upset him to be on a blanket on the grass, take advantage of the "natural playpen" to get some gardening done.

(Lina, otoh, would happily walk on grass just enough to get to the concrete and carry on.)

[kikimezz]

Thanks for the reply's, the funny thing is this is all with his shoes on too! Maybe I should try to take his shoes off and let him feel it better? I guess we have to keep practicing! The things they never tell you about being a parent, lol

[akayerich]

Same story with my DS as everyone else. My DS is 14 months, too, and he was the same way at first. I would put him in the grass, and he would walk to the concrete walkway and then just stay on the concrete. Or just sit down and cry, and then I would put him on the concrete. But now he's getting used to it. I think it was the uneven terrain that was the problem- it made it hard to keep his balance, but now he's learning.

Regarding shoes, DS wears shoes outside, the soft leather bottom ones. I tried putting him barefoot in the grass once and he didn't like it. But we don't have very soft grass, so maybe that's why.