What age do kids start to crawl

When Do Babies Crawl? The Typical Developmental Age Range

Every day you watch your baby growing, learning, and becoming more independent. So it's natural to wonder when your little one will start to crawl. It turns out that there's no definitive age when your baby will reach or attempt this movement milestone. But it's worthwhile to know about ways to encourage your little one's progress and to help teach your baby how to crawl.

Observing and helping your baby master this new skill is one of the joys of parenting you'll experience in this first year, and the moment your little one “gets it” is one you'll remember for a long time.

Read on to learn how to spot the signs that your baby is preparing to crawl, at what age babies typically start to crawl, what different crawling styles there are, and what to do if your baby doesn't crawl as expected.

At What Age Do Babies Crawl?

Many babies learn to crawl sometime between 7 months and 10 months. But as every baby is unique, your little one might be on the move earlier or later than others. Some babies skip the crawling stage altogether.

Keep in mind that all babies grow and develop at their own pace. Try not to compare your little one to other babies. If you're wondering whether your baby is on track, consult your healthcare provider.

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Signs Your Baby Is Getting Ready to Crawl

Before your baby can begin crawling, she'll need to develop a complex set of skills, all of which will help strengthen your baby's muscles in preparation for crawling.

These are some of the things you might notice your baby doing as she gets ready to start crawling:

Constantly moving while lying down
Arching her neck to look around when she's on her stomach (while you give her supervised tummy time)
Grabbing her feet while she's lying on her back
Turning or flipping over when she's lying on her back
Rocking on her hands and knees when she's on all fours
Pushing herself backward instead of forward when she's on all fours
Digging in with her knees and launching forward when she's on all fours.

At this point in your baby's development, crawling might not be too far off, so make sure you keep a watchful eye on her. Don't leave her unattended unless she is in a safe place like her crib.

If you haven't done so already, this is also a great time to babyproof your home. As part of this process, make sure that dangerous items are locked away and that furniture that can tip over is secure, so that your little one can't get in harm's way once she can move independently.

What Are the Different Types of Crawling?

You might be surprised to learn that there is not just one way to crawl — but many! Here are some of the most common crawling styles your baby might adopt:

Classic crawl. Your baby crawls on his hands and knees, moving one arm and the opposite knee forward simultaneously.
Bear crawl. Your baby walks on his hands and feet, keeping his elbows and knees straight.
Belly crawl. Your baby slithers around on his belly while moving forward.
Bottom scoot. Your baby moves forward using his arms while scooting on his bottom.
Crab crawl. Your baby moves either backward or sideways with the help of his hands.
Rolling crawl. Your baby moves around by rolling from one place to the next.

Your baby may use any one of these styles or even invent his own, so don't be worried if his crawling doesn't look like any of those listed above.

How Can You Teach Your Baby to Crawl?

Babies are eager to move and explore, and they essentially teach themselves to get where they want to go. To encourage your baby to start crawling, try these ideas:

Place one of your baby's favorite objects or toys just out of reach in front of her when she's on the floor to inspire her to start crawling toward it.
Set up an obstacle course for her with pillows, boxes, and other safe objects to help her practice and develop her abilities.
Encourage your baby to crawl toward one of her favorite objects by showing her that you've hidden it behind a pillow a little distance from where she is on the floor.

The aim of these exercises is to get your baby to be excited about learning to crawl and see it as a new adventure. If you feel she's starting to lose interest or is getting frustrated, it's time to stop and do something else.

Always supervise your baby when she's playing on the floor and when she's on her tummy.

What If Your Baby Doesn’t Crawl as Expected?

Just like every other baby, your little one is developing at his own pace and on his own timeline. Try not to think in terms of “my baby should have started to crawl by now.” Also, remember that your baby might not crawl exactly how you expect him to. Instead, he may use another way to get around, such as bottom scooting or belly crawling. Or he may skip crawling altogether.

Usually, there's no cause for concern as long as your baby is learning how to coordinate his arms and legs. His eventual goal is to learn how to walk, so try not to focus on how he's crawling in the meantime.

Of course, if you feel your baby is not moving properly, is unable to coordinate each side of his body, or is not using each arm and leg equally, talk to your healthcare provider. And reach out to your provider any time you have questions or concerns about your baby's development in general.

Crawling lets your baby see and explore his world in a new and different way, and he'll love his expanded freedom and mobility. In time, he'll be ready for more and want to join in with everyone else who is walking. Enjoy this special time. Crawling is a new adventure for your baby, and in its own way your baby moving independently is a new adventure for you as a parent, too.

To start earning rewards for all those diaper purchases, download the Pampers Club app today.

When do babies crawl, and how does crawling develop? (illustrated)

When do babies crawl for the first time?

Studies suggest that approximately 50% of babies begin crawling by 8 months. But some babies may start before 6 months, and others may not crawl until after 11 months, if ever.

If your baby doesn’t crawl, does that mean something is wrong? No. It’s perfectly normal for babies to skip crawling altogether.

Babies aren’t developmentally “programmed” to crawl. Instead, babies are motivated to experiment with different ways of moving, and settle on whatever method seems the most rewarding.

Thus, a baby might choose one of these styles of crawling:

belly-crawling,
hands-and-knees crawling, or
hands-and-feet crawling;

or a baby might prefer to move using one of these alternative methods:

bottom-shuffling (also known as “scooting”),
step-scooting (a kind of tripod shuffle),
cruising (walking while grasping handholds), or
rolling,

all of which I describe in detail below. And it’s not unusual for a baby to combine several techniques, or improvise his or her own, quirky mode of locomotion.

Why so much variety? You might think babies would all converge on the most efficient, best way to move from place to place.

But that’s the crux of it: Babies may not agree about what’s best.

For example, some infants may find crawling too uncomfortable, or prefer a form of locomotion that permits them to stay in an upright position.

It’s also clear that the environment plays a role. As we’ll see, babies are more likely to crawl when they have been given plenty of opportunities to move freely while lying on their stomachs.

So let’s take a closer look at the development of crawling and other modes of infant locomotion. When do babies crawl, why is there so much variation, and what can you expect to see during your baby’s first year?

Here’s an evidence-based guide, with answers to frequently asked questions about crawling.

How do babies get started with crawling?

It begins with “tummy time,” those supervised sessions that your baby spends lying awake on his or her stomach.

During tummy time, babies build up their neck and shoulder muscles. They learn how to hold up their heads and shoulders, supporting themselves with their elbows.

This strength and muscle control is essential for crawling, but babies don’t just stop there. As infants becomes stronger, they may try some of these moves:

doing the “plank” (balancing on arms and feet, or on hands and knees)
turning in circles (pivoting)
rocking back and forth on hands and knees
moving forward a step (either on belly, or on hands and knees)
shifting back and forth between lying prone and sitting up
trying to move forwards, but pushing backwards instead

Do babies have to master all of these skills before they begin to crawl?

No. But it’s likely your baby will practice at least one before taking the plunge (Adolf et al 1998).

Do babies have to sit up before they crawl?

Once again, the answer is no. Babies can begin belly-crawling before they have achieved this milestone.

Can you do anything to help your baby get started?

Yes! Get down on the floor with your baby, and make eye contact. Use smiles and talk to your baby to practice holding his or her head up. As your baby gets stronger, encourage your baby to approach you.

And if your baby is struggling to learn the secret of forward propulsion — trying to move forward, but pushing backwards instead — try providing some resistance. Place your hands behind your baby’s feet, so your baby can push against them.

What’s next? For many babies, it’s belly-crawling. Other babies proceed directly to hands-and-knees crawling. And some babies

Styles of crawling

Belly-crawling: The commando crawl and the inchworm crawl

When we think of crawling, we often envision babies scampering around on hands and knees, their tummies held high above the ground. But some babies learn to crawl along on their bellies instead.

Is belly-crawling normal?

Yes, it’s entirely normal. In fact, when baby locomotion expert Karen Adolf and her colleagues studied the development of crawling in 28 American infants, they found that about half the infants started their crawling careers with some form of belly-crawling.

When do babies crawl on their bellies?

It varies from baby to baby. In the study by Adolf’s team, most belly-crawlers began sometime between the ages of 5 and 8.5 months.

What does belly-crawling look like?

There are two main styles or variants of belly-crawling:

Variant #1: The army crawl, aka “commando crawl.” This is easy to identify, and is illustrated in the photo here. A baby, lying prone (belly down), pulls himself forward with his arms, swiveling to the left and right as he moves.

Commando crawl by Yaoinlove / istock

Most of the propulsion comes from the upper body; the legs help a bit, fishtailing from side to side. But the baby is mostly dragging himself across the floor with his arms and shoulders.

At any given point in an army crawl, the baby doesn’t have to worry about losing his balance. His weight is on his belly and thighs.

Variant #2: The “inchworm crawl.” In this variant of the belly-crawl, a baby pulls herself forward with both arms simultaneously, rising up slightly and then landing with a belly flop.

In the rising position, the baby is balanced briefly on her extremities, a bit like someone doing the plank.

Is your baby a commando crawler or an inchworm crawler? Commando crawling is more common, but it’s not unusual for a baby to do a bit of both. And whichever form of belly-crawling your baby favors, expect to see your baby graduate to hands-and-knees crawling (below). Belly-crawlers don’t remain belly-crawlers for long.

What if my baby doesn’t belly-crawl?

That’s nothing to worry about. Half the babies in Karen Adolf’s study skipped belly-crawling altogether, and, as we’ll see, it’s not unusual for babies to use other methods of locomotion.

Why? If you’ve ever tried belly-crawling, you know that it’s very arduous! Depending on the surface and your speed, it can even be painful. Belly flops on the ground can smart. So many babies switch their focus on other motor skills instead.

The classic crawl: Moving on hands-and-knees

What about classic crawling? When do babies crawl on their hands and knees?

Some researchers call this “creeping,” but I prefer the term “hands-and-knees crawling,” because it’s more descriptive of what babies do: Babies balance their weight on hands and knees, keeping their abdomens lifted off the ground.

If your baby has started belly-crawling, you can expect him or her to switch to hands-and-knees crawling within a couple of months. But belly-crawling isn’t a prerequisite. Some babies begin hands-and-knees crawling without any prior experience with belly-crawling.

Whatever your baby’s history, you’ll likely see signs before the fateful day. Babies tend to practice balancing first, rocking back and forth on their hands and knees.

And those first steps?

According to an international study by the World Health Organization, babies usually begin hands-and-knees crawling sometime between 6 and 11 months, and approximately half of all babies begin crawling by 8.3 months (WHO 2006).

Alternatives to classic crawling: How else do babies move from place to place?

As noted above, babies discover or invent other methods of locomotion. Here are some of the most common alternatives.

The bear crawl

This type of crawling is similar hands-and-knees crawling. The baby’s abdomen is held high, but the baby keeps his or her knees off the ground, balancing instead on hands and feet.

The “step-crawl mix”

Another approach, sometimes called the “step-crawl mix,” looks like a bit like a mash-up of hands-and-knees crawling and bear-crawling. Babies crawl on the knee of one leg, while stepping with the foot of the other (Patrick et al 2012).

Bottom-shuffling or scooting

Infant bottom-shuffling across a tile floor

As seen in this YouTube video clip, some babies scoot along on their bottoms, sitting up and using their legs to power themselves across the floor.

This style of movement has been call “scooting,” “hitching,” or “bottom-shuffling,” but whatever you call it, the key feature is that the baby’s bottom bears his or her weight, and the torso is an upright position.

Step-scooting

Babies also may move along tripod-style, in a mode researchers called “step-scooting” (Patrick et al 2012). It looks a little like bottom-shuffling, except that babies use one of their arms to help pull themselves along.

Cruising

Some babies prefer to spend their time learning to “cruise” – to stand up and walk while holding the edges of furniture and other supports.

Rolling

A few babies get from place to place by rolling on their sides.

So there isn’t any single, correct way to move. Different babies make different choices, and it’s normal for individual babies to use more than one mode of locomotion.

Your baby might alternate between hands-and-knees crawling and bear walking. Or switch back and forth between scooting and some other form of movement (Adolf et al 1998; Patrick et al 2012).

Why do some babies start crawling so much later than others?

1. Body type plays a role: Slimmer, lankier babies crawl sooner

It’s hard to drag your body around if you’re carrying a lot of extra weight! So leaner babies – who have a more favorable ratio of muscle to body fat – have an early advantage.

As Karen Adolf’s team noticed in their longitudinal study of crawling, “Smaller, slimmer, more maturely proportioned infants tended to crawl at earlier ages than larger, chubbier infants. ”

2. In addition, babies crawl earlier when they get lots of “tummy time.”

Research confirms that crawling is linked with the amount of waking time babies spend lying on their stomachs. Babies who get lots of “tummy time” and exercise tend to crawl at an earlier age (Kuo et al 2008; Lobo and Galloway 2012).

3. Motivation matters too.

As noted, belly-crawling is grueling work, and hands-and-knees crawling requires a lot of balance control. Some babies may decide it’s not worth the trouble, and focus on learning other ways to move.

How soon after crawling do babies begin to walk?

As you might expect, it varies.

For example, in a study of American babies, the average (median) time between the onset of crawling and the onset of walking was approximately 4 months. But the range was large. One baby remained in the crawling stage for 8.5 months. Another baby learned to crawl and walk on the same day (Adolf et al 2011)! For more information about walking, see my Parenting Science guide.

Do babies ever skip crawling and go straight to walking?

Yes, that does happen.

Anthropologist David Tracer notes that there are entire cultures where this is common. Before learning to walk, babies in these cultures move around by bottom-shuffling. Tracer believes that bottom-shuffling — not crawling — was the mode of pre-walking locomotion most favored by our hunter-gatherer ancestors (Tracer 2009).

Nowadays, in contemporary Western countries, crawling is the norm. Nevertheless, a notable portion of babies in these societies reject crawling in favor of other methods.

For instance, in a recent study tracking the development of 47,000 babies in Norway, researchers found that about 7% of children favored scooting or shuffling, not crawling. Yet these babies learned to walk, just as crawlers did (Storvold et al 2013).

Similarly, a researcher working in the 1980s found that about 9% of British babies preferred to bottom-shuffle. And 7% of babies transitioned to walking without having previously crawled or shuffled (Robson 1984).

Do parental practices affect the development of crawling?

Yes. In societies where parents discourage crawling — or provide infants with less “tummy time” — babies are less likely to crawl (Super 1976; Hopkins and Westra 1988; Hogbin 1943).

There’s also evidence that babies are influenced by cultural practices concerning clothing and the weather.

Consider this historical example. Back in 1900, crawling was widespread in the United States, but less prevalent than it is today, with approximately 40% of babies using some alternative means of locomotion, like bottom-shuffling (Trettian 1900).

Why was crawling less common? Karen Adolf thinks it has to do with the long dressing gowns that babies used to wear. “When infants tried to crawl, their knees caught at the edge of their long gowns, pinning them in place”(Adolf 2008). So babies were more likely to reject crawling in favor of alternative solutions.

Nowadays, long dressing gowns aren’t typical, but researchers have noticed an interesting pattern around the world: In countries with marked seasons, babies tend to crawl earlier if they were born in the winter (Bai 2018).

Why? Such infants reach the age of 6 months — prime time for learning to crawl — during the summer, when their parents dress them in less restrictive clothing, and permit them more opportunities to play on the ground. It seems, then, to come down to very practical considerations. Babies are more likely to crawl when parents make it easy for them to learn the necessary skills.

Why are some babies better at hands-and-knees crawling than others?

Once again, it comes down to practice. When Karen Adolf’s team analyzed hands-and-knees crawling, they found that the speediest, most proficient hands-and-knees crawlers tended to have certain things in common.

Before the onset of hands-and-knees crawling, these babies had racked up more experience with “tummy time” skills, including swimming in place, pivoting around in circles on their stomachs, and rocking back and forth on hands and knees.

In addition, babies who had a history of belly-crawling had an advantage: From the very first days that they adopted hands-and-knees crawling, they were faster and more efficient (Adolf et al 1998).

So all that hard work pays off. If you train like a marine, you will have a head start with hands-and-knees crawling.

If a baby doesn’t crawl, will he or she be any slower to achieve the milestone of walking?

Maybe, but research suggests in won’t make much difference in the long-run. And in some cases, babies who skip crawling actually end up walking sooner.

For instance, in the Norwegian study, the scooting, shuffling babies took an average of 3.5 weeks longer to take their first, independent steps (Storvold et al 2013). Likewise, the British study found that bottom-shufflers walked at a slightly later age (Robson 1984).

Yet the earliest walkers in the British study were the ones who began walking without having been observed to engage in any prior form of locomotion, a finding replicated by a small study of Turkish children (Cimbiz and Bayazit 2005).

When should I worry?

As we’ve seen, it’s normal for some babies to reject crawling in favor of other modes of locomotion. So you shouldn’t worry merely because your baby isn’t crawling.

As long as your baby shows progress over time — developing ways of moving from place to place — you should feel reassured that your baby’s skills are on track.

But if your baby isn’t making progress with any sort of locomotion by the age of 12 months — or shows evidence of weakness or poor control on one side of the body — talk with your pediatrician.

And remember: You should always consult your pediatrician if something doesn’t feel right. If there is a problem, early intervention can help get your baby back on track.

Wondering when your baby will begin walking? And what stages of development to watch for?

Be sure to check out my article, “When do babies start walking?”

This article explains:

signs that your baby will begin walking soon
stages of learning to walk
the timing of (1) learning to walk with support; and (2) learning to walk independently
cultural and parenting factors that can speed up (or slow down the process)

You can read more about your baby’s development in this Parenting Science guide.

References: When do babies crawl?

Adolph KE, Berger SE, Leo AJ. 2011. Developmental continuity? Crawling, cruising, and walking. Dev Sci. 14(2):306-18

Adolph KE, Cole WG, Komati M, Garciaguirre JS, Badaly D, Lingeman JM, Chan GL, Sotsky RB. 2012. How do you learn to walk? Thousands of steps and dozens of falls per day. Psychol Sci. 23(11):1387-94

Adolph KE, Vereijken B, Denny MA. 1998. Learning to crawl. Child Dev. 1998 Oct;69(5):1299-312.

Bai Y, Shang G, Wang L, Sun Y, Osborn A, Rozelle S. 2018. The relationship between birth season and early childhood development: Evidence from northwest rural China. PLoS One. 13(10):e0205281.

Bottos M, Dalla Barba B, Stefani D, Pettenà G, Tonin C, D’Este A. 1989. Locomotor strategies preceding independent walking: prospective study of neurological and language development in 424 cases. Dev Med Child Neurol. 31(1):25-34.

Cimbiz A and Bayazit V. 2005. Effects of infant crawling experience on range of motion. Neurosciences 10 (1): 34-40.

Hogbin HI. 1943. A New Guinea infancy: From conception to weaning in Wogeo. Oceania 13: 285-309.

Hopkins B and Westra T. 1988. Maternal handling and motor development: an intracultural study. Genet Soc Gen Psychol Monogr. 114(3):377-408.

Karasik LB, Tamis-LeMonda CS, Adolph KE. 2011. Transition from crawling to walking and infants’ actions with objects and people. Child Dev. 82(4):1199-209.

Kretch KS, Franchak JM, Adolph KE. 2014. Crawling and walking infants see the world differently. Child Dev. 85(4):1503-18.

Kuo YL, Liao HF, Chen PC, Hsieh WS, Hwang AW. 2008. The influence of wakeful prone positioning on motor development during the early life. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 29(5):367-76.

Lobo MA and Galloway JC. 2012. Enhanced handling and positioning in early infancy advances development throughout the first year. Child Dev. 83(4):1290-302

Patrick SK, Noah JA, Yang JF. 2012. Developmental constraints of quadrupedal coordination across crawling styles in human infants. J Neurophysiol. 107(11):3050-61.

Robson P. 1984. Prewalking locomotor movements and their use in predicting standing and walking. Child Care Health Dev. 198410(5):317-30.

Størvold GV, Aarethun K, Bratberg GH. 2013. Age for onset of walking and prewalking strategies. Hum Dev. 89(9):655-9.

Super CM. 1976. Environmental effects on motor development: the case of “African infant precocity”. Dev Med Child Neurol. 18(5):561-7.

Tracer DP. 2009. Infant carrying and prewalking locomotor development: proximate and evolutionary perspectives. Proceedings of the 78th Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists; Chicago, IL.

Trettien AW. 1900. Creeping and walking. The American Journal of Psychology. 12:1–57.

WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. 2006. WHO Motor Development Study: windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 450:86-95.

Content of “When do babies crawl?” last modified 3/25/2020

Image and video credits for “When do babies crawl?”

title image of baby looking over shoulder while trying to crawl by fizkes / istock

image of baby commando crawling by Yaoinlove / istock

image of baby inchworm crawling by MangoStar_Studio / istock

image of baby with flowers in hair crawling on hands and knees by JBrownInTheLight / istock

image of baby “bear crawling” by shevtsovy / shutterstock

image of baby step-crawl mix by Onjira Leibe / shutterstock

youtube video clip of baby bottom-shuffling by Mal Chia

image of baby next to couch step-scooting by RONNACHAIPARK / shutterstock

image of baby cruising (and wearing dinosaur costume) by Olesia Bilkei / shutterstock

image of baby in the midst of rolling over by Gwill / shutterstock

What time do babies start crawling and how to help them

September 21, 2019LikbezAdvice

Six months, a year, never. All answer options are correct.

Crawling is a child's first huge step towards independence. And everyone is free to do it as they please.

What does it take for babies to start crawling? He must have sufficiently strong muscles of the back, neck, shoulders, arms and abdomen. While crawling, so-called binocular vision is involved: the ability to focus both eyes on the same object. Not the last role is played by the developed visual-spatial perception.

Rally McAllister

MD, MH, author of children's health books

Crawling helps children learn to navigate and train their memory. For example, he begins to understand that in order to get to the toy basket, you need to move around the table.

What time do babies start crawling

According to WHO's ^{Motor Development Study: Windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones, most babies crawl between 6 and 11 months of age. Approximately half of them master the movement on all fours by 8.3 months of age. A little more than 4% skip the crawling stage altogether, immediately get up on their feet and try to walk.}

There are several reasons why some babies crawl earlier than others:

Genetics. Yes, some are born to crawl almost from the cradle.
Weight. Thin, well-muscled children predictably master difficult movements ahead of their chubbier peers.
Time spent on the stomach. Babies who are more awake while lying on their stomachs start crawling earlier on average. They put more effort into getting up and looking around than if they were lying on their back. As a result, the muscles of the neck, arms and back necessary for crawling are strengthened.

Why don't all babies crawl the same way

Babies are not programmed to crawl in any particular way. They simply experiment with different modes of transportation and eventually settle on the most effective for themselves. And that's okay.

Stomach

Approximately half of babies begin crawling by choosing one of the following styles or alternating between them.

1. On the bellies rivm.nl

The child leans on his elbows and pulls himself forward with one or the other handle, leaning slightly on his side.

2. Style

seal kidspot.com.au

Baby pushes himself with both arms at the same time, rising slightly and then hitting his stomach on the floor.

3. Style

“frog” lovevery.com

Lying on his stomach, the child pushes off with his feet and “rows” with his legs, as if swimming like a frog.

On all fours

Babies usually go from belly to all fours fairly quickly. Which is quite understandable: try to crawl yourself at least a little like a plastuna or like a seal - and you will understand what an energy-consuming and even painful task it is.

Some children spare their bellies and immediately begin to crawl like an adult, that is, relying on four limbs. And here, too, options are possible.

1. Classic style

babycenter.com

Baby walks with bent legs and outstretched arms.

2. Style

"crab" parenting.firstcry.com

Baby walks backwards, looking between his legs, or moves sideways.

3. Style

“bear” latinamoms.com

Similar to the classic method, only the child does not lean on his knees, but on outstretched legs, raising his buttocks up.

4. Scooter style

youtube.com

The kid leans on his hands, bends one leg at the knee, and pushes off the other as if riding a scooter.

Other options

Crawling on your stomach is difficult and unpleasant, and to move on all fours you need to develop a delicate sense of balance. Some children prefer to take the easier route.

1. Rolls

cherbebesleep.com

The child moves around the room, rolling from side to side.

2. Fidgeting

move2connect.com

The baby fidgets on the buttocks and thus moves from one point to another, sometimes helping himself with his hands. According to the anthropologists of ^{Crawling May Be Unnecessary for Normal Child Development, these movements most likely replaced crawling in our ancestors even before the development of agriculture and a sedentary lifestyle.}

This is exactly what happens to this day in the hunter-gatherer tribe of Papua New Guinea. There, babies up to a year spend 86% of the time sitting in a sling on their mother's back. Sometimes they are planted on the buttocks and almost never spread on the stomach. It is clear that in such conditions children cannot learn to crawl. But they don't suffer from it.

Is there any way to help the child

Perhaps the best thing parents can do is to stop paying attention to the achievements of neighbor children. And rejoice in the success of your child. And so that they are not overshadowed by troubles, take care of the safety of the baby in advance.

Hide wires and plug sockets.
Make sure all furniture is secure. It’s better to temporarily remove something that is easy to overturn: a floor lamp, an ironing board, a light bookcase, houseplants in large pots.
Move souvenirs, money, cosmetics, medicines, cleaning products and detergents out of reach. In the best case, the baby will scatter, spill, break or break something. At worst, swallow it.
Wash and dust floors daily.
Check the floor regularly for coins, corks and other small items. Remember that young explorers always put everything in their mouths.
Cover a hard floor (parquet, tile) with a baby rug or blanket to reduce stress on your knees.
Keep hot food and drinks away from the edge of the table.
Make sure there are no piercing or cutting objects within the child's reach.

Of course, it is impossible to foresee everything. But better put your energy into organizing a friendly space and developing a healthy habit of not throwing things around. With the rest of the tasks, the baby can handle it on its own.

When to worry

So, it doesn't matter at all if a child can crawl in the classical sense of the word. Often young experimenters mix styles, switch from one to another, or develop their own special method. In any case, it is not technology that is important, but a keen interest in the development of space.

The cause for concern is the lack of any progress in movement. If by 12 months the baby has not begun to actively move around the room, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. However, it is not necessary to wait a year. If something is bothering you right now, talk to a pediatrician you trust and calm down.

normal and how to help the child master the skill

The first year in a baby's life is special. For 12 months, the child learns to sit, crawl, make sounds, take his first steps and acquire his own teeth. Young parents enthusiastically welcome every skill mastered by the baby. They are also eager to know when the baby starts to crawl, at what age? We answer this question in the article.

Norms and terms

The baby makes the first attempts of independent movement from the age of three months, when he begins to hold his head straight. He sees before him a huge interesting world that he wants to explore on his own. At the age of five months, the activity of movements increases, and the child begins to crawl. If the physique is thin, things move faster. Children with a large weight master the skill a little later.

Note! Gender does not affect the development of the crawling skill. There are no statistics that boys or girls start crawling earlier.

The ability to crawl also depends on the state of the muscle tone of the baby. If there is a pathology or some kind of violation, the development of the skill in the child is delayed. The same applies to babies born prematurely.

How babies crawl

Basically, they go through three stages in the development of the surrounding space:

flounder on their tummy;
move in a plastunsky way;
move on all fours.

The beginning of the beginnings is active movements of the arms and legs from a prone position. The baby, as it were, rises on the handles, trying to move. As a result, he crawls back somewhere, but is very pleased with his achievements.

After the age of five months, the child begins to crawl in a plastunsky way. He draws his legs and pushes them off, using his hands to help himself move forward. You can stimulate this skill with toys: put a bright rattle nearby so that he has an interest in capturing it. So the babies gradually begin to crawl.

From the age of seven months, the baby learns to move on all fours. Some develop decent speed, actively working with arms and legs. By this time, the children already know how to sit, easily change the initial position "sitting" to crawling and back.

Note! Before crawling on their knees, babies stand on all fours and sway back and forth with their whole body. This is a very useful exercise that strengthens the muscles of the back and arms and legs.

Some styles of crawling:

frog;
in plastunsky;
seal;
bear cub;
backwards;
scooter.

The child chooses the style of movement independently. Nature itself tells the baby what is best for him. Sometimes they combine styles or use several in turn.

The most common style of locomotion on the stomach is in the plastunsky way, that is, without lifting the torso off the floor. The child amusingly rolls over from side to side, but confidently moves forward.

The style of the seal also looks original in children's performance: the baby lifts half of the body with the help of his hands, and then flops on the floor. With difficulty, but moving.

In the frog style, only the legs are involved. The baby is repelled by them from the floor and moves forward. It looks like a frog swimming.

Note! In whatever position the child crawls, this is considered the norm. The only thing that causes fear is the position of the legs with the letter W. This is called the grasshopper pose.

Having suffered to move on their tummy, the children quickly guess to get on all fours. This way of moving is much faster, and the tummy does not hurt.

Classic style - legs bent at the knees, arms stretch forward. The baby is crawling like a bear cub - the legs are slightly extended, and the buttocks are raised up.

Style "back to front" - the little one moves backwards like a crab. May move sideways.

The style of the scooter is very original. The child leans on the handles, walks with one knee, and for some reason the second does not move. The fixed leg is also bent at the knee, but he pushes off the floor with only one leg.

What is interesting: at first, the children "step" with their arms forward and pull both knees at the same time. Having learned this way of moving, they gradually synchronize the movements of the limbs and begin to quickly crawl on all fours.

Non-standard means of transportation

Children are very smart. When they need to overcome the distance and get to the cherished object, they can demonstrate miracles of ingenuity. For example, roll from side to side. So, kolobok, and get to their destination.

Another way is to ride on the pope. Why get on your knees when you can drive comfortably? Especially in diapers.

Why do some babies crawl earlier than others?

There are explanations for this:

genetic predisposition;
certain body weight;
help of parents.

If at least one of the parents began to move early on all fours, then his child will begin to crawl early. This is a common genetic predisposition, nothing surprising.

Body weight is an important indicator. It is much more difficult for a plump child to move himself than for a lean one. Of course, you do not need to put the baby on a diet for the sake of it. Just give him time to get stronger.

The help of parents is also an important indicator in the development of infants. In order for him to learn to move earlier, you need to start laying it on the tummy immediately after the umbilical wound is overgrown. The pediatrician will tell you the right time. Laying on the tummy stimulates the desire to move in babies.

When the baby is placed on his tummy, he raises his head to see the space in front of him. Then he begins to raise himself on the handles in order to better see around him. And here it is already close to crawling.

Skill Development Assistance

By four months, the baby is learning a lot of new things:

recognizes mother and smiles;
fixes the eye on bright objects;
confidently holds his head straight;
grabs objects and puts them in his mouth.

It's time to teach your baby to crawl. Pediatricians believe that the slider can no longer lie in the crib all the time, it is necessary to provide him with the opportunity to learn to move. To do this, spread a blanket or blanket on the floor, toys on it. The child will definitely reach for the toy, because he already knows how to grab objects. To reach the desired rattle, he will begin to crawl. This is a completely natural process, laid down by nature itself.

You can also use a voice stimulus. For example, sit opposite and call the child affectionately to you, beckon with your hand. Many babies actively begin to crawl in the direction of their mother.

Another way is to set an example. Mom or dad begins to crawl on the floor on all fours, activating the imitation reflex in the child. Often helps.

If the child does not want to crawl

The formation of the skill of movement in each child occurs in its own way. For example, some of the babies crawl for a long time and do not stand on their feet, while someone bypasses the stage of crawling and immediately begins to walk. This is also considered the norm of development, do not worry. It’s just that the child realized that it was more convenient to move around in this way.

Note! According to WHO, every 10th child in the United States immediately begins to walk, bypassing the stage of crawling. This is also considered normal.

But it happens that the little one is not going to learn to crawl, sit and get up. What to do in this case? The child needs to be shown to the pediatrician. There are some diseases in which the process of physical development of the child slows down or is disturbed. The reason for contacting a specialist will also be the loss of acquired skills: for example, a child used to be able to sit, and then stopped doing it.

There is an opinion that every child should crawl his own, and this is necessary for proper development. Now pediatricians around the world doubt this statement. If the baby began to walk, then there is nothing wrong with that. But if the refusal to crawl is accompanied by other warning signs of lack of development, then it is worth worrying.

If the child develops well, but refuses to crawl, you need to replace it with climbing. For example, ask him to climb on a sofa or a mini-slide. You can buy a miniature Swedish wall - let him master it. It is believed that climbing completely replaces crawling.

Gymnastics and crawling exercises

To help the baby strengthen the muscular apparatus, they do special gymnastics.

Starting position - on the back. Mom carefully twists the legs so that the child turns over on his tummy.

They put their palms on the baby's feet so that he starts to push off from them.

They give the child a strengthening massage for the development of the musculoskeletal system. The pediatrician will show the correct movements.

We recommend using a special baby product during the massage for easy sliding and moisturizing the skin. A complex of sea buckthorn, pine nut and cedar dwarf oils has been added to the massage oil of the My Sun® brand. The oil gently cares for children's skin, making it silky, and helps to avoid stickiness during the massage.

The child is regularly doing gymnastics, turning from side to side, shifting from the back to the tummy, bending and unbending the legs, etc.

Note! Remember that the baby must be ready to crawl. Until his muscles are strengthened, he will not be able to move. Do gymnastics daily, put it on your tummy, stimulate interest in the world around you.

Exercise-imitation of the frog pose. Spread the baby on the tummy on a hard surface, bend the legs at the knees and slightly spread to the sides. Everything looks like a frog is swimming. If you regularly perform such an exercise, then muscle memory will work, and the child will crawl.

When the child's arms are strong enough, you can do the "Wheelbarrow" exercise with him (or walking on his hands). Lay on your tummy, let him rest his palms on the floor. Raise his legs with your hands and gently guide him to move forward and rearrange the handles.

This exercise is done on the floor so that there is free space. In a month or a half, the baby will begin to crawl. Exercise strengthens the muscles of the hands, which is very important for independent movement.

To teach a child to crawl on all fours, make "reins" from the sheet, for which you will support the body while crawling.

Helpful hints

As soon as the child is 5-6 months old, take him out of the playpen: limited space does not activate the exploratory reflex.
Teach your child on a carpeted surface. Linoleum and laminate are not the best idea. Crawling on such surfaces for the crumbs is difficult and uncomfortable.
Cover sharp corners of furniture with pillows or cloth to prevent your baby from accidentally hitting them.
Training clothing must be loose and not restrict the child's movement.
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