When did your baby start to crawl: Baby Milestones – When Babies Sit Up, Roll Over and Crawl

Опубликовано: February 19, 2023 в 6:07 am

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Baby

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.

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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

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

When does a baby start crawling? At what age can children start learning to crawl

In its development in the first year of life, the baby goes through a number of successive stages. Starting from holding the head, lifting on hands – to timid steps towards the end of the first year of life. An important milestone in development is crawling – it allows the child to expand the boundaries of space, to explore the world more actively. Scientists, pediatricians, neurologists believe that the period of crawling gives a powerful impetus to intellectual and physical development. Therefore, parents should not rush the child to get up and walk as quickly as possible.

Some babies go through this stage quickly: they crawl for only a couple of weeks, starting to walk early. Let’s discuss in detail all the main points in mastering this important skill ¹ .

Why does a child need to crawl?

When a child crawls, he uses almost the entire skeleton and muscle corset. Thus, the development of all muscle groups is stimulated – from the cervical to the hands and feet. Crawling in different styles strengthens the muscles of the back, which is important for subsequent standing and walking.

During crawling, the spine is strengthened: the bones that form the spinal column become stronger, and the ligamentous apparatus becomes strong, but elastic. The health of the spine, formed in childhood, is the basis for the proper development of internal organs.

In addition, crawling is an essential skill that lays the foundation for mental development and the formation of the brain.

At what age do babies start crawling?

As new skills are acquired, by about six months, the child learns to sit. He must do this without support, without falling on his side, forward or backward. Then, by about 7 months, babies begin to crawl. Initially, the child does this in the simplest way – in a plastunsky way. That is, the baby lies on his stomach, without lifting it from the floor, and moves, pushing off with his arms or legs ² .

Some parents may be surprised to note that at the initial stage, children move more successfully and faster backwards or sideways, and only then they begin to actively crawl head first. Later, babies can move around by raising their shoulders and standing on outstretched arms, pushing off with their legs lying on the floor. This method of movement in all directions is mastered in just a few weeks. Therefore, it is important that there are no obstacles on the way and the child has enough room for maneuvers.

When do babies learn to crawl on all fours?

As the muscles of the back, abs and limbs strengthen, by the age of 8–9 months, children learn to crawl on all fours. Having tried this method of movement, the kids quickly realize that it is much more convenient in terms of viewing and manipulating surrounding objects.

Then comes a new important stage – getting up at the support. Usually this happens as follows: the child crawls up to some element of the interior – sofas, chairs, cabinets, shelves – grabs the protruding edge with his hands and pulls himself up. Thus, holding on to a support, the young researcher stands up. When the baby feels confident in his abilities, he will let go of his hands and take the first step ³ .

Helpful Hint

The child learns new skills very quickly, his muscles are strengthened day by day. Keep your phone or camera handy. This will capture the new skills of the crumbs and funny, fun games, tricks and tricks of the little slider.

Who crawls earlier, boys or girls?

There is evidence that girls are slightly faster than boys – by several weeks – mastering this new skill. But this is a global statistic, your child may be an exception. All children, regardless of their gender, develop at their own pace. We have named the average terms of mastering the skill of crawling, which are typical for the majority. Your baby may start crawling a little earlier or a little later than the average. A difference of 1–2 months is a perfectly acceptable interval for mastering new skills.

There are situations when children learn to crawl early, but get stuck at this stage for a long time, they cannot switch to crawling on all fours and standing at the support. But there are also reverse situations: babies who, it would seem, cannot master the skill for a long time and refuse to crawl, then in just a few weeks they catch up and overtake their peers.

Helpful Hint

Never compare the dynamics of the emergence of new skills in your baby and other children (relatives, neighbors, friends). If your child began to crawl later than their peers, this does not mean anything! Do not look for problems and pathologies where they do not exist. Any issues related to child development, terms of mastering skills should be discussed with a pediatrician or neurologist ⁴ .

What determines the age at which crawling starts?

Compared to the previous skills – holding the head, turning over and sitting – when crawling, the baby masters a more complex business. He is learning to move independently, albeit not on two, but on four limbs. This is a completely new and challenging task for the brain of a child. He needs to master the mechanism of movement with his legs and arms, so that the movements are fast and accurate, effective.

In order to crawl quickly and deftly, the baby needs sufficiently strong, developed bones of the skeleton, strong muscles on the arms, legs, neck, back and tummy. If the baby is weakened due to a recent illness, vitamin D deficiency, or due to other circumstances, he may begin to crawl a little later.

Equally important is the development of the nervous system. In the cortex and subcortical areas of the brain, complex connections should form that coordinate the work of all muscle groups. At the same time, the brain must receive signals from the vestibular apparatus about the position of the body in space and send commands to the muscles of the body: who should contract, who should relax. The child needs to develop coordination of movements, the synchronism of the work of arms and legs, to assess the distance, to regulate the speed of movements. The speed of mastering different crawling styles depends on how psychomotor skills were previously developed. Therefore, it is important to engage with the baby: do massages, gymnastics, show toys, stimulate him to move4.

A certain role in the development of skills is played by the child’s body weight and physique. Big, stocky kids learn skills later than their skinny peers.

Simple curiosity will help to spur the development of the crawling skill. If the baby really wants to get a toy or see what is there, behind the door, he will try to reach out, crawl to the cherished goal. Such aspirations to achieve the goal are laid down in children precisely at an early age and remain for the rest of their lives.

How can I help my child learn to crawl?

The child develops according to the program laid down by nature, and it is impossible to deceive the internal settings. None of the “author’s” or “developing” methods that will be offered to you on the Internet or in various children’s centers have a physiological basis. But it is possible and necessary to create the most comfortable conditions in order to start the development of a skill.

Prepare a flat and clean surface for the baby, spacious enough so that he can crawl several meters away. The space should be safe, next to the child there should be a goal to which he could crawl. For example, you can put his favorite toy, phone, or other item that he would like to get close to the baby. In attempts to reach out, the baby will try to push with his arms and legs, moving forward.

The baby has not started to crawl, what should I do?

Some children do not crawl at all, they prefer “alternative” methods of movement: rolling on the bottom in a semi-sitting position with the help of hands, sliding on the stomach, moving with the whole body. If the baby moves in one way or another, there should be no worries about this. The reason for concern and a visit to the doctor may be:

refusal to use legs and arms equally in movements;
difference in coordination of movements on the left and right;
the situation, if the child does not sit, does not attempt to crawl in principle, does not move in any other way.

Tips for parents

Allocate a safe place for crawling – a separate room or part of it (you can fence off the “crawling” area with a children’s fence, chairs). On the floor you can lay blankets, blankets or buy a special children’s rug.

In the child’s access area, there should be no hanging wires, sharp objects, unstable furniture, sockets (or they should have blockers) – all this is dangerous to health.

When the baby is active, crawling, you can not leave him alone without attention. The baby learns to move very quickly, he can move to another room where dangerous objects are not removed. Always keep your child within sight!

The material is for informational purposes only and cannot replace expert advice.

EN-SIMILAC-2200026

Bibliography:

Sechkina OK Peculiarities of the formation of the child’s psychomotor properties at the early stages of ontogenesis // Bulletin of the Samara Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2008. No. 6-2. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/osobennosti-formirovaniya-psihomotornyh-svoystv-rebenka-na-rannih-etapah-ontogeneza.
Leonkin O. Notes of a neuropsychologist. Crawl. URL: https://www.b17.ru/blog/polzanie-_bit_ili_ne_bit/.
Masyarova LV Peculiarities of learning to crawl and climb in different age groups. Municipal budgetary preschool educational institution “Child Development Center – Kindergarten No. 56”, Glazov, Udmurt Republic.
Nerovnykh AA Infant crawling and interhemispheric interaction. URL: https://mamazanuda.ru/polzanie-mladenzzev-mejpolusharnoe-vzaimodeystvie/.

norms for girls and boys

At six months, a year old or never at all: all these statements are true when it comes to when a child begins to crawl .

There simply cannot be a universal answer here, since each toddler is individual and therefore can start the first attempts to move independently when it is convenient for him.

Let’s figure out how to teach your child to be independent in this matter.

When a baby begins to crawl on all fours and on all fours

Babies begin to actively explore the world around them literally immediately after birth. Gradually, their body adapts to the environment, and with it the senses.

In the first weeks after birth, the baby lies calmly in his crib. But the older he gets older, the more interesting everything that he sees around him seems.

At first, the little one may try to reach the object of interest with his hand, but if this does not work, try other ways to get what he wants. For example, crawl to your goal.

There are several options for crawling:

On the tummy. This is the first way your baby will learn to get around. Already at 3-4 months, babies try to push off the floor with their hands and thus crawl back.
Plastunsky. In this case, your child will use not only the arms, but also the legs. To do this, the little man bends his knees and pulls them to his chest. Young mothers are often concerned about the question of when children begin to crawl on the bellies. We answer: not earlier than in 5-7 months. In this matter, everything is individual. Someone in general can skip this moment and immediately start moving on all fours.
On all fours. As a rule, when a child begins to crawl on all fours, girls do it earlier than boys. The fact is that girls develop more actively than boys, so they master this skill earlier. But general statistics are not an indicator for everyone: it is quite possible that in your case everything will be the other way around. However, children master this not earlier than at six months, when they get used to holding their body and are able to move their legs and arms more confidently.

How to teach a child to crawl on all fours

Crawling brings many benefits to the baby:

the back and limbs become much stronger;
improves coordination, so that your child maintains balance better;
has a positive effect on the nervous system;
vertebral curves develop correctly;
the baby is preparing for vertical walking.

As you can see, this skill is so useful!

There is nothing surprising in the fact that mothers want their child to master this as soon as possible.

We tell you how to teach a child to crawl at 5 months.

First and foremost, there is no need to rush anywhere!

Every baby develops at its own pace, so don’t push your baby around based on someone else’s example.

However, there are a few ways to get ahead with this:

Making a frog. For this, the little one needs to be laid on the tummy. Mom needs to hold the baby’s legs and bend them the way they move with a frog. At this time, your child will involuntarily push off, unbend his legs and thus gradually crawl forward.
Trying to roll over: for this, mother needs to hold the little man by the hand and direct him in the direction in which you want to roll over.
We are engaged in fitball. To do this, you need to put the baby on the ball with your stomach and at the same time gently hold it in the armpit area. Gently shake the little one on the ball: he will arch his back and, thanks to this, train those muscles that he will later use while crawling.

Let’s talk about how to teach a child to crawl at 6 months. In addition to what we have listed above, you can try doing a general strengthening massage.

Most children already master this skill at six months. If after a month your little one has not yet learned to move on all fours, then you can try the following ways to teach a child to crawl at 7 months:

Provide visual motivation. For example, put your baby’s favorite toy on the floor. And motivation can also be sound: call your sun by name so that it moves to the sound of your voice.
Make your child want to try something new. For example, if he actively moves around the sofa, but does not want to move on the floor, put something soft on the floor, so that the little man will be more willing to move on a previously unfamiliar surface.