When does a baby start crawling? At what months do babies crawl on their own?

At what age do babies start crawling?

According to WHO, most children begin to stand on all fours between 6 and 11 months. Most often, a new skill is mastered by a baby after he learns to sit, because it is from this position that it is easier for a baby to sit up.

However, not all so simple. At what months a child will begin to crawl will depend on individual characteristics. Some will start sitting and then crawl, while others will first try to move on all fours, bypassing the previous stage.

In addition, there are several reasons why some kids are faster than others:

• genetics - if a baby is naturally very curious and wants to explore everything, he will become more active in exploring this world;
• weight - thin children are more agile than their plump peers;
• gender - there is an opinion that girls learn to swim and crawl faster than boys;
• favorite position - children who spend a lot of time on their tummy begin to move on all fours earlier, they put a lot of effort into looking at everything around them, so their arm, back and neck muscles become stronger;
• parents' interest in the development of their child.

So age is not that important. The main thing is that parents create all the necessary conditions for the development of new skills.

The age at which babies begin to crawl

After three months, when the toddler begins to roll over, his vision seriously expands, he begins to see many fascinating objects that were invisible when lying on his back. Then he makes the first attempts to reach the toys, and a little later he crawls to them on his stomach. When the baby is already 6 months old, his parents are increasingly interested in the question of what time the child begins to crawl for real.

Babies can start crawling on all fours at 5 months, but most often this happens after six months, at 9 months, when the muscles of the arms, legs and back are well strengthened, and the baby will try or be able to sit up on his own.

If the child is large, then he may not actively crawl even at 8 months, but then the doctor may recommend taking a course of massage to strengthen the muscles of the back. Real crawling as a stage of child development should be carried out on all fours, preceding the formation of walking skills.

Stages of crawling

the child begins to crawl on his stomach.
For each child, these stages may occur differently: perhaps, for some, crawling on his stomach begins first, for others, cross-crawling on all fours begins almost immediately, for others, one of the stages may even begin. absent.

1. Many people start by crawling on their stomach, with some children crawling backwards, others moving sideways or crawling forward on their bellies.
2. Full crawling can begin like this: the child puts both arms forward at once, and then with a sharp movement, a bit like an awkward jump, puts his legs towards them. This crawling can be compared to the jumping of a frog. Other children immediately begin to get on all fours, while rocking back and forth, and then try to put their hands forward one after the other and move their legs towards them. All these attempts illustrate well how children begin to crawl.
3. The most difficult is considered to be cross crawling, when simultaneously with the right hand the left leg moves forward, after which the leg and arm are replaced in a clear and coordinated order.

Should a child be forced to crawl if he doesn’t want to?

It is very important for a child to learn to move on all fours, as this is a big step towards independence. Other beneficial effects will not take long to appear:

• development of muscles and ligaments;
• strengthening the spine, developing correct posture;
• training of the vestibular apparatus, sense of balance;
• development of movement coordination;
• training to focus your vision on one object.

In addition, after the child learns to crawl on all fours, he will be able to begin an even more important stage - standing on his feet and taking his first steps. After all, for this you need to prepare the muscles and spine.

Why the baby doesn’t start to crawl - problems and pathologies

This is another important issue that requires detailed consideration. Sometimes toddlers don't want to learn a new skill because they're simply not ready. However, if by the age of 8 months the baby has not yet gotten on all fours, an alarm bell is already ringing - it would be a good idea to contact a pediatrician.

Here are some reasons why a baby doesn't want to crawl:

• underdeveloped muscles of the arms, legs or back;
• developmental disorder of the musculoskeletal system;
• character - some children are calm and not so active;
• weight – it is more difficult for overweight babies to move independently;
• Constantly lying in a crib - space is needed to crawl.

However, there is no need to panic ahead of time. All these reasons can be eliminated either yourself or with the help of a specialist. The main thing is to recognize the problem in time and take the necessary measures.

How to start preparing

A 6 month old child does not sit or crawl

First of all, parents must be convinced that their child is developing correctly. To understand this, you don’t have to immediately run to a specialist. If by the age of six months a baby can roll over, is actively interested in surrounding objects, reaches out and takes a toy, rises with outstretched arms, tries to sit up, then he is developing normally, and a routine examination by a local pediatrician is sufficient. If your mother is in doubt, you can visit a more highly specialized doctor: a neurologist, an orthopedist. He will assess the baby’s condition and, if necessary, prescribe a therapeutic massage.

Before putting the child on all fours, you need to strengthen the muscles of the back, abdomen, neck, arms and legs. General strengthening gymnastics and exercise therapy at home always have only a positive effect. This stimulates the development of all necessary skills, starting from the newborn period.

Before teaching a child to stand on all fours, you need to prepare not only his body, but also the place where he will do this.

Methods and stages of crawling

First, let’s look at what a child should be able to do at a given age:

• 2 months - hold the head;
• 4 months – rise on your elbows, supporting your upper body;
• 6 months – sit, stand on all fours, roll from one side to the other;
• 8 months – crawling;
• 9 months – the child’s muscles are well developed, he can move freely on all fours and makes attempts to stand.

Keep in mind that babies can crawl in different ways, and that’s normal!

Walking on your tummy

This is how little fidgets begin to move, eager to explore the huge world around them:

1. Plastun style. The little one lies on his stomach and leans on his elbows. He falls on one side, then on the other, pulling himself forward. The maximum load falls on the muscles of the shoulder girdle, arms and elbows.
2. On the belly, pushing off with your legs. If previously only the upper muscles were involved in movement, now the baby is trying to use the legs as well. The child pulls under himself, now the right, now the left.
3. Style "Seal". The toddler first rises a little, and then simultaneously pushes himself forward with both arms.

On knees

Having mastered moving on his tummy, the child usually quickly gets up on all fours. The methods of such movement also differ:

1. Classic style. The child moves, leaning on outstretched arms and bent legs.
2. Style "Crab". The baby on all fours backs away like a crab and looks between his legs. This is how he sees where he is going.

Moving by rifts

Some kids are lazy to get up, but at the same time they are not devoid of curiosity and want to explore everything around them. So they just roll from side to side.

On the butt

Another possible option: the child, sitting on the floor, begins to fidget with his butt and then gradually move towards his goal. He can also help himself with his hands. This is also normal - the baby wants it that way, so why not!

Reminder for a caring mother: when the baby begins to crawl

Elina Saifullina

As the child grows up, parents look forward to when their baby will be able to sit and crawl on his own. Neighbors and relatives constantly ask about the baby’s achievements, but sometimes there is nothing to boast about. Each child has his own time and should not be rushed. Starting to sit a child before six months and teach him to crawl is a harmful idea.

When is the baby ready?

Age doesn't matter much. One child can sit or crawl at six months, while another begins to do this only at nine months. Learning new skills depends on physical fitness. In order to crawl and sit, the spine, back muscles, abdominal muscles, arms and legs must be strong enough. Only then will the baby be able to make movements without anyone’s help.

When will the child be able to sit down? If your baby already easily rolls over from his stomach to his back and back, tries to catch your hands with his hands in order to rise, makes attempts to lift his upper body in his arms, then he is ready to sit down.

And in order to crawl, the child must be able to lift the upper part of the body on the arms. Some children begin to walk immediately without ever learning to crawl.

A child’s weight plays an important role in learning new skills. Chubby babies have a harder time moving around and put more strain on their spine. Such children will hold off on sitting and crawling. A little later, babies born prematurely will begin to move on all fours.

The famous pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky believes that a child who crawls quickly usually begins to walk late. And the one who does not know how to crawl or does it with difficulty will strive to quickly get on his feet.

Who is faster: girls or boys?

They say that girls get teeth earlier. Mastering the skills of crawling and sitting is also associated with the gender of the child. In equal living conditions, girls can be ahead of boys by an average of two to four weeks. And they start walking two to three months earlier, despite the fact that boys initially have better coordination.

Many pediatricians believe that girls can start sitting down later than boys, as there is a risk of damage to the pelvic bones. Because of this, girls' reproductive health may suffer. Any displacements in the pelvis are undesirable for boys. Therefore, children should be seated no earlier than six months. And before that, parents should only prepare the baby for this event: do gymnastics, do massage.

Girls with a normal rate of development at six months can sit with the support of an adult, and by seven months they can support their back independently. An eight-month-old child can already sit up from a lying position. If a girl sat down before six months, then she is not recommended to practice this skill for more than an hour a day.

Our daughter started showing interest in sitting at five months. While lying down, she raises her head and shoulders, trying to stand on her elbows, and grabs our fingers to sit down. From birth, we strengthened our back muscles: we worked out on a fitball, “flyed” around the house on our hands, did gymnastics, and often laid out on our stomachs.

But we’re not in a hurry to crawl yet, we’re just trying to find the easiest ways to get to the toy, for example, using flips.

Boys can usually sit with assistance around seven months, which is when they are advised to sit down. By next month they can support their back independently.

!It is important to remember that these are average indicators, a deviation from which by a month and a half is considered normal. And don't panic if your baby isn't sitting up yet.

Do I need help?

In addition to gender, an important role in the development of skills is played by the genetic program, the health of the baby, gymnastics and massage, and the course of pregnancy and childbirth. Some of these points are quite amenable to change. In order for the child to sit down, it is enough for parents to do massage and gymnastics with the baby.

From a supine position, pull the child first by one, then by the other, and by both arms, this way the abdominal press will swing.

The following exercise will help strengthen your back muscles: press your baby's back to you, try to lean forward and straighten up with him. The child must learn to hold the upper half of the body in an upright position on his own.

So-called “flights” are also useful for strengthening all muscles: hold the child in the air either on his stomach or on his side.

With crawling, things are much more complicated. There are several types of this skill. Each baby may have its own way of moving.

Already at four months the baby tries to crawl on his stomach. And when he doesn’t succeed, he begins to show his dissatisfaction with his voice. Some children move backwards, while others prefer to move in a circle. Such actions can be considered the first stage of crawling.

A little later, the baby begins to move on his belly. He pulls one leg up, while extending the other, and paddles with his arms. Some children are lazy to put in effort and achieve their goal with the help of flips.

The classic method is crawling on all fours. Often children who already know how to sit crawl this way. From a sitting position, it is more convenient for the baby to get up on all fours.

It is very important to interest your baby in developing the crawling skill. How to do it? To begin, release the baby onto the floor. He should have an interest in exploring space - let him be surrounded by various toys and bright objects on the floor that he should reach.

Show your baby by example how to crawl. You can also invite an older child who has already acquired this skill to visit. This will give your little one an incentive. Together, it is more interesting to reach for toys; a spirit of competition appears.

When trying to crawl, help your baby lift his belly. Place him on all fours, pass a roll of a towel under his stomach and move it in accordance with the movements of the baby.

If the baby is capricious, then you should not force him to crawl and put him on all fours with force. This will not lead to a positive result. Let the baby decide for himself when to crawl. The most important thing is to praise him for every new achievement, encourage him, smile at him.

Space safety

To understand how safe it will be for a child to be on the floor, first explore this space yourself on all fours. Look at everything through the eyes of a baby. Pay attention to corners and objects that he can reach. Be sure to purchase fastenings for furniture so that it does not fall on your head, locks for drawers, door locks, and special pads for sharp corners. It may be better to rearrange some furniture or remove it altogether.

Place special plugs on the sockets; it is better to hide the wires under the baseboard or in special boxes. Move electrical appliances upstairs, hide all fragile and breakable items, household chemicals.

Don’t forget about the cleanliness of the floor and carpet where the child is. Use only proven and baby-safe surface cleaning products. The child may be allergic to some of them.

It is also important that there is no draft on the floor, otherwise the baby may catch a cold.
Let the child learn to crawl on a warm rug and it is better if it does not slide. Today there are special puzzle mats on sale - they are very entertaining for children. Even if the child is in a safe space, do not leave your baby alone in the room for long periods of time. Crawl and rejoice in his achievements with him! Advertising

How to help a child?

If you are sure that your child’s health is fine and he’s just being lazy, then it’s time for you to intervene in the process. Here are some tips on how you can teach your baby to crawl at 6 months:

1. Lift your baby into the air, supporting him under his tummy. This exercise helps strengthen your back muscles.
2. Place your baby on a round cushion with his arms and legs touching the floor and rock him back and forth so that he learns to transfer his body weight from his arms to his legs.
3. Place on all fours and roll back and forth. This way the child will understand how to crawl.
4. Place the baby on his stomach, stretch the fabric under his chest, and now carefully lift him so that the baby hangs in the air. He will be able to move his arms and legs, simulating crawling.
5. Place your favorite toy in front so that your baby tries to reach it.

Preventive massage

Before the baby learns to roll over from back to tummy, sit up, move on all fours and walk, doctors advise doing a preventive massage. Moreover, it is not necessary to contact a specialist - parents can also learn.

Here's what to do:

• stroke arms and legs;
• cross your arms over your chest;
• bend and straighten arms;
• bend and straighten the legs;
• rub and pinch the back;
• raise straightened legs;
• stroke the tummy;
• sit down for a short time;
• stretch your feet.

It is also useful to do exercises on a ball. Place the baby on his tummy and, holding his legs, gently roll him by the arms.

Joint crawling

One interesting learning method is cooperative crawling. The child tries to repeat after adults, and especially his parents - this is how most skills are acquired, from observation. Mom can simply get on all fours and crawl around her child, then soon he will do the same.

Crawl out of diapers

For training from a very young age you will need the Doman track. This is plywood covered with foam rubber coated with a non-slip material. The width of sections on the track is up to 40 cm, length - up to 1 m.

Here's how to teach crawling using the Doman track: lying on his stomach, the baby should move forward just a little. Over time, this distance increases.

Special exercises

There are special exercises for mastering the skill of crawling. Just before you start, you should consult your pediatrician.

1. “Get the rattle.” Place your baby on his stomach and hang a toy above his head. The baby must tense his chest and extend his arm upward to reach the toy.
2. "Standing on all fours." Place a towel or cushion under the baby's tummy so that the limbs touch the surface. From this position he should get on all fours.
3. "Rearranging handles." This method helps you learn how to rearrange handles. Place the baby on the floor. Support your chest with one hand and lift your legs with the other. This way the baby will learn to move his hands.

Exercises to help you master the skill

1. Stand on straight arms.

The baby needs to be laid on the floor and helped to lean on his arms.

2. Working with your hands.

Place your child's favorite toys on the floor. Form a cushion out of a blanket or towel and place it near the toys under the baby's chest. The baby's hands will be free, and he will try to reach the toys.

3. Pose on all fours.

You may need a soft roller or bouncy ball for this exercise. The support is placed under the baby's tummy so that the arms and legs hang freely on both sides.

4. Take out the rattle.

The child is placed on his tummy, and a rattle is hung over him, close enough to his face. The baby will try to reach it with his hands.

5. Kneeling stand.

Sometimes children bypass the kneeling position and attempt to immediately stand on their feet. To help them get on all fours, you need to firmly grab it in the armpit area with one hand, and bend your knees with the other and gently lower it onto a soft surface (for example, a sofa).

6. Exercise with a mattress.

Place a small mattress on the floor so that the child's elbows rest on it and the lower part of the body is outside of it. Stand opposite your child, grab the edge of the mattress and slowly move it towards you. The child, in order not to fall, will begin to move his legs, leaning on his knees.