The baby's first conscious movements, including diligent attempts to crawl, always bring great joy to parents. But very often, mothers and fathers rush things and begin to worry if their child began to do this much later than his peers. It is necessary to understand that the baby begins to crawl only when he himself wants and is ready for it. In order for a child to begin to move in space, he needs to make a lot of effort. And not only physical, but also mental. A parent can help him by regularly performing special gymnastic exercises with his child and giving him a massage.
At what months do babies begin to crawl on their own?
There is no clearly established standard for when children should be able to crawl. The baby's first independent crawling can occur from three months to nine months. Such a long time interval is due to the fact that the development of movement skills is influenced by many factors, including the degree of development of the muscular system, body weight, and temperament. Typically, a small child can crawl “on his belly” already at 6 or 7 months, and attempts to push off with his arms while lying on his tummy appear at 4 or 5 months.
How many months do girls crawl?
A seven-month-old baby can already begin to crawl on all fours, this is the earliest date. It is believed that girls are prone to this. However, this theory is based more on observations of mothers and fathers themselves than on the physiological difference in the development of a boy and a girl.
How many months do boys crawl?
Typically, gender does not affect the rate of development. However, even ten-month-old boys may not even be interested in moving around in space. There is no need to be afraid of this.
How to teach a child to crawl on his belly?
Unlike crawling on all fours, children are not taught to crawl on their bellies. The thing is, you can't practice motor skills here. Of course, you can use reflex crawling, but this is a reflex that will fade away, and a conscious effort is required from the child.
In order for the baby to crawl on his stomach, you need to provide:
- “physics” i.e. The child needs to be physically strengthened so that he has enough strength to move himself; in some cases, on the contrary, it is necessary to eliminate excessive tension in the muscles, hypertonicity, which can hinder movements.
- an environment that is favorable for the formation of a skill is a hard surface, a carpet on the floor, and not parental pyrinas.
- “psyche” i.e. At first, you can lure the child with toys and place them at a distance to motivate the child.
Practice shows that children master crawling on their bellies faster if they are laid on the floor from 3-4 months; this is also useful for turning over. How to teach a child to crawl on his belly? You just need to prepare him for this, as described above, the main thing is physical readiness and location.
Step by step: how an infant learns to crawl
The norm for a child to be able to crawl on all four limbs is, on average, eight months of age. The child goes through the previous stages even before this. Conventionally, we can divide step-by-step progress into several periods of development:
- lying down (1-2 months). The newborn baby is not yet strong and does not attempt to move independently. During this period, the infant's back and neck muscles become stronger, and he learns to hold his head. The brain prepares for further motor activity. A two-month-old baby makes spontaneous slow movements with his arms and legs;
- turning over (3-4 months). The most important stage is when the baby is already physically prepared to make his first rollover from back to stomach and back. His muscles will be strong enough for this;
- moving on the stomach (period 4-5 months). The first method a child tries to move around. The arms and muscles of the neck and shoulders are involved;
- “Plastun style” (period 6-8 months). The child performs more active actions involving the legs and moves much faster;
- all fours (period 7-9 months). At first, the baby will rock while trying to crawl. Often the child will fall or move in the opposite direction; the movements of the limbs will not immediately be synchronous. You can help him master this synchronicity faster and correctly by moving his arms and legs with your own hands or by showing a clear example. And in order for the baby to go forward and not backward, you just need to block his path to the space behind him, placing his back to the wall or furniture.
Is it necessary to teach a child to crawl?
If we rephrase the question a little and ask if there is any benefit to the ability to crawl, the answer is a resounding “yes.” But there is no need to specifically teach this, since this is a reflex inherent from birth. Parents will need to create comfortable conditions for this and help strengthen muscles through gymnastics and massage.
The manifestation of such an ability as crawling is the most important stage in the development of a child. That is why almost every parent strives to ensure that their baby begins to crawl as soon as possible. So, the main advantages that this ability provides:
- development of the subcortical structure of the brain. This structure takes a primary part in the stage-by-stage formation of all kinds of behavioral reactions;
- development of fine motor skills. During movement, the ligaments of the wrists are stretched and the hands and fingers work;
- great physical strength. As a rule, crawling babies are later much more active and physically stronger than their “non-crawling” peers;
- strengthening the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, and developing coordination.
Types of crawling in children under one year old
The child’s gradual progress in independent movement is conventionally divided into several stages, each of which is characterized by its own version of crawling.
On the stomach
This is the most important stage in which the child masters his very first method of movement. He will be able to roll over on his tummy independently at the age of three months, and move around on it closer to four to five months. It will happen like this: with the help of his hands, the baby will, as it were, pull himself up, trying to move forward. Of course, it will not be possible to move quickly in this way, but the muscles of the back, shoulders and neck will be significantly strengthened, because the child arches, tries to raise his head and push off with his hands from a hard surface.
Very often, with this type of movement, the baby ends up moving not forward, but backward. There is no need to correct or correct this.
In Plastun style
When the baby realizes that lying on his tummy and trying to push off is not enough, he uses his legs. The conditional time frame for mastering this method is a six- to eight-month period. The child spreads his legs wide, bending them, and then pushes hard off the hard surface, thereby moving forward. The support in this case is the elbows. From the outside it looks very funny and cute. Some children push off not with two, but with only one leg, and there is nothing wrong with that.
On knees
This is a rather difficult option, requiring the ability to sit, evenly transfer body weight to the arms and legs and maintain body balance. This usually occurs between the seven and nine month periods. The World Health Organization has set the upper limit of normal when a child should already walk on four limbs - this is thirteen months.
To help your baby learn to crawl more confidently on all fours, you can play the following game with him: take a soft sheet or light blanket, roll it into a narrow flat ribbon and grab the baby by the chest, thereby the parent will regulate the process and help him move on all fours (support points), coordinate in space.
The kneeling exercise will also be useful. Carefully and carefully you need to place the baby with his legs bent on the floor and hold him or let him hold on to the sofa. A little later, he will learn to independently regulate his balance in this position, without needing support.
It is impossible to force a child to move, because if he does not feel balance, the instinct of self-preservation reflexively turns on and he simply stops crawling. Therefore, you need to be gentle and patient without applying unnecessary pressure.
It is imperative to ensure that the apartment has soft floor coverings, since the child will inevitably fall at first due to the fact that he has not yet mastered the correct synchronized rearrangement of arms and legs and has not learned to balance.
On the knees
A small child will be able to walk using this method after he first learns to regulate his crawling on all fours. It is from this position that he will be able to rise to his knees. The skill of such walking is a prerequisite for quickly walking on your feet.
During the first training time, you need to stand in front of him and hold his hands. Gently pull the baby towards you so that he reflexively begins to move his legs towards the parent.
If you regularly perform a “stand” on bent legs with your child, it will be much easier for him to start moving in this way, because he will already know and feel how to maintain balance.
What are the stages of crawling?
Of course, it’s unlikely that a baby will be able to immediately move on four points of support. Full crawling is usually preceded by several stages:
1 Crawling on your stomach (on your belly). The baby moves on his stomach, using his elbows to pull him forward. In this case, the maximum load falls on the muscles of the shoulder girdle, arms and elbow joints. These movements are somewhat similar to how a caterpillar moves. At first, it will be difficult for the child to direct his strength to move forward. If the baby crawls this way to the sides or even backwards, there is nothing to worry about.
2 Crawling on the belly, pushing off with the legs. If previously only the upper limbs and shoulder girdle took part in attempts at active movement, now the baby is also trying to use his legs in crawling.
The child may pull his legs forward one at a time, which will be similar to trying to get on all fours.
The baby can also perform similar manipulations while lying on his back, as if honing his manner of movements. Instead of support, some children begin to use their palms rather than their elbows. During this period, you can notice that the baby moves backwards - this also does not at all contradict the correct course of development of coordination of movements.
3 Crawling on all fours. After all the training, the child has enough practical knowledge and skills to truly crawl forward on all fours. Now the baby can place his arms and legs in the correct sequence (crosswise, the way most mammals walk).
Realizing that now the movements are smooth, dexterous and clear, the baby simply cannot help but be inspired to crawl long distances. You will be incredibly surprised at how quickly a child manages to cover the distance to an object of interest!
Usually every child goes through all these stages. But different babies interpret them differently: some begin to crawl on their bellies, as if spinning around their axis, others move sideways. For some reason, some children leave their legs straight without bending their knees. Or only one leg is involved in the movements, while the child tucks the other under his tummy.
Stranger things also happen - sometimes babies crawl while lying on their backs.
Undoubtedly, this method of teaching crawling is somewhat extraordinary, but it does not go beyond the norm. For a child there is no concept of “normal” or “abnormal” - he simply chooses the most convenient method of movement for himself. Over time, the baby will learn to use these skills while lying on his stomach.
What to do if the child starts crawling early?
By the age of “early movement” we mean a period of five months, and sometimes even four months. Of course, a newborn baby will not begin to crawl at one or two months. After all, at two or three he will only learn to hold his head up.
Early mobility does not have any negative consequences for children. However, some pediatricians still believe that if a child begins to crawl early, this does not mean that he will soon walk on his own, but quite the opposite. This is due to the fact that it will be comfortable for him to move in this way. But everything depends only on the child and on the degree of adult participation in his development.
What to do if a child refuses to crawl?
Parents get very upset and worried if their baby does not start crawling and does not show interest in it, mistakenly considering this a developmental disorder or even a disease. And some simply skip this stage altogether, going straight to walking.
There is no need to panic about this. It is necessary to carefully monitor the baby. If he plays actively while lying in his crib and uses each of his left and right limbs equally, then there is no need to worry. Perhaps the child has a phlegmatic temperament or is rarely outside the crib, not knowing that there is a huge interesting world outside it. And if mothers and fathers initially overprotect their newborn child and do not allow him to do something on his own, then he may not have the need to move. Excess body weight is also an obstacle to the development of active movement skills.
The child must want to crawl himself. Therefore, it is necessary to stimulate the appearance of this desire in the baby: start putting him on the floor more often, interest him and lure him with moving objects or bright toys, and praise him. In addition to this, you can clearly show him how to crawl correctly. Do not forget to follow the schedule of special gymnastics and regular massage.
You should consult a doctor in the following cases:
- if a nine-month-old baby does not even try to roll over onto his tummy, does not attempt to crawl or sit up;
- If you notice that when a child crawls, he drags one of his limbs or does not move it at all, convulsions appear.
New skills
Children are great individualists, each of them moves at their own pace. Some people start sitting down early, learn to stand first, and then crawl, whatever suits them. How a child-mystery will behave in each specific case, but there are WHO standards that, willy-nilly, will have to be adhered to, because it is on them that all relevant specialists, such as a neurologist, pediatrician and orthopedist, rely.
A three-month-old baby must “walk”, make different sounds, then focus his eyes, and, of course, crawl from 4-5 months. It’s good when everything goes according to plan, but if it’s late, it begins to raise numerous questions and even concerns. Doctors often warn new parents that everyone’s development timeline is different, so it’s best not to compare your child with others. But you can, and sometimes even need to, help your baby crawl.
“Not all kids do this. Someone begins to stand from a sitting position, and then immediately learns to walk, and this cannot but rejoice, because what can be more significant than the first step. To bring the cherished moment closer, many devices are often purchased: jumpers, walkers.”
Mom and dad seem to not pay attention to the crawling stage, considering it not so important, so they strive with enviable persistence to put their child on his tiptoes, bringing him to a vertical position.
In fact, learning to crawl is no less important than walking; it’s not for nothing that experts indicate crawling as an intermediate link between sitting and standing. And all because moving on your stomach and on all fours is very good for your back. Parents of plump and tall children should pay special attention to this stage, because due to the large weight, the spine is simply not ready to support the body.
This skill is almost genetic, so most often it just takes a little nudge. Normally, they begin to move on their four limbs at 5-6 months; the learning process can last up to eight or nine months. If a child is not sitting or crawling at 10 months or more, it is better to make an appointment with a neurologist in order to understand in time the reason for such a delay. This may be due to weakness of the back, arms, legs, or individual characteristics of the body.
Exercises and massage to strengthen crawling skills
There are many simple and useful gymnastic exercises that allow you to properly strengthen your child’s joints and muscles or consolidate an already acquired skill. This allows the baby to develop harmoniously and correctly.
Exercises for the harmonious development of a child:
- If the baby has not yet learned to roll over, you need to tightly squeeze your thumb with your palm and slowly guide his body to roll over. With your other hand, support the baby’s leg to rotate the pelvis. Repeat several times, no need to rush;
- take the hands of a child lying on his back and slowly lift them first up, then down, and then spread them to the sides and cross them on his chest;
- put the baby on a special fitball with his tummy, hold him by the armpits and perform light rocking movements. This way he will train his back muscles. And after systematic and correct exercises with rocking, the child will begin to crawl much faster. To interest your baby, you need to turn ordinary gymnastics into a fun game;
- There is another exercise that requires activity from the child. He should lie on his tummy, and in front of him you need to hang his favorite toy or object at a height that is not too low, but within his reach. This way the child will begin to reach for it, stimulating the strengthening of the neck and arms;
- Place the baby tummy down on a hard surface. You need to bend his legs one by one, while carefully spreading them apart. Outwardly, it will resemble frog swimming.
- Place the child on a hard surface and help him straighten his arms and lean on them. Let him try to stay in this “plank” position longer;
- Exercises in water are very useful: swimming, diving, splashing and similar activities. In addition, exercises in the pool will instill in your child the habit of a healthy lifestyle, strengthen him and help him avoid flat feet.
In addition to special gymnastics, it is necessary for a small child to have regular massage sessions. Before starting the procedure itself, you need to ventilate the room and make sure that the baby is in a good mood. At first, the session should not last more than ten minutes. You can gradually increase this time by one or two minutes, reaching twenty-five or thirty minutes a day.
It is necessary to alternate kneading and stroking movements with the palms of the following areas: back, feet, arms and shoulders. Repeat each action fifteen to twenty times, maybe a little more.
Features of training
First you need to create the necessary conditions: motivate and stimulate, encourage. Only by following these recommendations can you help a child learn to crawl, because if the baby himself is not in the mood and is not interested in it, nothing will come of it. We need to create this need:
- Buy a beautiful toy that is interesting from the baby’s point of view, or it can be any non-dangerous object that can attract his attention.
- Place at a short distance from the child. It’s ideal when you can reach the item with your hand from a lying position, but still 2-3 cm is missing.
“It is worth noting that teaching a child to crawl at 8 months is much easier than at 6 months, because he already knows how to sit, which means that when he wants to take something in his hand, he will bend over and ultimately lie on his stomach, and then it will move on.”
A wellness massage of the back, neck and abdomen helps a lot. The baby is able to choose a comfortable position for such activities on his own. Even if it seems that the child is doing something wrong, this is not so. He can push off with his hands, rise up, dangle his legs, and rest his forehead on the mattress of the crib. Don't interfere.
Slow motion
It happens that babies stop moving immediately after they have been helped to take the most comfortable position. It sways from side to side, looking for balance, as if it has no intention of reaching anywhere. In this case, there is no need to rush it again. All these manipulations, which from the outside seem completely useless, are aimed at testing your own vestibular apparatus. You can read nursery rhymes to the beat of your movements or play energetic music.
Secret tricks
It will help a lot if you show your own example how this is done. The child is on his stomach - crawl on his belly, if he is on his knees - on all fours next to him, while not forgetting to encourage and praise.
Setting a goal. A toy or an interesting object should be placed within reach; if it is too far away, the baby will quickly understand that it is impossible or too difficult to get it, so it must be moved away gradually, day after day, to a small distance.
During massage and gymnastics, you can take a couple of minutes and do exercises for the baby to crawl, for example, put the baby on his back and alternately bend and straighten his legs at the knees. With a roller under the belly, it will be more comfortable for the baby if you roll him back and forth by his legs. At the same time, he must have solid support under his hands.
Frog: lay on your stomach and bend your legs, spreading them slightly to the sides. It should be like swimming like a frog.
Walking on your hands . Lying on your hands on a hard surface will help strengthen your back and spine. It is necessary to take the baby in this position by the legs and lift him a little so that he begins to walk on his hands. These exercises are enough 2-3 times a day for 15-20 minutes for the child to start crawling in 4-5 weeks.
Places for training
In a small playpen or cramped crib, you should not start teaching your child to crawl - there is too little space. This will happen much faster if you prepare a platform on the floor. You can cover it with a warm blanket, the main thing is that it is not fluffy or too thick. A bed, as well as a sofa, are also not suitable: they are too easy to fall off. It is important to understand in time what scares the baby and what attracts him, so it would be useful to do the following:
- lie on your stomach;
- roll onto your stomach;
- look around you.
This will help you see possible dangers, traumatic areas, as well as objects of interest to the child. This will make it easier to ensure safety during games and training.
Everything has its time
Every baby is a unique and wonderful creation. And you shouldn’t worry at all if a child starts crawling very early or, conversely, starts later than his peers. This is not a deviation or pathology, and in no case does it mean a developmental delay. You should always be there and try to show that you support him in all his endeavors, patiently and gradually developing the baby’s muscles. And the most important rule is to wait until the child wants to start crawling. There is no need to put unnecessary pressure and forcefully train him. This is the only way to achieve sustainable results.
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