At what age does the baby begin to crawl? At what age does a child begin to crawl independently: norms, terms for boys and girls, recommendations for mothers. Possible reasons for delaying or skipping this step

10.07.2019

Crawling is an important stage in a baby's life. Every mother, while still pregnant, dreams and imagines her baby. The way he first learns to roll over on his tummy, then crawl, sit, and finally walk. And when this actually happens, there is no limit to the happiness of parents. In this article we will figure out when this happy moment should come.

The situation is such that this moment may never come. Each child is unique and develops according to an individual scenario. Therefore, sometimes children do not even begin to crawl, but immediately learn to sit and walk. The child can make up for the lack of this skill at two and three years. And there is no need to stop it. After all, crawling is an excellent exercise that develops and strengthens the muscles of the back. And the vertical position, on the contrary, gives too much load on the child's fragile spine.

How to help your baby start crawling?

In order for the child to start crawling, perform a series of exercises with him. You need to do it daily, otherwise there will be no effect. Perform gymnastics when the child is in a good mood. Turn it into a game, hum some perky song and smile. Then the baby will be happy to learn new movements.

The first exercise is very simple. Lying on your back, bend your arms and legs alternately. Repeat several times.
Good exercises on a special big ball. Put the child on his stomach and tilt the ball in different directions, and then show the child that he can push off the ground.
Teach your child to roll over. Roll it from one barrel to another. Kids usually like this exercise, and they are happy to repeat it again and again.
Turn the baby on his stomach and put his favorite rattle in front of him. Help him reach for her, substituting your hand under the heels.

The environment is also important. Give your baby freedom and space. Do not teach him to play in the crib, the child should share a place to sleep and play. Otherwise, in the future it will be difficult for you to put him to sleep. From three to four months, lay the baby on the floor. Let him get used to the new environment. If the floor in the house is cold, lay a carpet on it. There are special play mats for kids. They are very bright and comfortable. And thanks to the toys suspended on the arcs, the child can look at them and play for a long time.

In order for the child to have an incentive to learn to crawl, put toys at some distance from him. He will be interested in reaching out to them. So he will understand that he himself can move. This does not mean that you should put the toy a meter away from the baby and watch how he will unsuccessfully try to get to it. Place it in such a way that the child, with a few efforts, reaches out to it.

Everyone knows that children copy everything from adults. So help your child by your example. Crawl around him. It is much more interesting to explore the world around you with your beloved mother.

Take care of the safety of the premises. Keep dangerous and breakable objects, such as floor vases, figurines, lamps, out of sight. Install plugs in electrical outlets, and put silicone pads on the corners.

Make sure that the air in the apartment is clean and fresh. Every day, or at least every other day, do wet cleaning. Ventilate the room more often, but avoid drafts.

What time do boys and girls start crawling?

All babies are different and boys begin to crawl at different times, usually later than girls. As a rule, all babies master this skill at 5-7 months. Well-fed babies are usually a little lazier than their peers, they begin to crawl at 7-8 months. Thin ones, on the contrary, can learn to crawl earlier.

When the baby begins to crawl, do not stop working with him, show new exercises. After all, it has been scientifically proven that mental development directly depends on the physical.

The ability of a child to crawl is a skill that many parents look forward to. The ability to move independently with the help of crawling appears in children normally from 5.5 to 9 months. If your child crawled, this indicates that his back muscles and spine are developing correctly. But not all babies go through the crawling stage, some skip it altogether, going straight to walking. Is this permissible, what are the norms for the development of the skill and at what age does the baby begin to crawl, we will consider in our article.

At what age does a child start crawling?

Conscious motor activity appears in a baby not earlier than he learns to hold his head well and masters turning from his back to his stomach. When the child is able to independently, without any effort, turn in the back / tummy position and vice versa, twist his head high, then his muscles have already strengthened and are ready to master the next important stage - the crawling skill.

The formation of this skill can also be influenced by some factors that must be taken into account when assessing the development of the baby. Among them are the most significant:

On a note! The presence of a crawling reflex can be observed even in newborn babies. Checking the presence of this reflex is very simple. Lay your baby on his tummy, and as a support for the legs, substitute your palm to the baby's feet. The child will immediately try to slightly push off from your palm, unconsciously trying to move forward.

Development of crawling stages in infants

Each infant may have its own “individual style” of crawling, but in general, experts identify several stages through which the baby gradually goes through to fully develop the skill. The sequence of stages can be considered in the table, which describes step by step the motor development of the baby in a certain period.

Child's age	Stage of development	Characteristic features
5-7 months	Crawling on your belly	The baby itself rolls over on its tummy and tries to actively move forward with the help of the muscles of the arms (active load on the shoulders and elbows). Movements can resemble the activity of a “caterpillar”. The baby still does not manage to move forward, more often he manages to crawl back or even to the side.
6-8 months	Crawling on the bellies	The child is already trying to pull up the legs alternately in an attempt to move towards the object or mother. The support falls on the palms, which simplifies the process of crawling. At first, the baby will be able to crawl backwards, this is a normal course of development of the skill. Gradually, “plastun” movements should lead to the ability to get on all fours
7-9 months	Crawling on all fours	Having learned to hold the weight on all fours, the child will learn to rearrange the legs and arms. The process may look like rocking, still awkward and awkward, but every day the skill will strengthen the muscles. Around the end of the 9th month, children master crawling in full understanding and begin to crawl on all fours.

Interesting fact! In many forums for parents, you can find discussions about when girls and boys begin to crawl, emphasizing that the physical activity of both sexes is different. But it is worth noting that the development of the crawling skill does not depend on the gender of the child. Therefore, if you have a son, then you should not worry that boys begin to crawl later than girls, or vice versa.

In most cases, the child goes through all stages of crawl development. Some babies prefer to act according to their own “plan”, choosing the most convenient way of transportation for themselves and using it for a long time. Active from birth, babies can bypass the first stages and immediately learn to crawl on all fours. Others can move around in a plastun way for up to 8-9 months, and then, having learned to sit and get up without support, try to take their first steps.

Exercises to develop the skill of crawling in children

The desire for independent movement and knowledge of the environment surrounding the child is inherent in nature. If the child has the opportunity to crawl during active hours and there is a suitable surface, then many parents simply let the process “take its course”. If you have a desire to help your baby learn to control his body and improve his coordination of movements, you can perform simple exercises with him.

We develop the muscles of the hands

A good exercise for a child aged 5.5-6 months with a developmental rug. Lay the baby on the mat in the prone position. Bright toys on the mat should be hung at eye level. The baby will try to reach the toy, leaning on one hand to touch it with the other.

Exercises on the ball

A special ball - fitball will help strengthen the child's back and abdominal muscles. At the first lesson, you need to lay the baby back on the ball, holding it under the armpits. Lightly rock the ball forward/backward. Enough 3-5 minutes. In the second lesson, we put the child on the ball in a prone position, holding the back and feet. We put a toy in front of the ball. The child will try to get it by moving his palms over the ball.

Daily massage

Many neurologists recommend doing massage so that the child begins to crawl. Massage increases blood flow in the spine, stimulates the muscles of the back. Light stroking movements from the shoulders to the lower back should be alternated with more intense ones. The procedure can be carried out independently by watching a training video, or trust a specialist.

The baby is not crawling - is it worth sounding the alarm?

In rare cases, it happens that the child does not begin to crawl at all. Instead of crawling, he uses an alternate mode of locomotion, such as trying to jump up and down in a sitting position, rocking on all fours and bouncing, or sliding on his stomach. You don't need to worry about this if:

the baby uses both arms and legs equally;
learns to coordinate the movements of the left and right sides of the body, trying to be in motion even without the ability to crawl;
the child, in conjunction with the above, has all the conditions for proper physical development and growth.

Important! If you feel something is wrong with your baby's motor development, check with your pediatrician.

The most important thing for a child is to be able to independently explore his environment and strengthen his body, preparing it for walking. Encourage the baby in his first attempts to crawl, develop the skill in a playful way. With the right approach, your efforts will be rewarded, and the child will crawl through any distance with the help of crawling.

The achievements of a growing baby are always a joy for parents. Its development in the period up to a year is fast. It seemed that until recently, the baby could only move arms and legs, reach out to rattles. Now he is turning over with might and main, trying to sit down and get up on all fours. Soon he will learn to crawl and will begin to actively explore the available living space. At the same time, adults are often concerned about the question: do all children crawl before taking the first step, and do babies need to be stimulated to develop this skill?

Every mother looks forward to when her baby begins to crawl The role of crawling in the development of the baby

The child makes the first attempts to reach the desired goal at the age of six months. Trying to reach the rattle or ball with his hand, he gets on all fours and slowly learns to move on his knees towards the goal.

By 9 months, moving on all fours becomes conscious and coordinated. The stage when the child begins to crawl on all fours indicates that his bones and muscles are ready for new physical exertion. Such training has a positive effect on the development of the baby:

muscles are involved in the process, which will soon be involved in walking;
strengthening the back muscles contributes to the development of correct posture;
synchronization of the work of different parts of the baby's body;
the inclusion of both hemispheres of the brain;
mastering the skill of balance;
orientation in space.

An earlier knowledge of the crawling skill indicates the positive activity of the baby and good heredity. Perhaps one of the parents started crawling too early. If the child does not strive for physical activity at the age of nine months, it makes sense to consult a neurologist. The cause of lateness is hereditary factors or health problems.

The child begins to make active attempts to crawl by 6-7 months, however, all babies are individual, and the period may vary

Children's pediatrician Komarovsky Evgeny Olegovich focuses on the importance of crawling in infancy. It stimulates walking much more effectively than walkers and jumpers. However, the doctor emphasizes that it is impossible to name a specific period from how long the child will crawl. He can do it if he is fully prepared.

Skill of use: how does it arise and what does it depend on?

At what age does a baby start crawling? This indicator is influenced by such factors:

Gender of the child. Often girls are ahead of boys in development, and crawling is no exception.
Breast weight. Overweight babies (regardless of gender) master crawling a little later than their peers.
Time of birth. Babies born prematurely or weakened as a result of illness begin to crawl later than their peers.

The period when a child begins to crawl depends little on the ratio of his height and weight. If they are ahead of the norm (the baby looks bigger and older than his peers) and the child develops normally, then he has no reason to delay in mastering the crawling skill.

How does a baby learn to crawl?

It is important to understand that the child masters the skill of crawling gradually. The development of motor functions in this case takes place in stages:

3 months - the child confidently holds the head, lying on his stomach, turns it in different directions, raises the body, leaning on his hands;
4 months - the baby can rise on his hands from a prone position, rolls over from his back to his tummy, rests his legs if he is held vertically;
5 months - the baby tries to sit, crawl in a plastunsky way;
6-7 months - the child rolls over well from his back to his tummy and gets on all fours, actively masters the skill of crawling, so parents should carefully monitor his safety.

The main skills that the baby masters in the first year of life are presented in the table:

Baby's age (months)	Skills
1	The newborn reacts to loud sounds, follows the movement of adults with his eyes, rattles.
2	A “grasping reflex” develops, the baby follows objects moving vertically, moves arms and legs, trying to synchronize their actions.
3	The child gurgles, explores the face with its hands, recognizes the parents.
4	In the position on the tummy, the child holds his head well, stretches out on the handles, and can sway.
5	Perhaps the appearance of the first teeth. The kid "plays" with a bottle, pays attention to his favorite toys for a long time.
6	Knows his name, tries to sit up, repeats sounds after adults.
7	The baby knows close people, blows to get up, sits confidently, pronounces simple words.
8	He eats food, holding a piece in his fist, shifts the rattle from hand to hand.
9	Confidently sits, crawls to objects of interest.
10	Interested in small things.
11	Imitates the intonation of the parents, sits down on his own.
12	Crawls well, walks with support or independently.

The main stages of mastering the skill
The development of the skill of crawling occurs gradually, the first attempts are more like rocking on all fours

Babies learn to crawl gradually. At the age of three months, they try to crawl forward on their stomach. The direction of movement is forward, sideways, backward, so it is not always possible to understand that the child is trying to crawl. Performing such exercises, the baby moves like a small caterpillar, which requires a minimum of energy. Gymnastics teaches you to control your hands - pushing off with your elbows, the child automatically crawls back. Realizing how this happens, he repeats the movements again.

Having learned to control his hands, the child tries to get up on all fours, leaning first on his elbows, and then on his palms. Many parents notice how babies sway while standing on all fours. Long workouts improve the coordination of the crumbs, and he starts to cross crawl, alternating the movements of the arms and legs. The right arm and left leg move synchronously, and vice versa, gradually the rhythm becomes clear, and the crawling speed increases.

Many parents are interested in: what happens first - the child learns to crawl or sit? Experts believe that at first the baby must learn to crawl in a plastunsky way, and then learn to sit. It is forbidden to sit down a baby. The baby should get stronger and sit down on its own, since the seat creates a vertical load on the spine.

It is important for parents to focus on developing crawling skills. It will strengthen the muscles and help the child to sit up. It happens that babies do not crawl on their tummy at all, and immediately get on all fours, which is also a variant of the norm.

The baby is not crawling - is it worth sounding the alarm?
To prepare the child for crawling and strengthen his muscles, it is recommended to give the baby a massage.

During walks, mothers often share with each other the achievements of the kids. Having learned that many babies are already crawling, and it is time for the baby to master this skill, mothers begin to actively stimulate him to crawl. Good results are given by professional children's massage and exercise therapy - the muscles are strengthened, and the baby begins to move actively. However, it happens that none of the possible measures does not work.

There are several reasons why the baby does not crawl:

poor muscle development;
birth trauma of the newborn;
prolonged stay in plaster, stirrups;
excess weight;
temperament features.

If the baby is already 9 months old, but he does not show physical activity well, you should tell the pediatrician about this at a scheduled appointment. The doctor will recommend methods of correction - massage, diet, exercise therapy, if necessary, refer you for a consultation with specialized specialists (orthopedist, neurologist, cardiologist and others).

What should parents be concerned about?

To figure out why the baby does not crawl, only a specialist is able. Mom should be alerted if he tries to make characteristic movements, dragging a handle or a leg behind him. Also, do not lose sight of the situation in which a baby older than 9 months crawls only in a plastun way, without making an attempt to get on all fours. It is advisable to get acquainted with the literature, which will tell you how much time and how to stimulate the crawling skill.

In some cases, if the child is not interested in crawling for a long time, it is necessary to consult a doctor. What time do premature babies start crawling?

The development of premature babies depends on the time of birth. Babies of the 1st degree of prematurity begin to gurgle at 2-3 months, children with degrees 3 and 4 - a few weeks later. As a rule, three-month-old children confidently hold their heads, at six months they roll over from the tummy to the back and back. Such children sit on their own at 8-12 months, get up - at a year old.

Since the first physical activity that prepares for crawling occurs in premature babies at 6-9 months, they begin to crawl later than their peers. Usually, preterm babies learn this skill at ten months of age.

How to stimulate active crawling?

Pediatricians do not recommend helping the child crawl and get on all fours. The baby will achieve everything himself after his muscles get stronger and are ready for the load. However, parents cannot always be passive observers. You can help in the following ways:

lay the baby on his tummy on a rug or bed so that he is given plenty of room for visibility and movement;
lay out bright balls or attractive toys within sight;
when he sees the object of his interest, the baby will begin to reach out with his arms;
noticing this moment, it is important for parents to create supports for his legs with his hands - he will push off and begin to crawl on his tummy;
soon the baby will understand that he can control the body himself, and he needs to show an example of moving on all fours;
over time, the baby will notice that he can also, and regular exercises and massage will help strengthen his muscles;
do not ignore the advice of a neurologist and a pediatrician about massage - there are situations when completely passive babies, after a course of massage, were active and learned to crawl in a few weeks.

Bright toys that are not easy to reach can help the baby crawl. Safety rules

To determine the safety of an apartment for a baby who has learned to crawl, an assessment of the situation through the eyes of a young researcher will allow. To make the trip around the apartment informative, you should exclude the meeting with dangerous objects and ensure the following conditions:

comfortable temperature - drafts should not walk on the floor, crawling clothes should be comfortable and sufficiently insulated when the apartment is cool;
sharp corners, wires, potentially dangerous objects - contact with them should be excluded by putting protective interlocks, plugs, hiding or hiding everything that the baby can pull and taste;
household chemicals and hazardous liquids - all clothing care products, medicines, cat food, paints and other potentially hazardous liquids should be hidden in cabinets with special restraints;
cleanliness - one should not strive for absolute sterility of the floor, since the baby needs to get used to "home" microbes, but there should be no garbage and animal hair.

In each room, you can organize a safe corner with your favorite toys and interesting gizmos. Then the crumbs will have a goal to move around the apartment and mom can relax, detachedly watching his games. Ahead - a lot of interesting things, because when the baby learns to walk, worries and concerns about safety will increase.

“Top, top, baby stomps,” is sung in a cheerful children's song. This event will take place about a year after the birth of the child, and by that time he will have time to master many other useful skills.

Before they start walking, children try to move by crawling from place to place. Why and when does a baby start crawling? Do all kids need to be able to do this?

When does it start crawling?

A newborn baby from the first minutes of life begins to learn about the world around him. He examines everything around, listens, touches and tastes any thing that he can reach. And now, when there are no unexplored secrets in the reach of the hand, natural inquisitiveness encourages the baby to show interest in other subjects.

This period of active cognitive activity begins somewhat earlier than children learn to walk. Therefore, in order to reach a bright toy or mother's mobile phone, the baby tries to move forward in other ways available to him.

At first, he starts to get good at rolling on his side and on his stomach. Then he will be able, pushing off with a leg or handle, turn around in the other direction, move forward or backward. And when the baby finally understands and masters his new abilities, he will learn to crawl in the direction he needs.

Usually, the first attempts to crawl are noted in children from the age of five months. By the age of seven months, the most active and persistent babies are able to crawl rather long distances.

Such data on how many months a child begins to crawl cannot be considered the norm, since in infancy the development of children occurs purely individually.

The period when the baby begins to crawl depends on several criteria:

Degree development of the musculoskeletal system. The faster the muscles of the arms and back get stronger, the more confident the child will feel, leaning on the handles, and will soon begin to crawl.
Degree development of the nervous system. Comprehension of the principle of movement by crawling is the result of hard work of the brain. By this time, the infant should have formed neural connections responsible for the coordination of movements, the development of a sense of space and distance.
Development Features. Each child explores the world around him at his own pace. Some give preference to tactile sensations and then they begin to crawl earlier. Others immediately want to observe and only then try to touch.

In addition, it is believed that the time period at which girls begin to crawl begins a little earlier than for boys. It has also been found that premature babies do this a little later, at about ten months of age.

Body type. It is usually harder for chubby little ones to learn to crawl, so this process may take longer for them.
Stimulation. Creating favorable conditions for the formation of the ability to crawl can contribute to the earlier development of this skill.

Thus, it is impossible to accurately predict when the baby will learn to crawl. It often happens that a child at 8 months is not yet crawling, but is already beginning to learn to stand, step over from object to object. He may not need to crawl at all.

Crawling methods

The peanut chooses the method of movement for itself, depending on how it is more convenient for him or how he likes it. There are three main ways to crawl:

on the stomach;
in a plastunsky way;
On knees.

It is easiest for a baby to learn to crawl on his stomach. Already at three months, he can roll over and lie on his tummy for a long time, looking around. At the same time, he makes involuntary movements, rests his arms and legs against a hard surface, trying to move in the direction of interest to him. More about when a baby starts to roll over

However, the baby cannot rise, but, on the contrary, presses his stomach to the floor. It is more likely to be called poking.

With this method, the baby cannot move quickly. Often, crawling on his stomach, he does not move forward, but backward. The ability to crawl in this way strengthens the muscles of the back and neck well, helps get rid of intestinal colic and improves the functioning of the digestive tract. For other methods of getting rid of colic, see the course Soft tummy

The way when a child begins to crawl in a bellies way is very similar to how adults do it.

The main differences from the previous crawling model are in the movement of the legs. The baby, lying on his stomach, spreads his legs wide and bends them at the knees. And then, starting from the floor, straightens the legs and thus moves forward. At the same time, he rises on his hands, pulling the body.

Crawling helps children develop alternation skills and is an excellent prevention of hip dysplasia.

By the time a child begins to crawl on all fours, he usually already knows how to sit well. After all, it is from a sitting position that it is most convenient to stand “on all fours”. In this case, the baby rests on the surface only with arms and legs. He can stand on his knees or on straightened legs. Read more about when the baby starts to sit

Crawling on all fours is considered the most difficult way, because the child must keep his body in an elevated position. In addition, he needs to be able to keep balance, coordinate his movements.

"On knees"

At first, the baby performs all movements not very confidently, often standing in one place, swaying back and forth. However, when he fully masters the technique of crawling on all fours, he will move quite quickly. This method is very useful for forming the curves of the spine, the ability to correctly distribute the load on the body during movement and control the direction of movement.

The kid can immediately learn the most elementary way of crawling, and then move on to another technique. The most difficult is the ability to crawl "cross" method.

Refusal to crawl: is there any reason to be wary

The ability to crawl is very important for the development of the baby. If the child does not want to crawl, do not ignore this, considering crawling simply as a transitional stage between sitting and walking.

After all, when the baby begins to crawl, the first signs of independence are formed, he has more freedom and opportunities.

In addition, crawling is very useful for:

training of the muscles of the back and limbs;
the formation of the skeleton and the development of the musculoskeletal system;
development of coordination of movements and the ability to navigate in space;
preparation for upright walking;
improvement of psychomotor development (when crawling with support on the palms, the child receives a large number of tactile sensations);
development of the nervous system, brain.

The ability to crawl affects the development of the cerebral hemispheres, a strong relationship is established between them and there is no predominance of one of them over the other. Children who have learned to crawl, have the ability to both the exact sciences and the humanities, have creative inclinations.

Neurologists believe that the crawling period is more important for the development of the child's nervous system than the first steps.

Also, the ability to crawl has a positive effect on the timely development of speech, the absence of speech therapy problems.

Therefore, if the baby has no desire to crawl at the age of 8 months, it is advisable to establish the cause of this behavior and try to correct the situation (it must be remembered that the period at which boys begin to crawl may come a little later).

The reluctance to crawl can be caused by several factors.

Health problems. There may be muscle weakness, deviations in the development of the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system.
Temperament. Children show their curiosity and activity to varying degrees. Some people like to watch more than trying to reach and touch an object. Such a baby does not express much interest in crawling.
Finding in closed space. Spending most of the time in the crib, the baby simply does not understand that there is a large and interesting world outside of it that he can explore.
The child is not allowed to lie on his stomach. Spreading the child on the stomach on purpose is not necessary, but it is necessary to stimulate its activity by any means.
The weight. Even full children will try to move in all available ways. Most often, a large child does not crawl on all fours, because it is difficult for him to hold his body.
No need to crawl. Too diligent parents take care of their child so much that they rush to help him in any situation. The baby simply does not need to try to get something, because the mother helpfully presents everything that only he is interested in.

In most cases, the reason for the reluctance to crawl is not very serious and the problem can be solved. The main thing is to know how to teach a child to crawl and show a little patience.

Crawling is a natural reflex that is present in children from birth, but fades over time. Therefore, parents do not need to try to teach their toddler to crawl. It is enough to create the necessary conditions for him and simply observe the behavior of the baby, only slightly directing his actions.

Important to remember! Before trying to teach a child to crawl, make sure that the child is developing normally and has no health problems.

The help of parents should be as follows.

To make the child want to crawl:

often put it on the floor, surrounding it with interesting things and moving objects;
you need to interest, beckon him with a bright toy or a ringing rattle;
in the process of trying to learn to crawl, it is important to praise the baby more often and cheer;
as a role model to demonstrate to him how to crawl.

Develop the musculoskeletal system:

do a firming massage (if the child has problems with physical development, you should contact the services of a professional massage therapist);
do gymnastics with the baby (the simplest exercises should be started from the first month after birth);
to wear correctly.

Learn to navigate in space and control your body:

learn special exercises (coups, "frog", etc.);
fitball exercises, roller exercises (the most effective way to teach a child to crawl on all fours);

Ensure compliance with safety precautions and hygiene requirements:

put the baby on a clean floor covered with a rug or blanket (no need to learn to crawl on the bed or lay a mattress on the floor);
remove items that the baby can pull to the floor, shorten long curtains;
remove small and sharp objects;
remove cords from electrical appliances, power extension cords and carrying;
dress the baby in clothes that will not hamper his movements.

Compliance with all these points will soon lead to positive results. The most important thing for parents is to understand: in order to start crawling, the baby must want it himself, and you should not expect any effect from ordinary training.

The earliest and most active children from the age of 5 months demonstrate this forever to the world. But the vast majority begin to crawl at 6-7 months, and some of the children are “pulled off” even up to 9 years of age.

According to research scientists, there are some differences in the pace of development of girls and boys. So, babies begin to crawl on average 2.5-4 weeks earlier than babies.

Not everyone is born to crawl...

Some in their development bypass the phase of crawling and immediately begin to walk after sitting. Parents should not worry about this, because pediatricians fully “recognize the right” of babies to such behavior. In other words, it is considered a variant of the norm.

How to help your baby start crawling faster

Experts advise parents to remember that all children develop at an individual pace, and therefore you should not chase after the “neighborly son Petechka”, who began to crawl at 5 months, and regret that their baby has just crawled by 8 months. However, if at the end of the 9th month the child is still there, there is a reason to consult a pediatrician about the development of the baby's musculoskeletal system.

There is an opinion that parents can help the child slightly bring the moment when he can crawl on his own. The simplest exercise for this is carried out as follows. The baby is laid out on the bed with his stomach down and his favorite rattle is placed in front of him at a distance of 20 cm. In an attempt to get a toy, the baby will begin to actively sort out his legs and arms, and after a while he will probably be able to crawl to his goal.

However, these exercises have a downside. If the child is not yet ready to crawl and cannot reach his favorite toy, this will only upset him. In this case, you should not provoke him, because the baby himself is interested in studying the world around him and objects. As soon as the baby is ripe for mastering a new movement skill, he will not need such incentives or any others at all.

It should be remembered that a child is the same person who has character traits, but is still not independent, mentally and physically undeveloped. Many

Crawling is necessary. And when a child begins to crawl is the most important criterion not only for the physical, but also for the neuropsychic development of the baby.

Crawling is one of the criteria not only for the physical, but also for the neuropsychic development of the child. And how many months the baby begins to crawl is evaluated by the pediatrician and entered into the child's medical record. Some babies start walking without crawling. This is not entirely correct. Crawling strengthens the back muscles, prepares the baby for upright posture, and has a beneficial effect on the development of the nervous system.

Age for crawling

When do babies start crawling? The prerequisite for this stage is manifested in infants, at the moment of learning to roll over, when they try to reach their toys and other objects that are attractive to them. On average, full mastery of the skill is achieved by the baby after 6 months.

There are a lot of factors that influence the time when babies start crawling.

Sometimes, in order to push this process, newborns undergo a massage course to strengthen the back muscles, perform special exercises with them.

Thematic material:

Process steps

Each baby learns to crawl in their own way, but usually they all go through certain periods.

Auxiliary exercises

You can help your baby to crawl properly. For this, exercises are performed.

In the course of performing gymnastics, they affectionately talk to the child, stroke him, creating a positive attitude towards classes.

Massage

General strengthening massage can be done daily at home. Parents can learn the basic massage techniques after consulting with a specialist.

The duration of the procedure should be 10-15 minutes. Massage should be carried out in a ventilated room 30 minutes - 1 hour before or after feeding.

Before carrying out the manipulation, you need to remove rings, watches, bracelets from your hands so as not to injure the delicate skin of the baby. For better hand glide, use baby cream or Johnson's Baby oil.

The changing table or other surface where the massage will be carried out is covered with a blanket, oilcloth and diaper. For convenience, you can use disposable diapers containing a waterproof bottom layer.

crawl stimulation

Sometimes the baby moves well in the crib, but does not want to crawl on the floor. How can you help him with this?

The floor must be clean and warm. It is better if it is covered with a carpet or carpet.

To stimulate crawling, a child's reflex reaction to the action of various stimuli is used.

visual motivation

The child is placed on the floor, on the stomach. In front of him, at some distance, a bright toy is placed. The kid should see her, but, at the same time, not be able to reach out with her hands. Then he will start moving towards the toy. You can help him by slightly pushing him from behind with your palm.

Some parents, trying in every possible way to please their baby, warn his every move. As soon as he looked at the toy - they immediately serve it to him, became capricious - they immediately try to entertain him. You don't need to do this.

Natural curiosity, the desire to know the world, should help the child in the formation of his motor skills and stimulate neuropsychic development.

Let the baby himself reach out to the desired object, crawl up to it, examine, touch, study. When moving the baby, you need to praise him, encouraging him with an affectionate voice.

sound stimulation

You can move away from the child for some distance and call him by name, ring a bell, wave a rattle. The kid, having heard the sound, will begin to move towards its source.

illustrative example

The baby is very stimulated by the example of other crawling children or adults. He will tend to crawl after them, imitating their actions.

When the child learns to crawl on his own, you can complicate the task by erecting feasible obstacles in his path. It can be towels, soft toys, smooth objects.

Precautionary measures

When a child masters crawling skills, it is necessary to protect him from injuries and other undesirable consequences:

Summary

Let's sum up the approximate result of the beginning of the independent crawling of the baby.

On the stomach after 6 months. If, upon reaching 8 months, the baby does not know how to crawl, you need to contact a specialist.
In plastunski from 8 months.
On all fours since 9 months.

To facilitate crawling, massage, special exercises, stimulating techniques are used. It is necessary to take measures to prevent possible injuries in the child.

Thematic material:

Crawling strengthens the muscles, forms the physiological curves of the spine, develops coordination of movements, preparing the little man's body for upright posture. Synchronous movements carried out during crawling contribute to the development of brain structures, form connections between the right and left hemispheres, and improve the psychomotor development of the child.

What time a child begins to crawl depends on his physical capabilities, character, and to some extent on the desire of the parents to gently, but effectively and purposefully contribute to his development. When a child begins to crawl on all fours, he opens up many opportunities for learning about the world. But only if the parents allow him to do this, do not keep him in bed during the wakeful period, or even worse, in diapers.

In books for parents, it is written at how many months the child begins to roll over and crawl on his stomach, these are approximate dates. Babies begin to roll onto their tummy at about 3 months of age, and about a month later, from tummy to back. And after 5 months they begin to crawl.

Usually, children begin to develop their skills with moving on their stomach. That is, the baby moves while lying on his stomach with the help of movements of the arms and legs. When he gets a little stronger, he will get on all fours. But it won't crawl right away. And it will be funny to swing back and forth for some more time.

Children begin to crawl in different ways. Someone in the "classic way", someone moves not forward, but backward, and someone in a circle. But if the child has learned to skillfully move on all fours, he can go a little later than his peers. There is such an interesting observation among pediatricians. However, this should not be intimidating. Crawling is a very useful skill. And he is recommended to teach all children, even those who hardly crawled, but immediately went (there are such babies).

1. Do not swaddle while awake. Children under six months sleep a lot. There is not much time left for games, so do not limit their physical capabilities. As a last resort - to swaddle only before going to bed. While awake, the child should be wearing sliders and a vest that does not hinder movement.

2. If the child is awake and in a good mood, lay out his floor, covered with a warm blanket. Make sure there are no drafts. Do not leave in the crib - there is too little room for movement. And you should not leave it on a sofa or bed that has been moved apart. It's easy to miss, and the baby will fall down.