Baby crawling is defined as any progression either behind or forward. Crawling is the first step that a baby takes to move on its own. It is the method of moving with the help of the hands and his knees. Both hands and knees are key elements to crawling as they hels to move front and back and also balances the entire body from falling.
Our baby first learns to crawl on his own when he is experiences a bit of moving without the help of others. Our baby can move forward or backward with the help of his own hands and knees. The hands keep him balance his entire body and the knees help him to move around in the space. The other important attribute of crawling is it helps our baby strengthening his muscles to be able to make him strong enough to walk in future milestones.
The Development of Baby Crawling
It is observed that most of the babies started learning to crawl in the age of 7 months. Some babies start crawling as late as 10 month to actually start crawling. It may change depending on the growth of the child and how quickly a baby learns to crawl. Other forms of movement includes rolling, scooting, slithering. But it is the first step for a baby towards learning experience of moving around the open space.
Some babies may not crawl at all; instead move directly to pulling, standing, cruising, and walking. Some parents tend to be worried about their babies if they do not crawl but it is a matter of evidence that clarifies that it is just a mere incident and not worrying fact at all. Our baby is likely to crawl when he or she becomes capable of sitting without support from others.
At this stage, our baby is strong enough to make its head steady. Our baby hands and knees are muscular enough to move forward and backward. At the time of crawling, our babies look around to find something they are looking for such as toys, equipment or anything of their interest.
After 4 months of their birth, babies started crawling and it takes almost another 3-4 months to start walking around without the help of others. When a baby becomes perfect in its movement through crawling, it uses an arm and a leg to move around rather than using two hands. Gradually, it starts learning how to be sit for a crawling position.
The Next Steps of Crawling
When our baby becomes mastered at crawling, the next thing that matters the most for our baby is to learn how to walk around. After that he or she pulls up for reaching to table, chair, and any object in which it can stand with. Once it grasps the knowledge of standing on her feet completely, it has gained confidence of moving around through crawling, walking, leaping, jumping, running etc.
The Parents’ Role
Parents’ roles are very important when babies try to learn how to crawl. It is imperative that we as parents’ should give our baby enough open space for crawling. Parents should give them some tummy time for learning. Physical demonstration of crawling is another very important thing as babies try to imitate others behavior. Parents or any elderly person must give some time with the baby for playing with them. Mother should use techniques to improve the muscles of the babies so that they can crawl.
The best way to improve crawling is to push them forward to reaching or grabbing things. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggested that pillows, boxes, and sofa cushions are the objects that can be used to create obstacles. Our baby has to navigate these obstacles in order to get around smoothly. These navigation movements will build confidence, agility and speed of our baby to learn quickly.
We as parents’ should also keep in mind that a crawling baby is prone to accidents. Therefore, it is our duty to make the house childproofed especially the stairs gateway. The stairs should be kept away from the reach or the babies should continuously observe in order to avoid any accident before they completely learn how to walk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also suggested that our babies need not to be wore footwear until they properly learn how to walk. Another role of the parents is to keep practicing light exercises with their babies which are helpful for them to learn more quickly.
Matter of Concern
Babies usually are very imitative in nature. They do what others do. Therefore, it is an imperative task for us as parents not to engage in such activities which are harmful. They usually learn to develop various skills and techniques at different stages of their growth. The matter of concern for the parents is when they start learning to crawl, accidents may take place.
Harmful chemicals, scissors, computer peripherals, electronic goods, electric wires are especially prone to such accidents. Moreover, if the house is multi-storied, then the stairs are also subject to accidents to children given that the child is unable to walk on its own.
Other matter of concern for the parents is for the babies who have not shown any progress of crawling at all even after the age of 12 months. The parents then need to consult with the physician to try to identify the fact. Moreover, premature babies are unlikely to behave normally, which means they start to crawl a bit later in their growth.
Conclusion
Babies are very sophisticated in nature. It is not always the fact that they will start crawling from a particular age of their life cycle rather it is a subjective matter. Some babies start crawling a bit earlier and some starts a bit later. It is not universally true each child will have the same level of stamina, strength and effort.
It may vary from one to another but certainly it is a method that children learn at some stages of their life cycle. In fact, it is one of the most important steps for most of the children to develop to learn how to walk without the help of others.
When did your baby started to crawl? Did you help with your his or her crawling? Let us know below…