What Are The Benefits Of Teaching My Child To Crawl? – Being Parents

When we start to see that our baby is gaining independence and confidence, has strength in his movements and seems to want to throw himself on the ground, we hope that at any time he will learn to crawl. . However, some parents have to wait longer than necessary because their little one does not seem to want to crawl.

Crawling is an essential part of a baby’s motor development and is very necessary for him to find the confidence and strength to learn to walk. Despite this, there is no standard date for the baby to learn to crawl. In other words, all children are different and learn at their own pace.

There are several reasons why some babies do not crawl. The stage at which they start to crawl varies between the 7th and 9th month of the baby’s life. However, not all babies go through the “crawling” stage. Some children may not crawl until they have learned to walk.

In that sense, don’t worry if your baby isn’t crawling yet. However, it is necessary to observe under what conditions this happened. For example, if in addition to not crawling he seems to have other problems with his legs or motor coordination in general, it is advisable to consult your pediatrician.

The importance of stimulation for him to learn to crawl

As we said, unless there is a health issue, it is normal for some babies not to crawl when expected. Specialists point out that the stimulation of the parents has a noticeable influence on the fact that the baby crawls at this stage.

Most six month old children are already showing signs of independence. They become more restless, get up, jump, and seem to be more active. It is at this point that crawling occurs because their motor system begins to be ready to move.

Babies crawl because they want to move but cannot walk. It stems from their own need to want to move to a place that is interesting to them.

However, a baby who is not stimulated to crawl may never do. Although most children crawl on their own, some may need help. In order for a child to crawl, he must first feel safe on a firm surface.

In this sense, crawling is their first option for moving around without the help of adults. But the adults who take care of them don’t always give them the opportunity to try and move the way they want. In other words, the lack of stimulation and optimal conditions for practice can prevent the baby from learning to crawl. In other cases, parents encourage children to walk without crawling, offering them their hands and helping them take small steps first.

Crawl before walking

While it is common for some babies to walk without ever crawling,  crawling has many benefits.

The position used to move while crawling gives them more speed, in addition to confidence and determination. Likewise, crawling is part of the process of human evolution because it requires the activation of both brain hemispheres. When babies crawl, they learn to coordinate their movements on both sides of their brain. The other advantages of this process are as follows:

• Promote flexibility of the hands and ankles.
• Stimulate the sense of touch.

• Encourage the change of level, which is useful for finding balance.
• Provoke strengthening of the digestive system.
• Promote the visual field.
• Create strength in the musculoskeletal structure of the spine.
• Strengthen the motor system necessary to learn to walk.
• Stimulate the resistance of the cardiovascular system.

All babies are different and learn at their own pace.  So you should not worry if the creeping stage is delayed.

Anyway, if you notice that he needs it, we invite you to stimulate him. Point him at a toy, have him follow you and place him on all fours. You can also let him imitate you, teaching him to crawl yourself. Let him go to where he wants, as long as he’s safe and guarded. Don’t worry too much. If your baby is healthy, he will learn and develop his own way.  You just need to give it the tools it needs.