How important is crawling?

Question

Is it important for a baby to learn to crawl in the typical manner (butt in air), or is it just a means to get around and eventually learn to walk?

Answer 1

Ooh there was just an article about this in BabyTalk magazine..

It said that some experts think that crawling is very important to a child's development: It strengthens their arms and upper body, plus is crucial to developing other skills, such as walking.

There's really little you can do, though, I think, for a child who refuses to crawl, or just skips it and goes straight to walking. It's not like you can force them to crawl.

I'd say try to encourage it, but all babies are different and develop at different rates and in different ways. There's no "perfect" baby.

There's a sign in my son's pediatrician's office that says "Childhood is a journey, not a race."

I think we as parents should all remember that because we get caught up in these milestones as if they are going to be a tell tale sign of how smart our child is going to be in the future. :)

Answer 2

I know for a fact that you do not have to learn to crawl in order to walk (my husband did the butt-in-air crawl as a baby.) However, I just read an article in baby talk magazine about how new research is showing that missing the crawling milestone could affect other developmental milestones later in life. Check out the article , it was pretty interesting.

Answer 3

I never crawled, just walked very early.

My son did a type of crab crawl at 11 months and walked at 14 months.

My daughter started "classic" (butt in air) crawling at 4 months.

I think that no matter how or when a baby crawls, it's just a means of locomotion until they master walking. Whatever the style of crawling I believe they will still get to exercise the appropriate muscles until they can walk.

My son's crawling was delayed (and unusual) because of CP and his muscles still developed the right way to enable him to walk within the "normal" development timeframe.

Answer 4

I think any manner of crawling is enough to make the child realise he is actually quite mobile and will get him to eventually walk.

My son did a sort of crap-like crawl... he was always going sidewards. He then would use one knee and the other leg he would use the foot. Looked really funny but he did it only for about 2 months before starting to walk by using furniture for help. He was walking by 10 months.

Answer 5

Some babies crawl, some scoot on their butt. It is the prelude to walking yes. Mine were all crawling by 7 months and walking by 10 months. All babies are not the same some do it all earlier and some later.

Answer 6

From what I've read and what I've been told, crawling is not that important. While a lot of babies crawl, some totally skip crawling. One of my friend's babies didn't crawl at all. He went from sitting to walking!

Answer 7

Crawling is no longer considered a gross motor milestone. Many babies simply go straight to walking. My daughter was 5 weeks premature and because I am type 1 diabetic they are watching her very closely for possible gross motor delays. I was concerned she was not crawling at 12 months, still isn't in fact at nearly 15 months. She is scootching on her bottom. To appease me, they sent her to a developmental pediatrician. He checked her muscle tone and it was great. He told me as long as she is physically able to move, he puts more emphasis on pulling to stand, cruising furniture and sitting up unaided from a prone position as developmental milestones over crawling. He said some babies never do it and unless she is 18 months and not walking he doesn't need to see us again.

Answer 8

Well, I never crawled. I walked at a young age though. My mom told me that she had to teach me to crawl later because i didn't know how...lol!

Basically, if you child isn't right on schedule for crawling, give him time. Not every baby does things by the book!!

Answer 9

crawling is not important at all....i know so many people that skipped it and walked instead. my niece never crawled she sat on her butt and scooted with her hand, she looked like a monkey. she is now 6 and if all the kids are crawling around on the floor she does that instead....its actually funny.
I am also anxiously awaiting my son's crawling!

Answer 10

My son hardly crawled at all. It worried me because I had read that it's an important part of development, but he turned out just fine.

They'll get around whatever way suits them best until they are walking and running.