Encouraging a baby to crawl

[NeedACleverNN]

Apologies if in wrong place but not sure where else to put it.

Ds is 11 months and since he was about 8 months he's been doing a version of his own crawling. Pulling himself with his arms flat on the ground in front of him (commando style) whilst pushing off with one knee.

He is still doing it despite getting on all fours and rocking. He pushes himself to a sit up position from all fours but refuses to crawl like it. If I hold his middle to try and get him to stay up he just whinges.

How can I encourage him to do a proper crawl instead of it commando style?

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Don't some babies just do that? I mean as in why do you want him to crawl conventionally? Is he somehow hurting himself by commando crawling or something?
I cut the tops off 2 2L bottles, filled with rattle toys, taped one open end to the other to create a noisy rolly toy. BabyCentre recommended that! DS seemed to like following it, but he couldn't get anywhere by other means, so don't know if your DS would be much into it if he can already get himself places?

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Sorry, I mean before I made that toy he couldn't crawl by any means or get anywhere, and was just frustrated, so trying to follow the rolly rattley toy taught him how to. Given your DS can already crawl, I'm not sure if it's worth a shot? Maybe!
Sorry if not much help.

[NeedACleverNN]

I think I just want him to conventional crawl because I can see how frustrated he is doing it his way as its slower and it's a lot of effort for him to do. He gets where he wants to go, no issue there but it's not quick enough for him

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

I see. I suppose toy idea might work because he's need to be able to reach with one hand to get the toy which I'd imagine is much harder if in a commando position!

[NeedACleverNN]

He just pushes himself to sit up if he has a toy.

He can do that

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

But the bottle is really slippery and rolls away, hence its a crawling encourager. I doubt a 1 year old hand is big enough to pick up a 2L bottle. But yeah was just a suggestion, never mind. This will bump the thread anyway so maybe you'll get some better suggestions :)

[uhoh2016]

My ds is same age he was doing similar however out of the blue this week he started to "proper" crawl rather than commando I think they just do it in their own time

[comeagainforbigfudge]

Oooh i like that 2l bottle idea. My wee one os the same with toys in front. Just grabs them and sits up. But a 2l bottle might just be the thing. She is almost there. Seems to be able to do it in her sleep given that she was head butting top of cot at 4.30 this morn

[KW89]

My DS commando crawled, never crawled 'normally' for want of a better word! He just went from commando crawling from 9 months to walking at 14 months.

[jessplussomeonenew]

This is my goto site on all physical development stuff, partly because it also brings out the intermediate steps that babies go through as they build up to the big milestones. It includes some handy links on crawling: mamaot.com/developmental-milestones/

[Borninthe60s]

Let him be, he might not do everything conventionally as it were. He will probably go from his own style of crawling to walking.

[CoodleMoodle]

My DD learnt to walk first (holding hands at 10mo, independently at 13m. She only learnt to crawl a couple of months ago - she's nearly two!

I completely understand how frustrating it is, for you and DS. But he WILL get there. No harm in trying to encourage him, though! We tried putting things out of DD's reach but it just annoyed her.

[YouMakeMyDreams]

My commando crawler walked earlier than my two conventional crawlers. Ds2 never crawled properly and went to cruising and walking quite quickly because he was frustrated and slow. Ds1 was a super crawler and was never enthused about walking until much later because crawling was speedier. I don't think his frustration is an entirely bad thing because he will work out a solution to the problem himself whether it's getting on his feet or crawling properly.