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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

Not crawling at 8 months. Normal?

25 replies

emmyloo2 · 19/07/2011 07:50

Hello,

My DS is almost 8 months and is not yet crawling. He has just learnt to sit up by himself but even then he still topples over after a while. If we put him on his hands and knees he has very good neck strength but just seems to push himself backwards. He can move quite far actually by going backwards! Is this normal? It seems a lot of babies crawl at much younger ages. The thing is, I don't think he is even really close to being able to crawl properly. I would say at least another 2 months.

Anyone else had a late crawler??

OP posts:

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bruffin · 19/07/2011 08:02

DS only started commando crawling at 8 months but then walked at 10 months, he never got up on all fours.

breatheslowly · 19/07/2011 08:03

I don't think that I would class not crawling at 8 months a "late crawler". I know lots that haven't crawled at 10 or 11 months but have gone on to crawl. And going backwards is often the precursor to crawling forwards. My DD went backwards for about 3 weeks before starting to crawl forwards.

AlmaMartyr · 19/07/2011 08:04

Can't remember offhand but I'm fairly sure that is reasonably normal. Some babies don't crawl at all and just go straight to walking.

TheMitfordsMaid · 19/07/2011 08:04

8 months isn't late.

BellaBearisWideAwake · 19/07/2011 08:04

My son crawled at eight months and he was only the second of nine in our group to crawl. So perfectly normal in my experience. Hth.

Fooffy · 19/07/2011 08:06

Don't worry yourself yet. 8 months isn't late at all. DS was 11 months before he crawled and then walked 4 weeks later!

emmyloo2 · 19/07/2011 08:09

Ok, phew. Will stop worrying. I guess I just heard of other children crawling at 5-6 months and wondered whether he was late. I will stop thinking about it and let him carry on "crawling" backwards.

OP posts:

PorkChopSter · 19/07/2011 08:12

Mine were all over 12 months to crawl, the range for the 4 of them has been 12-15 months.

I look forward to your post in a couple of months saying "why did I want him to crawl, now he's everywhere"

LostInTransmogrification · 19/07/2011 08:12

Out of a group of 8 babies my DS was the last to sit up, roll and crawl. He crawled at 9 months after the rest, but was the first to walk at 12 months and is still the only one walking at 14 months. They all go at their own pace, you have nothing to worry about if your baby isn't crawling at 8 months.

Grumpla · 19/07/2011 08:53

In any group someone has to be last - my DS was last to crawl (just before his first birthday) and last to walk (16 months) in my NCT class.

He now sprints around, can balance on one foot very gracefully, jumps and climbs everything in sight - you really can't tell the difference between him and the babies that were crawling / walking months and months earlier.

BellaBearisWideAwake · 19/07/2011 09:08

Wow, I don't know any babies who crawled at five months! The earliest I know was six and a half months.

I look at our group of three year olds and honestly you can't tell when any of them crawled walked jumped spoke ate potty trained. Honestly.

CMOTdibbler · 19/07/2011 09:13

My ds crawled at a week off his first birthday - and was off at top speed immediatly. He walked 2 months later and never toddled, was just up and running.

4madboys · 19/07/2011 09:13

here is my experience of 5 kids.

ds1 9 almost 10 mths.

ds2 5 mths!

ds3 6mhts

ds4 8mths

dd is now 7mths is sitting and can roll over and gets onto her front and can push up with her arms etc but then gets VERY cross, cant see her crawling for at LEAST another month, probably longer.

so some babies crawl early, others later, they all get there in the end, or else they bum shuffle or never crawl and then walk, but they are all normal!

btw ds2 was crawling before he could sit up! he then walked at 9mths and has never stopped moving since!

stretch · 19/07/2011 09:20

DD2 crawled for the first time on her 1st birthday! She then didn't walk until 17 months.

Can't remember when the other 3 did but it was between 6-8 months.

matana · 19/07/2011 09:41

Perfectly normal. DS only really started sitting up unaided at about 7.5 months and now crawls backwards only very proficiently at 8.5 months! I don't think 8 months is late - i think it's about average. And i don't think it usually takes 2 months for a baby to stop crawling backwards and instead crawl forwards. Again, crawling backwards is perfectly normal.

matana · 19/07/2011 09:43

Oh, and someone said something to me recently which made me laugh and put things in perspective. She said "you don't see adults shuffling around on their bottoms or crawling backwards (unless they're drunk) so babies will all get there, just in their own time, people should stop worrying about whether their babies are doing things early or late".

BellaBearisWideAwake · 19/07/2011 09:55

You can also say "you know, there's a space on the UCAS form for what age you walked at"

At least one person will say "really?!" before realising.

matana · 19/07/2011 10:15

Graciescotland · 19/07/2011 10:23

My DS didn't really do sitting till about 8mo didn't roll over till then either then all of a sudden he was crawling and about a week later was standing/ coasting. I miss the days when he was safe immobile. Enjoy it while it lasts!

4madboys · 19/07/2011 10:25

lol bella!

i can say that with my four eldest, now 11, 9, 6 and 3 yrs old, you cannot tell who crawled early/late, ditto for walking, talking and potty training and as your kids get older you do indeed realise these things dont matter.

tbh i am enjoying the fact that dd doesnt move too move, it means i can leave her in one place and know she may wriggle/roll but she cant escape/go far, once she is moving i am going to have to be extra vigilant with allt he boys lego etc..

4madboys · 19/07/2011 10:26

that should be 'move too much' NOT move too move...

Octaviapink · 19/07/2011 12:06

My DS 8m doesn't even roll, never mind crawl, but he's just lazy!

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BionicEmu · 19/07/2011 17:12

Wow, think maybe my NCT group of babies is just not very advanced! My DS was the first to crawl(but commando crawls), at 8 months, the second crawled at 8.5 months and we're still waiting for the rest! (Youngest is only 7.5 months now though, oldest non-crawler is 8.5 months). From my experiences and the replies you've had, I'd say it's more "normal" not to be crawling at 8 months!

Also, my friend's DD was very, very good at crawling backwards, and only started crawling forwards a week before she started walking.

Bumpsadaisie · 19/07/2011 17:44

Totally normal! My DD crawled at 10 mths exactly, walked at 14 exactly. Well within normal range, neither particularly early nor late.

Bumpsadaisie · 19/07/2011 17:45

PS, OP

Your DS might surprise you and not take another 2 months - 2 months is a long time in baby development land!

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