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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

If your child was a bum-shuffler...

87 replies

artifarti · 31/01/2013 13:27

DS2 has turned out to be a bum-shuffler and very good at it he is too! His Dad was a bum-shuffler too so maybe it's genetic. DS1 was a textbook crawler and so this is all new to me. So if you had a bum-shuffler, I was wondering:

Did yours bother with crawling at all? DS2 hates being on his back or tummy (except to sleep) so I can't see it happening any time soon.
Everyone tells me that he will be a late walker - was this true for you?
How do they start negotiating steps etc?
Did it signify any problems (my HV has been giving us dark looks as DS2 doesn't seem to use his hands much which is 'unusual'.)

OP posts:

BabyRoger · 31/01/2013 13:35

Hello!

My DD was a bum shuffler. She was super fast and used to use her hands to kind of propel her along! She also would not stand for being put on her tummy, no matter how much I persevered.

She never crawled and she walked when she was 16.5 months so I guess that is quite late but I think the average is about 15 months so it's not that unusual.

She had no problems whatsoever. She was referred to a paed because at 12 months she was not weight bearing at all. If you tried to stand her on her legs she would just lift them like a frog! Obviously she stood up and walked about one week before her appointment! The paed checked her over since we were there and she was absolutely fine. He told me bum shuffling is not a sign of a problem.

She stood up and walked all in about a 2 week period. When she did walk she was very sturdy - there wasn't much falling or instability. Whereas some of my friends crawling kids took longer to walk - DD literally stood up and walked. I think she just liked to look and take it all in and then one day decided to do it herself!

She is now 3.5 and is running, skipping, jumping etc.

I have an 8 month old DS who has been crawling since 6 months - I am not used to a crawler!

BabyRoger · 31/01/2013 13:37

I mean my friends kids walked sooner but they seemed to take longer to get to the sturdiness that DD had very quickly.

Labootin · 31/01/2013 13:38

Ds crab crawled (which is BAD apparently due to left right meridian things .. I lost the will to live when an overexcited HV who'd googled it once excitedly explained)

he's fine walked at 11 months (and is a brilliant sportsman played for his county) He is dyslexic though... No idea if that's linked BTW.

DeWe · 31/01/2013 14:11

I was told that on average bum shufflers walk 6 months later than crawlers. It's not a sign of a problem, just that they have less need to walk as they can see better and hold things in their hands already, so they have less need to.

I have been told there is a link between not crawling and dyslexia. However I think it is thought to be not cause and effect, more that they are both side effects of the same brain wiring. Like dyslexia and ambidexterity are also linked.

MustafaCake · 31/01/2013 14:26

DS1 was a bum shuffler and walked at 14 months. He never showed any interest in climbing stairs till he could walk up them himself which was excellent - we never had to bother with stairgates!

He's 5 now and has always been a very cautious child and not very physical. Until he hit 5 and a half and started running round like a loon and climbing everything.

DS2 is a bum shuffler and is walking at 12 months (he was born 5 weeks prem). He climbs anything he can including stairs, slides, ladders etc!

No evidence of bum shuffling causing either of them any problems!

ajandjjmum · 31/01/2013 14:34

DS was a bum shuffler and walked at 17 months.

hazeyjane · 31/01/2013 15:08

dd2 was a bumshuffler, she had overstretchy ligaments in her ankles, she walked at 21 months, she saw a physio at 18 months. She has had no problems since (5 now)

KatherineKrupnik · 31/01/2013 15:09

my mum was a bum shuffler - she didn't walk till 22 months she is now a hale & hearty 60 year old who goes on month long trekking holidays in Nepal etc. So I don't think it had long term effects.

DawnOfTheDee · 31/01/2013 15:15

A relative of mine was a bum shuffler. They did walk quite late (almost 2yo) and now (5yo) dyspraxia is suspected. As DeWe mentioned bum shuffling can be a 'symptom' of dyslexia/dyspraxia but certainly not in all or even most cases.

Startail · 31/01/2013 15:29

DD1 bum shuffled and then crawled just before she learnt to walk.
She is also dyslexic as am I. I'm told I never crawled.
Also the second she learnt to crawl DD1 learnt to climb, very safely and utterly compulsively. No lack of coordination at all.

Weird she's not very sporty and can't catch, but rides a bike swims like a fish and spent the first 9 years of her life with her feet off the ground.

We worked our days round parks, soft plays, gym tots and climbable trees or else the furniture was used instead.

Startail · 31/01/2013 15:31

DSIS and DD2 both crawled very well and they are neither of them dyslexic in the slightest.

However, please remember "one person's experience isn't data".

FreyaKItty · 31/01/2013 15:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Justfeckingdoit · 31/01/2013 15:42

Exactly the same as babyroger

Bum shuffled at incredible speed until about 14.5 months, bit of cruising, but not much, then in the space of a week, full on running.

She has not stopped since (19m).

I spent ages agonising that is was a sign that something was amiss and then spent ages lamenting my lovely peaceful life when I did not have to rescue DD from certain death about every 5 mins.

FreyaKItty · 31/01/2013 15:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Emphaticmaybe · 31/01/2013 15:50

DD3 and DD4 were both bum- shufflers and walked at 16 and 15 mths respectively. Absolutely no other developmental delay, dyslexia etc and no difference in later outcomes to my other 2 DCs who crawled and then walked at 10 and 12 mths.

I think both methods are part of normal physical development - as parents we just get a bit more concerned with bum-shufflers, (and fed-up of carrying them around!)

Biscuitsneeded · 31/01/2013 22:44

Ds 1 bum-shuffled, extremely efficiently. He then walked, again extremely efficiently, at 14 months. No staggering or waddling about - just straight to a very steady and mature walk. He talked late-ish but again, when he did it was full sentences full of long words. Sat on a bike on his 4th birthday and rode it instantly with no stabilisers. He's nearly 8 now, very good at sport and dance, quite graceful, very articulate, not dyslexic. DS 2 crawled the normal way, but is hypermobile and walked very late. At 6 he is still very unco-ordinated, can't really ride a bike, can't catch, falls over things, can't/won't follow instructions and can't decide which hand he writes with (although he is gorgeous in lots of ways despite all that). I know which one is going to find life harder!

PoppyWearer · 31/01/2013 22:56

DC1 was a bum-shuffler!

She started walking at 16.5mo, which seemed late as she had been cruising for months by then.

She's had no problems.

DC2 was crawling at 8mo, walking at 12mo and a total shock to my system!

PoppyWearer · 31/01/2013 22:58

Agree with previous poster that my DC1 was stable on her feet immediately she began walking at 16.5mo.

Whereas DC2, crawler/earlier walker took much longer to be stable.

tethersend · 31/01/2013 23:04

DD1 bumshuffled until 20 months when she got up and walked across the room

peachsmuggler · 01/02/2013 01:34

DD1 bum shuffled. Never once crawled and wouldn't bear weight till 15 months. Walked at 19 months. Absolutely no problems at all

lolalotta · 01/02/2013 06:08

My DD was a bum shuffler and walked at 18 months...

Nancyclancy · 01/02/2013 13:05

My dd is almost 21 months old. She is a bum shuffler with one hand on the floor and the other in the air. She bum shuffles just as fast going backwards and sideways.

She didn't actually start shuffling until she was 17 months, she never rolled from back to front until she was 16 months.
Lots of younger babies we know have overtaken her now

She's had lots of tests, seen paediatricians, physio who have all said there is nothing wrong with her. If I stand her up she can stand perfectly for ages.

BUT in the last 2/3 weeks she's learnt to crawl which seems to be rare for a shuffler and suddenly she's started pulling herself up onto her knees so I'm hoping this is the start. She could never get herself into a sitting position from laying down either but since the crawling has started she rolls onto her front, onto all fours and pushes back into sitting.

I still don't think she'll be walking much before she's 2, but she is definitely learning more things quite quickly.

Nancyclancy · 01/02/2013 13:09

Her fine motor skills are superb though and she's full of chitter chatter! She's trying to dress herself too but that's proving quite difficult as she doesn't get off her bum!

Newyearoldmum · 01/02/2013 13:32

My dd is nearly 17 months. Didn't even bum shuffle til she was a year, then started crawling about 14 months and is now doing a weird combination of crawling, bum shuffling and knee walking. She'll take a few steps if you're holding onto her or use her a frame walker but gets bored of it really quickly because she knows she'll get where she wants to go quicker by crawling. Apparently my husband was the same so it could be genetic.

As for problems I remember being told in a baby class oh you need to get her crawling cause they've linked not crawling in the first year or so to dyslexia - cue one very upset first time mum. I was breaking my heart to a friend about how I felt like a bad mum cause I couldn't get my baby to crawl and she was going to end up dyslexic and it would be all my fault. Cue her reminding me that she and all her siblings were dyslexic and all crawled like demons from a young age.

Think it's more of a case that some children who are dyslexic have been found not to have crawled as apposed to all babies who don't crawl will be dyslexic ifyswim - as many mothers have said above.

One helpful HV said to me that all babies are different in terms of development and that for the vast majority of children by the time they get to 3 and see them all running about creating havoc you won't know or care who walked, talked, drew their first Monet first. Hth.

Halfcups · 01/02/2013 13:51

My son bum shuffled without using his hands! Just pulled legs from side to side like he was skiing. Looked so odd. In the park people would come up to ask if he was ok!?! He did nt walk til 17 months. Now he's six years old and does nt sit still.....ah I long for those days.....

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