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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

How to encourage crawling when lo hates being on his tummy?

21 replies

ab00 · 13/12/2013 13:12

Ds2 is nearly 9 months old. He's nowhere near crawling yet & gets angry & upset on his tummy. He's quite happy to sit for ages playing with his toys,reaching, stretching & grabbing (sometimes to the point he topples forwards!). Put him on his tummy & within a few minutes he's crying to be picked up. We've put toys nearby, within in reach etc.

Although I'm not worried too much about him not crawling the tummy thing does concern me - if he hates being on his tummy how will he ever learn to crawl?

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SteamWisher · 13/12/2013 13:22

If he's angry then leave him for a minute to work it out. Don't rescue him immediately. Gradually he'll get used to it.

MrsShh · 13/12/2013 13:28

I agree. My daughter always hated being on her front then just suddenly was crawling round the place before I had time to blink. He will too. Just give him time. Once he realises he can drag himself around he will soon like being on his front!

LovelyWeatherForDucks · 13/12/2013 13:38

My DS was the same - he liked to sit up and see the world! We didn't really do tummy time as it was too traumatic. By 10 months he had progressed to stretching and reaching for things, then scooting along with one leg to propel him, and can now crawl and bottom shuffle like a pro.

chickabilla · 13/12/2013 14:07

My 9 month old DD doesn't like tummy time either. She's great at rolling and just rolls over if she falls onto her tummy. I was worried about crawling but she is now getting into the crawling position (but with one leg a bit stuck normally!) From sitting and drags/bum shuffles/ rolls herself around a bit. The Christmas tree is a great enticement to move! She,looks like she could crawl properly any time now and has moved on hugely from acouple of weeks ago. Do let him get cross and put exciting things just out of reach. DD will protest but somehow manages to get what she wants.

Kiwikiss1 · 13/12/2013 16:08

I agree with the Christmas Tree. My DS is 10.5 months and finally started crawling 2 days ago. The motivation was the huge Christmas tree I put up and now he is everywhere and I cannot keep him away from it lol.

cornflakegirl · 13/12/2013 16:56

Make the most of the fact that he stays where you put him. He'll crawl (or not - DS1 never bothered) when he's ready.

Original poster

ab00 · 13/12/2013 20:00

Thanks for all the replies! I should be pleased he still stays where I plonk him as when he does get going I'll have him & his nearly 2yr old brother to chase after god help me. I was just a bit concerned about it ad he hates being on his tummy. He loves his walker & door bouncer & is very adept at getting where he wants in the walker.

When he's on his tummy he will swivel himself around to reach something & pushes himself backwards but not sure if that's by accident!

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bluecheeseforbreakfast · 13/12/2013 21:26

My ds also hated tummy time, we never did it as I thought he wouldn't lean anything if he was screaming (and throwing up his last feed as he was a very pukey baby) He sat at 4 months and then I just let him sit (without bumpers as I thought this would stop his natural movement) and lean forwards until he was in the crawling position naturally. He crawled at 6 months having never had tummy time. He walked at 10 months and even now he is rubbish at rolling, he runs around the room, falls over and looks all confused as to how to get up. He does roll eventually but considering he climbs anything in sight it is odd to see him not be a natural at rolling.

PieceOfTheMoon · 13/12/2013 21:42

Not all babies crawl, he might just skip this stage and go straight for bottom shuffling or walking. If he can sit well and bear weight on his legs I wouldn't worry.

SteamWisher · 14/12/2013 06:54

If he uses a walker and door bouncer, that might also be the reason. I'd cut down that and then he'd get used to tummy time. Pure anecdote I know, but neither of mine had door bouncers and only had push along walkers. I had them on tummies from birth and they were sitting by 5 months, crawling by 6/7 months and walking by 10/11 months. Urge read somewhere that tummy time is important for physical development (although it all evens out by the time they're all toddlers).

SquarePolarBear · 14/12/2013 07:16

DD hated tummy time, she cruised from about a year old then crawled for about 3 weeks before she walked around 14 months.
DS quite enjoyed it and crawls & cruises everywhere at 9 months.
Definitely seems to be a personality thing!

Flibbedyjibbet · 14/12/2013 07:21

Even the expression "tummy time" makes parents anxious. We MUST be doing tummy time bleurgh.

If your child is happy to go on their tummy do tummy time, if your child is unhappy to do tummy time but you feel that you are failing their development if you don't do it - then give it in short bursts 1 - 2 minutes at a time many times a day is perfectly ok.

Can you imagine how frustrating tummy time is to a non crawling, limited upper body strength baby? Their world has just been restricted to a tiny area, they can no longer look around and more importantly where has Mummy (insert other care giver) gone?

If your DC is kicking off take that as a fab sign that they are asserting their independence and want to see what's going on. No awards were ever given for tummy time lengths (or early crawlers)

stinkingbishop · 14/12/2013 07:21

One of the twins was like that and so bottom shuffles instead. It's hilarious (bad Mum to laugh, but). She can build up quite a speed and if she gets super excited she inserts little hops like a rabbit. If you drape a blanket over her it is EXACTLY like when Elliot disguised ET to get him away from the nasty NASA people .

The way I see it is most grown ups manage to move around the world...so most children will develop a method of doing so in their own good time.

Flibbedyjibbet · 14/12/2013 07:24

Stinking bishop- I love bottom crawlers, they genuinely make me coo and giggle at the same time. Get lots of video.

Ladyhawke127 · 14/12/2013 11:25

I was constantly outsmarted by my baby. He would sit well, but despite putting toys just out of reach, he would just grab the mat and pull the toy to himself!! Or grab another toy and use it as an extension to try and bat the toy he wanted to within reach!!!! He wouldn't not crawl, was late to roll back to front, but once he could, he would shove himself around on his tummy or back, sliding on the wooden floors. Backwards!!!!! For months!!! He finally learnt to crawl at 14 months, the walk 3 weeks after that! Now I have a running, jumping, climbing mini monster taring around my home!!!!! I used to really worry as all his wee pals were zipping around on all fours, while mine slid surround on his stomach, backwards!! He will get there. Honest!

StormyBrid · 14/12/2013 11:37

Stick with your not worrying too much. He'll get there (or not) when he's ready. DD's just turned nine months, always hated being on her tummy, and can't crawl (although she does an excellent frustrated worm impression when she's trying). I'll second the advice to not swoop in and rescue him though, as I suspect that's where I went wrong - DD knows full well that if she shouts I'll come and lend my fingers so she can get up and walk around. First unaided steps taken yesterday, so I guess we're just skipping crawling entirely.

Original poster

ab00 · 14/12/2013 12:49

It's reassuring to hear other people's stories. We don't use the door bouncer or walker excessively as we have to pick our moments carefulky with ds1 around (he thinks that it's a swing to push ds2 in & the walker is a great push toy to push around the house with ds2 in!).

We've always encouraged him to go on his tummy & I do think it's a personality thing. Ds1 is soon add he could roll was on his tummy constantly. Ds2 learnt to roll at the same time but hasn't been bothered by being on his tummy. He's had reflux on & off since birth so by default had tended to prefer being upright. He's not weight bearing yet either, when should I worry about that?

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bigTillyMintspie · 14/12/2013 12:54

Some babies don't crawl - DD didn't crawl at all, and DS only for about a month. They went straight from sitting/cruising the furniture/pushing a 40year old brick trolley to walking.

noblegiraffe · 14/12/2013 13:01

My DD is ten months old, similarly hates being on her tummy. She could reach things by throwing herself at them and has, in the last couple of weeks started tucking her legs under her and pulling herself places with her arms. Not as efficient as crawling but she gets where she wants to be!

I wouldn't worry about putting him on his tummy, just put things that he wants a bit too far away!

PieceOfTheMoon · 14/12/2013 20:20

I think the average age for weight bearing (whilst being held/supported) is about 6/7 months, but all babies are different. Your DS isn't much older than that, so I don't think you need to worry yet.

When my DS started to walk he would often walk on tip toes. I was worried so spoke to the HV. She said that using sit-in walkers can cause this and so they weren't recommended. (By the way, he now walks totally normally, so no lasting harm done!)

Original poster

ab00 · 14/12/2013 21:04

We had similar with ds1 for a bit as he loved the door bouncer but he would bear weight. Ds2 if you hold him under the arm pits just tries to bounce?@

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