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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

When did your DC first crawl? And how do you encourage it?

65 replies

BlueJellie · 18/04/2009 22:49

My DS is nearly 7 months, and I'm worried he'll never crawl. He's always hated tummy time, and will cry and get distressed when on his front - I'm aware 7 months is early, or I think so - but I'm so sick of people asking me if he's crawling yet! A friend of mine recently had her DC's 8-9month check, and the HV was very concerned that her DC was not crawling. There is no way on earth mine will be doing this in a months time! He does love his walker and bombs around in that, so does want to be on the move. I'm just worried that he hates being on his front so much! Even when he rolls onto his front he complains and rolls back. When did everyone elses babies crawl? Is 8-9 months standard??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

DontCallMeBaby · 18/04/2009 23:34

Argh, naughty HV! HolidaysQueen is right about crawling not being included as a milestone (I'd forgotten; baby days a while ago now) as it's hugely variable and not inevitabe.

Your DS topping forward when distracted made me laugh (in a nice way!) - I have a video of DD falling flat on her face aged 8 months, because she was nodding so vigorously in response to me saying 'are you nodding?'. It makes me giggle and wince in equal measure!

Plonker · 18/04/2009 23:38

Very interesting link - dd1 didn't crawl at all and was late with reading and writing (isn't dyslexic though).
That said, Dn(nephew) crawled at 5mo and is dyslexic ...

OP - I think it's very early days to worry.

Dd1 as I say, didn't crawl at all - she walked at around 11months.

Dd2 crawled at 11months and then walked 2 weeks later.

Dd3 crawled at 7months and walked at 9months.

TBH I do think that dd3 moved early because she enjoyed tummy-time. Dd1 and 2 didn't like it. A friend advised to me to try a rolled up towel under dd2's tummy when she was almost 11months - the aim was to take the babys weight with the towel and allow them to concentrate on moving their hands/knees. It could be a complete coincedance as she was fairly 'old' anyway, but she was crawling within days.

Quattrocento · 19/04/2009 00:05

Please don't worry about this at all. Also if your DS doesn't want to be on his tummy, it doesn't seem kind to put him on his tummy.

DD didn't crawl at all. She walked at 11 mths. DS crawled at 13 months and walked at 15 months.

Desiderata · 19/04/2009 00:10

Yes, I had the same experience as Quattro.

ds didn't crawl at all. At nine months he suddenly stood up, and then started walking a month or so after that.

Similarly with speech. He never did the old 'mama', 'choo choo' routine. He just spoke a full sentence when he was ready.

Claire2009 · 19/04/2009 00:13

DD, 6,5mths, sat at 7mths so was crawling before sitting up, walked at 13mths.
DS, 8,5mths....crawled backwards from 7,5mths and took him another month to grasp going forwards! Sat at 7mths, walked at 17mths..took his time!

thumbwitch · 19/04/2009 00:26

My Ds was very reluctant to crawl, didn't like tummytime either. I took him to gymbabes to encourage him at 9mo, I don't think it made a lot of difference tbh. But by 11mo he was walking with assistance, and took his first solo steps just after his 1st birthday. Bizarrely, as soon as he got the hang of walking, he discovered how to crawl properly as well - something to do with working out the cross over between legs and arms etc. probably.

Now he chooses - he can run perfectly well but sometimes he likes to crawl.

It is only in the last few weeks (he is now 16.5mo) that he has voluntarily crawled through the crawl tube at tumble tots so be patient.

keels26 · 19/04/2009 09:14

My DS crawled at 4 1/2 months, took his first steps at 10 months and has never stopped since then!
My DD crawled at 10 months and walked at just over a year.
All children definitely are different, some feel the need to get up and go and others like to sit back and have a look at whats going on.
At DDs check up (she was over 9 months) the hv didnt seem concerned that DD couldnt crawl.
Also my DD hated being on her front, just gradually got used to it, Im sure your DS will as well.

norktasticninja · 19/04/2009 09:24

DD started tigering at about 8 months and only crawled properly 3 or 4 months later.

DP, his brother and sisters never crawled, my brother never crawled either. They say crawling is important for coordination but TBH I am the only one that did crawl and am shockingly uncoordinated...

newlark · 19/04/2009 09:32

dd crawled at 13.5 mths, walked at 18 mths - was reassured to be told this is completely normal. Don't worry quite yet!

ShowOfHands · 19/04/2009 09:42

You can't make them crawl, they do it in their own time.

And my dd despised tummy time, wanted to be upright all the time so we rarely bothered with it, just stuck her in the sling and let her look at the world that way.

She was mobile in lots of ways but didn't properly crawl until 10 months and was walking confidently a month later. She just didn't want to be on the floor but up and running.

Please don't worry.

pavlovthepregnantcat · 19/04/2009 09:44

7-8 months? Then turned into a crab type of affair, on feet and hands.

Lots of tummy time as a baby, put toys just a little out of her grasp for her to move towards.

Supercherry · 19/04/2009 09:44

My DS hated being on his tummy too so I didn't push it. He liked beng carried everywhere so he could see what was going on. He crawled 3 days before he was 10mths but then took his first steps at 11mths. As long as he is weight bearing I wouldn't worry. The HV at DSs 8mth check was fine with him not crawling as he was weight bearing and rolling and sitting.

Between 6-10mths is 'Average'.

ABetaDad · 19/04/2009 09:45

BlueJellie - don't worry about it if your DS is otherwise happy and healthy. DS1 bum shuffled and then just got up and walked across the room one day and ripped the front off the TV. Never crawled.

kidcreoleandthecoconuts · 19/04/2009 09:47

My DS crawled at 9 months and walked at 14 months.
My DD is 14 months and still doesnt crawl and infact only started sitting at 12 months.

shonaspurtle · 19/04/2009 10:01

Ds was about 8 months, but if you'd told me the day before he first crawled that he was going to do it I'd have been very skeptical. These things often seem to come out of nowhere.

Your ds could be crawling tomorrow, or next week, or in a couple of months' time, or not at all - it's all normal

pudding25 · 19/04/2009 12:46

DD started crawling 2 weeks ago, the week before she turned 11 months. We gave her tummy time from when she was born but she never liked it. As soon as she was able to, everytime we put her on her tummy, she rolled onto her back. We thought she would never crawl then she just took off out of the blue.

I wouldn't worry. It doesn't matter anyway. I never crawled at all and I have a few friends whose kids bum shuffled and never crawled.

At 7 mths, DD was only just sitting up by herself.

neversaydie · 19/04/2009 13:11

My ds did the commando crawl thing as well - used that to get to whatever piece of mischief he was after, and then pulled himself up to his feet so he could have a good look. He walked two weeks before his first birthday - and then learned to crawl.

We were told st one stage that this may have been a contributory factor to his relatively poor fine motor skills, but one of his cousins was very similar and crawled 'normally' so I rather doubt it had much to do with it.

My younger sister walked at 9 months, but when in a hurry used to go down on all fours, bum in air, and move like lightening!

PinkTulips · 19/04/2009 13:18

a) 7 months is very young
b) he could very well be doing it in a month, it happens quickly
c) some babies never crawl, they bottom shuffle or go straight to walking

dc was 9 months and went backwards first, she walked at 14.5 months as she loved crawling so much she couldn't be bother walking.

ds1 was 10 months, went backwards first and learned to walk the week of his first birthday and never crawled again, hated crawling with a passion.

RELAX!

rozzyraspberry · 19/04/2009 13:21

DS1 11 months
DS2 8 months
DS3 10 months

HVs should know that all babies develop at different rates. My ds3 didn't even roll until about the same time as he started crawling at 10 months. He's now 14 months and walking/running/climbing the stairs at lightning speed - it's exhausting!! I always think the later they move the less bumps they have as their common sense develops!

PinkTulips · 19/04/2009 13:23

and btw, with regards the link to reading and writing.... ds1 is only 2.9 and has taught himself to recognise he alphabet in upper and lower case and wants to learn to read.... dd can barely recognise the letter her name begins with and is 4

cazzzz · 19/04/2009 13:28

Hi Blue Jellie

It looks like you've got lots of good advice here already. I'll throw in a few comments in case they are helpful.

Son 1: Sounds quite like your baby... He liked being vertical (spent 1.5 hours per day boucing in his door frame bouncer), and liked standing, pushing up with his legs from very early on, hanging onto the coffee table etc. At 10 months he did a half hearted crawl for 3 weeks and then walked.

Son 2: A big placid boy who showed no interest in crawling. He initially had a mild head tilt ("torticollis" due to birth neck muscle injury) so the physiotherapist impressed on us the importance of crawling to help his shoulder / neck muscles.

For tummy time and "lying on side" time we bought flashing toys and extra links and toys to hang from his baby gym. These were all placed just out of reach to encourage rolling, wriggling and crawling. Buy a large warm rug if you have a hard floor.

He crawled from 10 months to 14 months (a 4 month crawling career) and then walked.

In general: I have noticed that proficient / early crawlers tend to have a long crawling career, and don't feel the need to walk. (Like son 2).
"Non-proficient-crawlers" tend to be keener to get on and walk (like son 1). I suspect this is what your child is going to do.

Of course these are anecdotes and generalisations ... but overall I would say you really don't need to worry at all. What age did you and your partner crawl?(often a reassuring finding!)

ohdearwhatamess · 19/04/2009 13:33

Ds2 (14mo) has been crawling since 8/9 months, and cruising from 10 months but refuses to walk alone.

Ds1 never crawled (did a strange bouncing backwards thing fo a while), and walked at 12months. He only learnt to crawl after he could walk.

I don't do anything at all to encourage hem to walk, crawl etc. They all do it in their own time.

lizziemun · 19/04/2009 13:35

DD1 didn't crawl at all, but she was walking at 9mths. She also hated being on her tummy.

DD2 liked tummy time and crawled at 7mths but again was walking by 9mths.

fizzpops · 19/04/2009 14:17

When my DD had her 8 month check the HV said she thought it would be quite early for her to be crawling, but I guess not impossible so it would be fine if he was and also fine if he wasn't. She was quite late crawling and I think will be late walking too, but crawling causes havoc enough so I am content to wait!

tvfriend · 19/04/2009 14:34

DD crawled a week after her 1st birthday.
She's 21 months now and doesn't (won't) walk yet although cruises and pushes her walker all the time. Noone was worried about her late crawling. She was checked out recently by a paediatrician about her non-walking and they said that she was just late and not to worry.

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