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

[BlueJellie]

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??

DS1 crawled at 4 and a half months and walked the same week he turned one.
DS2 crawled at 11 and half months, I thought he was not going to bother. He crawled for two weeks only then got up and walked the same week he turned one.
Please dont worry all children are different and some dont crawl at all, but they all get on the move eventually

DS1 crawled at 10 mths and walked at 14 months. DS2 crawled at 8mths and walked at 11mths. DS1 is dyspraxic and it took him from 8mths to 10mths to work out what to do with his legs! He would just stay on all fours for ages, rocking and getting his legs tangled up, bless him!

I never crawled (bottom-shuffled) and walked at 16mths.

We were all big!

Give him plenty of floor time - don't worry about tummy time just let him lie around and kick about - he will work it out, there is plenty of time yet.

And like everybody says Don't Worry!

My DD didn't crawl until 13months! She walked at 21months. He's got plenty of time yet.

DS wasn't quite 6 mths old. My DD is 5 mths old now and screams her head off if I dare to put her on her tummy for a second, so I doubt she will be such an early crawler. You know, lots of babies never crawl. They bum shuffle. or they go straight from sitting to standing to walking. Do not fret, unless there are other factors about your baby's development that would worry you?

My son never crawled but walked very early (9 months) and my daughter sort of shuffled on her bum and walked just before she was a year old.

neversaydie - my DS did the walk first, cralw after thing and his fine motor skills are very good, so I think whoever told you that was possibly talking out of their behind

DD crawled at 8.5 months, was far more interested in being upright before then, cruising holding someones hand or a piece of furniture from 5 months nstead. Only crawled for a few weeks; decided to get up and walk at 10 months instead.

Thanks Thumbwitch - we came to the same conclusion! It was a completely unhelpful point by that stage, anyway, because we could hardly go back in time and put it 'right', even if it had been relevant.

I think some health professionals take an overly simplistic message from the research that's been done into the link between crawling and other motor skills.

Logically, I suspect there are two possible problems. One is that if you don't give a child the opportunity to crawl (and I don't mean not giving them tummy time, I mean strapping them into a buggy or similar all day every day) it may prevent certain connections forming in the brain. The other is that if a child HAS a problem with motor skills, one of the earliest indications may be a failure to crawl.

I really cannot see that if a child is given the opportunity to crawl, and doesn't do so, or does it late, it's going to CAUSE later problems with motor skills.

IIRC crawling isn't even a developmental milestone.

It isn't something a baby has to do on the route to mobility and walking, not like holding his own head up or sitting up or pulling up to standing.

Since your DS is keen to get on his feet I wouldn't worry about it at all.

ds1 was 5 months, ds2 18 weeks. And neither of them have ever sat still since!

Thanks muchly for all your helpful replies, and giving me a good giggle!! I'm gonna chill out and stop flapping!

My dd didn't like tummy time either and rolled around the room until 9 months old. I remember coming home from a baby group worried because a 9.5 month old was crawling and pulling himself up.

2 weeks later at 9.5 months old, with no signals dd started crawling, a few days later she was pulling herself up!

I worried over nothing. I tried to encourage dd but it didn't seem to make much difference and she done it in her own time. It seems like she made little progress in 5 months and then in 2 weeks there was no stopping her! My nephew didn't crawl until he was 13 months and has only just started walking at 17 months!

My son didn't crawl until 13 months and on the day that he did he took his first steps in the morning then crawled for the first time! He's always done things his own way. I stressed and stressed about it, but at 7 months I really wouldn't worry. The average from my friends' babies was about 9 months.

DS -13 months (couldn't get to sitting independently til 12 months) - I was paranoid and took him to a physio but he was just at the slower end of 'normal' development.
DD - 8 months - I wish she'd just sat for a bit longer as she's in to bloody everything!