What Are The Benefits Of Learning To Crawl?
There is no standard date for a baby to learn to crawl. In other words, all children are different and learn at their own pace. Some parents have to wait longer for this to happen, others less.
Crawling is an essential part of a baby’s motor development, much needed to gain the confidence and strength to learn to walk.
There are several reasons why babies cannot crawl. The stage to start crawling usually occurs between 7 and 9 months of the baby’s life.
However, not all babies necessarily go through the crawl stage. It is possible that some children do not crawl until after they learn to walk.
In this sense, don’t worry if your baby isn’t crawling yet. However, it is necessary to observe under what conditions this occurs.
For example, if, in addition to not crawling, he seems to have other problems with his legs or motor coordination in general, it is advisable to consult a pediatrician.
The importance of stimulation for learning to crawl
As we said, unless there is a health problem, it is normal for some babies not to crawl at the expected time.
Experts point out that the parents’ stimulus influences in a remarkable way the baby’s crawling during this stage.
Most children, when they are six months old, already show signs of their independence. They get more restless, get up, jump and seem to be more active.
It is at this stage that crawling occurs as your motor system begins to prepare to move.
Babies crawl because they want to move but don’t know how to walk. It arises from their own need to want to transition to a place that is interesting to them.
However, a baby who does not receive stimulation to crawl may never do so. Although most of the time the little ones crawl of their own accord, some may need help.
In order for a child to crawl, he mostly needs to feel secure on a firm surface. In this sense, crawling is your first option for moving around without help from adults.
But responsible adults do not always give them the opportunity to try to move around at will. In other words, the lack of stimulation and ideal conditions to practice can prevent the baby from learning to crawl.
At other times, parents encourage children to walk without going through crawling, first offering hand support and thus helping to take small steps.
crawl before walking
While it is common for some babies to walk without ever having crawled , crawling offers multiple benefits.
The crawling position to move provides more speed as well as confidence and determination.
Likewise, crawling is part of the human evolutionary process because it requires the activation of your two cerebral hemispheres.
When the baby crawls, he learns to coordinate his movements on both sides of his brain. Other benefits of this process are as follows:
- Promotes elasticity in hands and ankle.
- Stimulates the sense of touch.
- Promotes level change, which is useful for developing balance.
- Causes the strengthening of the digestive system.
- It benefits the visual field.
- It generates strength in the musculoskeletal structure of the spine.
- Strengthens the motor system needed when learning to walk.
- Stimulates the endurance of the cardiovascular system.
All babies are different and learn at their own pace. So you shouldn’t worry if the crawling phase seems to be late.
In any case, if you feel that your baby needs it, we invite you to encourage him. Encourage him to reach for a toy, get him to follow you and put him in a crawl position.
You can also make him imitate you by teaching yourself how to crawl. Let him advance to wherever he wants, as long as he is safe and guarded.
But above all, don’t worry too much. If your baby is healthy, he will learn and develop in his own way. You should only provide the tools he needs.
