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Crawling is a very important stage in a baby’s development. It is defined as both physical and mental training. It is good when an infant does not skip this period in its development. Crawling may affect reading, writing and counting skills at a later stage of development.
When does a baby begin to crawl?
Babies usually start their adventure with crawling around 9 months of age. There are cases of children who enter this stage sooner or later. Some toddler not at all are crawling and they start walking right away. These discrepancies result from the fact that the child first has to learn to sit up on his own so that the muscles of his back, arms and legs gain strength. Only this will allow you to maintain the balance in the position on all fours. Sometimes crawling it precedes creep, but usually this period passes very quickly. In babies, the arms are stronger than the legs. Crawling so it precedes the independent stage taking the first steps.
Crawling usually takes about 3 months. The next stage is climbing by the furniture and watching the world from an upright position.
How does crawling affect my baby’s development?
Crawling consists in alternating movements with arms and legs. It confirms the proper functioning of the central nervous system, and thus – the formation of connections between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Proper cooperation between them makes it easier to acquire certain skills later in life. The child learns to write, read and count faster. Omission crawling as the next stage in a child’s development, it may become a risk factor for dyslexia and other reading and writing difficulties.
Another advantage crawling is to strengthen the spine and the muscles of the entire body. Thanks to this, you can avoid abnormalities in the structure of the legs and feet.
Crawling it is also about improving the skills of shifting body weight, maintaining balance and controlling the center of gravity. This stage of baby’s development also involves practicing coordination between eyes and hands, orientation in the field, and correct assessment of the distance between the baby and surrounding objects.
Some kids are crawling Backwards. This is a natural phenomenon that should not be alarming. After the stage crawling there is usually a period backwards crawling Forward. However, it is worth observing the baby and its way of moving. To process abnormalities crawling includes: head crookedly, clenching fists, falling over to the same side. The above symptoms may suggest abnormal nervous tension, which results in difficulties with grasping and correct walking.
How can I encourage my baby to crawl?
Crawling it is theoretically a natural phenomenon that comes by itself at the appropriate time. Sometimes, however, it is worth helping the child to move around, encouraging him to try to move. The simplest method is to put the baby on its stomach, i.e. in a position that is important for the development of the baby, as well as for its health. This position supports the correct shaping of the hip joints. It affects the muscles of the hands and spine. The next step is to place attractive items in the baby’s field of vision, but out of reach of his hands. View, among others favorite toy often prompts the child to independent movement.
There are also other ways you can encourage your toddler to do so crawling. There are supportive toys on the market. These include items that emit audible signals and run away from the baby at the same time. Undoubtedly, such toys encourage the baby to go faster movement around the room.
In addition to the above-mentioned methods, you can also use pillows and rollers to strengthen the muscles of the back and neck. They help to improve the child’s coordination. Parents of toddlers often use special helmets to protect their heads against injuries. Safety is also ensured by knee pads for children crawling.
How to keep your baby safe while crawling?
It’s worth taking care of safety crawling toddler, especially since some children can move at a very fast pace. To ensure the baby’s freedom of movement, you should:
- remove from the room things that could endanger the child, e.g. glass vases, flowers, etc .;
- secure low cabinets and drawers with special staples;
- secure the stairs with a railing;
- hide cosmetics and cleaning products in places inaccessible to children;
- insert protective plugs into contacts and disconnect electrical devices;
- secure the doors to rooms that are not adapted to the movement of a child.