Babies learn to crawl between the seventh and ninth month of life. This first gesture of independence, which leads the little one to move autonomously From one room to another, it is physiological and constitutes a very important stage for their psychomotor development.
Getting on all fours helps Strengthen muscles of the shoulders and the joints of the wrists, hands and elbows. In addition, the fact that they can start to move by themselves gives them more confidence and security.
Let's learn how to stimulate the child to crawl in a simple way.
Four ways to encourage crawling
Dr. Felice Sklamberg, an occupational therapist at New York University School of Medicine, explains that crawling is an important phase in a child's psychophysical development. In addition to achieving motor independence, by being able to move from one place to another to explore the world, he is able to strengthen arms and shoulders to support body weight.
It should be noted that not all babies crawl in the same way. The most precocious are able to fully lift their torso, support it with their arms and move their legs (on all fours, so to speak). Others, on the other hand, with the same age simply crawl.
Baby usually learns to crawl on his own between the seventh and ninth month of life. Some children, however, skip this stage by committing directly to taking their first steps, without crawling or anything.
4 ways to stimulate movement
Location
To learn to crawl, mom or dad must put the baby on his tummy for a few minutes. Of course, the space in which we leave the little one (supervising) it must be harmless and it must be perfectly clean. For greater peace of mind for parents, it is possible to recreate a stimulating play area equipped with a children's mat, with games of different sizes and placed at different distances. In this way, the baby will have one more reason to crawl.
There are specialty rugs for children, that are assembled as if it were a puzzle, and that can be put to the taste that we want, playing with the different colors that it has. The great thing about these rugs is that they are soft enough that you don't do so much damage but not too much to get in your way. You can walk over it, without having to touch the ground directly. That also allows us to ensure a clean room.
Accustoms the child to the correct posture
To help him lift his torso, lean on his arms, and move on all fours, you can use a cylinder-shaped pillow and move it slowly until the baby touches the ground, without hurting himself. To simplify the movement and stimulate the child, you can also use a toy, better choose his favorite toy.
Crawl with him
Children tend to learn by imitating their peers or adults. So if your little one sees mom and dad (or even sister or brother) go on all fours, you can make him want to simulate those movements, gathering the right clues on how to get all the limbs in sync. The best thing is that we stand by his side or in front of the baby, stimulating his curiosity through play.
Hanging toys
Put On toys at your fingertips When he stands up, he makes the little one feel that desire, and that need to learn to stand on his feet, to be able to take the toys he wants. The child learns to strengthen the muscles of the arms, abs and legs. Being attracted to bright colors, the little one will tend to push up to grab them, unconsciously training all the muscles necessary to crawl.
At your own pace (if less than a year old)
If the little one does not immediately learn to crawl despite these small stimuli, it is important that the parents do not insist. Any forcing is counterproductive and it is detrimental to the psychophysical well-being of the child.
Pediatricians advise wait patiently and confidently the right moment. Now, if the child is already one year old and still does not walk, then we should consult with the doctor to verify the correct motor development of the child.