When Do Babies Start Crawling?
When you think about crawling, you probably picture tiny babies slowly inching across the floor on their hands and knees. And for most babies, that’s exactly how it goes. When do babies start crawling? Somewhere between 6 and 9 months old, usually. But there is a lot more to it than just that. Crawling is one of those milestones that happen at different times for different kids, depending on various factors. Some infants start crawling much sooner than others, while some take a little longer to master this skill. But don’t worry! This article will answer all your questions about when babies start crawling and what you can do to support your baby’s development as they grow.
What Does Crawling Mean?
When babies start crawling, they’re mastering a critical developmental milestone. Crawling is a multi-stepped process with lots of different skills and abilities that all come into play. Crawling is not just a physical skill – it also involves a lot of brain development, both when babies are infants and as they grow from toddlers into preschoolers. Crawling is the first significant stage of what psychologists call the “locomotor” sequence. This is the sequence of skills that all kids go through as they learn to move and explore their environment. Two main stages of development involve crawling and walking. It is the first major locomotor milestone and happens somewhere between 6 and 9 months. Crawling precedes walking, which is the next major milestone in the locomotor sequence.
What’s Going On In the Brain During Crawling?
While your baby is learning to crawl, they are also growing new neurons and developing new connections between their existing neurons. Crawling is a “big deal” when it comes to brain development. Crawling is big because it involves a lot of different skills and abilities, which all come into play at once. Crawling requires coordination, strength, balance, and spatial awareness. It also helps your baby develop their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills are the large muscle movements we all use for running, jumping, and kicking a ball. These different skills and abilities are happening simultaneously in the brain as your baby is masters crawling. Altogether, the skills involved with crawling (and actually all the skills involved with walking) are responsible for building and strengthening grey matter in the brain and connecting neurons. And they are all contributing to the development of your baby’s grey matter and strengthening their neural pathways.
Is There a Benefit to Baby Coaching and Encouragement?
Babies can be hilarious. They like to grab weird things, put everything in their mouths and end up on their bellies most of the time. But babies are not trying to annoy or make you crazy – they do things their way. Crawling is a milestone that many parents coach their babies to achieve. There are “baby crawling contests” where parents put their babies in a crawling position and try to get them to move. Crawling is an excellent skill for babies to master. It helps them strengthen their arms and build their muscles. It also gives them a way to explore the world around them. Crawling is a milestone that many parents rush, but you don’t need to coach or encourage your baby to crawl. Just let your baby follow their timeline, and they will get there when they are ready.
Should You Help Your Baby Learn to Crawl?
That’s the big question here. The answer isn’t a simple yes or no, but there are a few things to remember as you watch your child grow. Crawling is a developmental milestone that your child will reach at some point between 6 and 9 months, regardless of whether they are on the earlier or later end of that spectrum. But crawling isn’t just a physical skill. It also involves a lot of brain development. If your child is on the earlier end of the spectrum, their physical skills are more developed than their brain skills. This means taking your child’s developmental stage into account as they learn to crawl is essential. There are certain things to keep in mind as you watch your child learn to crawl.
On the other hand, if your child is on the later end of the spectrum, their brain skills are more developed than their physical skills. Crawling is a significant milestone; your child will get there when they are developmentally ready. While you are waiting, keep in mind that your child can still be independent while in a sitting or kneeling position.
When Do Babies Start Walking?
Walking is the last major milestone in the locomotor sequence, and it happens somewhere between 9 and 12 months, usually. Walking is when kids start to be able to walk from place to place instead of just crawling a short distance and then stopping. Walking is a huge developmental growth spurt for your child, and it’s a fascinating time. Not only does it mean that your child is becoming more independent, but it also means that they are building their gross motor skills and getting stronger. Walking is a significant milestone that happens at different times for different kids. Just like with crawling and reaching, there are certain things to keep in mind as your child learns to walk. If your child is on the earlier end of the spectrum, their physical skills are more developed than their brain skills. On the other hand, if your child is on the later end of the spectrum, their brain skills are more developed than their physical skills.
The Bottom Line
Crawling is a great milestone that your child will get there when they are developmentally ready. While you are waiting, keep in mind that your child can still be independent while in a sitting or kneeling position. Remember that crawling is a multi-stepped process with lots of different skills and abilities that all come into play. Crawling is not just a physical skill – it also involves a lot of brain development, both when babies are infants and as they grow from toddlers into preschoolers.
