If you have just had a new baby, then let us be the first to wish you a hearty congratulation. You are starting an adventure that will be full of exciting times and fantastic memories that will last you a lifetime.
All parents enjoy the early years of their child’s life, but parents who have already had children have a decided advantage over couples that are parents for the first time. They are aware of what it will be like for feedings, that their child is not going to sleep through the night for quite some time, and what different kinds of crying will mean. For new parents, they have to learn what all these different things mean.
When Will My Baby Start to Crawl?
There are many things that your infant will do that you will want to remember forever, and the first time that he or she is able to get up and start to crawl on their own will be one of those moments. To see that beautiful little baby roll over onto his or her stomach, lift him or herself up and start to scoot across the carpet is a joy for all parents. It is truly amazing.
So, you may wonder when you can expect to see this occur. You may be wondering at what age is a baby able to start to crawl?
Your baby crawling usually begins somewhere between six and ten months after birth. Within a month prior to them being able to crawl, they should be able to start to turn themselves over onto their stomach and be able to lift their head up enough to look forward. Shortly after that will be the time when they are able to push themselves up onto their hands and knees to simulate the beginning process of crawling.
Why Is Crawling So Important?
There are some instances where a child will skip the crawling stage altogether, but this is not considered good. There are great benefits for a child to learn how to crawl. First of all, it teaches the child to use both their mind and body in conjunction with one another. There are a lot of muscles that are involved in crawling, including in the legs, arms, back, neck, and core. All of these are strengthened by the action of crawling.
They are not only strengthened, but they teach balance and improve overall strength as well. It is hard for a baby to hold up his or her head at first, and crawling teaches those kinds of motor skills that aid in strengthening the shoulders and neck muscles. This can be very essential in a child’s development.
As the baby pushes him or herself forward, this requires a kicking motion of the legs and feet. This helps to build those muscles as well, as are the tummy muscles strengthened during this time. The core muscles play a big role in the ability to crawl. For those who have done a Plank exercise, they know how important the core is in holding yourself up in a straight position. This is also true of crawling and is part of the reason why this is so important.
Crawling is also important in learning how to walk. It is important for balance to learn how to move your right arm forward when your left leg goes forward. This is what crawling helps your baby to learn, and will help in balance when he or she gets older.
How Can Parents Aid in Crawling Process?
One of the problems that many infants face is that they do not like to be on their stomach that much. They will do a lot to roll back to their back if given the chance, and this is why it is good to make it so that you put your child back on their stomach if you find that they are bring obstinate about doing so.
It is also likely that your child has figured out that if he or she cries you will pick the child up and hold him or her or give the infant what they want. If they are expecting you to take care of what they want then they will not try to do things for themselves, and your baby keep cries when you put down. It may seem cruel to ignore them in this way, but you are actually helping them to grow and mature.
If it is just that they do not want to crawl, then find ways to entice him or her to do so. One of the ways that this can be done is to put a favorite toy or snack a little out of his or her reach. Make it so that they have to try to crawl for the item to get it. Once they are able to do so, this will really aid in them doing it more and will help them to become more independent. It is a great way to help them to become more fully developed.
What Are the Milestones in Crawling that You Should Expect?
You will find that it is more than just crawling on his or hands and knees that you want your child to be able to do. There are several other types of crawling that are beneficial for the development of your child.
The classic crawl is the one that the vast majority of a child need to learn, but there are others that are important. Scooting is one example of a crawl your baby should learn, dragging their bottom across the floor. The crab crawl is one that many children learn at first, where they bend one knee while the other one is extended. This helps in either moving forward or to the side.
There is also what is called the commando crawl, where the child is on his or her tummy and is pushing him or herself forward or backward without actually lifting off of the ground. This is one of the first ways that children learn how to crawl and will be seen within the first 10 months.
