if your DC never crawled...

[gcc2k]

...when did s/he start walking? DS2 is nearly 11.5 months and doesn't crawl. He sits, rolls all over the place, cruises efficiently, pulls himself up sometimes, and walks around with the push-walker toy. But he can't get himself into a sitting position if he's laying down, and he doesn't crawl, not even army-style fashion. DS1 army-crawled at 8.5 months and started crawling in earnest at 11 months. Then he was walking at 13 months. DS2 is a chunky baby, so I wonder if the extra chub makes mobility more difficult.

I know that some babies never crawl, and our ped said he wasn't concerned at DS2's 9 month appointment, but it just seems so odd and sometimes I worry. I've also heard that it is important for babies to crawl because it affects their ability to read later in life. I have no idea if there is any truth to that, but I guess I am just looking for some BTDT experiences which will help alleviate my concern, or some sound advice saying maybe I should get DS2 some help. TIA!

[alootikki]

I have a younger cousin who never crawled - she was a "roller" and would roll around a room. She went straight from rolling to walking, and today is a bright and successful college graduate. Hope that helps!

[sste]

DD scooted only, no crawling ever. Extremely agile today! Markedly so. Also appears to be very bright, already piecing together sounds with letters at age 3, despite our complete neglect of her education as a second child! I think it is an old wive's tale about the crawling. Our very good, very experienced pedi had no worries -- and he did have physical and other dev. concerns for our son who did crawl (late).

[Indianamom2]

DD never crawled. She sounds a lot like your little one in that she could cruise around, but never really crawled at all. She walked at 1 week shy of her 1st bday. It was the only milestone she hit early/on-time!

[amom526]

Ds1 never crawled, only scooted on his tush. He did not walk until 19/20 months, but he also has low tone. He was the same in that he could not get up from a laying down position. I wouldn't be concerned by anything you are saying, but I would probably do an OT/PT eval just to cover your bases. We think that DS1 was so resistant to being on his stomach because of perception and space issues that OT was able to address. His core muscles were also weak from never using them, which PT and OT helped with.

[ckso]

i don't think you have anything to really worry about because a lot of kids skip crawling.

But I do remember talking to DD's Preschool director and one of her entrance questions was whether DD crawled or not. She said on a child development standpoint, "crawling" opens up the child's brain in helps with learning and that if the child didn't crawl, she will make note with the teacher to do "crawling" games in the classroom. This was when DD was 2

I don't know how much of that is true BUT if you're concerned, you can do crawling games with your child to encourage that hand-eye-legs-coordination. The director says that's good for the child to do even when they are past the infant stage.

[Simon]

Ds1 didn't crawl until 13 months. I thought he might go straight to walking but he did eventually crawl, just not very much or for very long. I've never heard anything about crawling and reading, only a link with sense of rhythm. ETA: Especially if he is still very chunky, I think I wouldn't worry since he is doing other things like pulling up and walking with toys. I know that crawling has been taken off some of the milestone checklists and walking isn't even considered delayed until after 18 months.

[123LuckyMom]

Both my DC crawled and walked on target, but I never did. I could only really crawl backwards and then started to walk, but I walked early, at about 10 months. I, too, have heard that crawling is developmentally important, but if it's tied to reading, there are certainly exceptions. I could read at age 2, and by kindergarten, I was reading at a 3rd grade level at least, so don't worry about reading!!!

If you're concerned, schedule an evaluation with Early Intervention. Either they'll give your son some help, or they'll allay your concerns.

[YouAreTheFocus]

My DS started crawling on all fours on his 1st birthday. He walked at 16 months. He tended to be at the later end of the range IRT gross motor skills. Our ped was never concerned (he always said that DS was progressing w/in his own curve) but in retrospect I think there would have been no harm in asking for an assessment.

[Philly Mom]

DH never crawled and I have a friend whose daughter didn't. They are both very bright and DH is coordinated enough :)


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[aa2mama]

DD never crawled, she scooted on her bottom until she started walking at 15mos. Though she was on the late end of walking, she was an early and an excellent reader!

[123LuckyMom]

Here's an article (first in my Google lineup) that talks about why crawling is developmentally important. I had none of the supposed deficits she mentions, so clearly not crawling is not a problem for all kids.

http://www.medcentral.org/main/Whatssoimportantaboutcrawling.aspx

[ahisma]

16 months. He's a-okay. He's not the most athletic kid, but he can hold his own just fine. He does boys ballet (super physical, they do burpees!) and plays soccerin the spring and fall. Academically, he's top of his class by a long run.

[MamaMolly]

Lula was about 14 months when she walked. She would scoot around on her hiney before that and maybe crawled two or three times.

[MamaKath]

Here's an article (first in my Google lineup) that talks about why crawling is developmentally important. I had none of the supposed deficits she mentions, so clearly not crawling is not a problem for all kids.

http://www.medcentral.org/main/Whatssoimportantaboutcrawling.aspx

Excellent article! I had a late crawling child. It was combined with other late or skipped milestones. For my dc, it was indicative of motor coordination delays that impacted other areas and learning (eye muscle development, holding self up while sitting, fine motor things like grasping pencils, coordination to pedal a bike, etc).

[weech]

My DS didn't crawl, scoot or roll. We were super worried, but he started walking at 12 months and crawling at 16 months :shrug: It all worked out.

[o_mom]

The not being able to get to a sitting position might concern me more than the not crawling. I think that is a 12 month milestone, though, so maybe keep an eye on it.

Also, if you are concerned, I would ask for an evaluation - sometimes it is not one specific thing, but a lot of little things that trigger that "mommy sense" that maybe something bigger is going on here.

[Cuckoomamma]

We have two non-crawlers. One walked at a year and the other at 8 months. Both are great readers :-)

[gcc2k]

Thanks for all the replies, ladies. Sounds like DS2 isn't severely delayed by any means, but I'll definitely try to encourage him to crawl now. It's hard though, because he has the bug for cruising/walking with toys so when he's on his belly he just rolls right over.


Here's an article (first in my Google lineup) that talks about why crawling is developmentally important. I had none of the supposed deficits she mentions, so clearly not crawling is not a problem for all kids.

http://www.medcentral.org/main/Whatssoimportantaboutcrawling.aspx

Thanks for the interesting article. I've read some similar research, so it sounds like there is some valid concern for possible developmental issues down the road. I'll definitely be talking to my ped!