When Do Babies Start Crawling and How can I help my baby learn to Crawl?
The right time for babies to start crawling varies greatly. Usually, during the fifth month of the developmental stages of the baby, they would just be giving you a few smiles here and few laughs there. They show their curiosity on, and you need not to worry even if you do not see them start crawling when their fifth month comes. It may start to happen if you would give it a few more weeks. Remember that every baby and child develops in a different way, and at a different time.
You can eventually lookout for signs that will let you know if your baby would soon start to crawl. You can start seeing him begin rocking back and forth with some momentum to start moving a bit forward one step at a time. He would start using his hands to push himself up.
For you to further encourage your baby into the crawling activities, you can start putting away his favorite toys as a sign of motivation, then he might try to reach for it.
In this same stage of development, he will be keen on listening to how you talk and pronounce words and would try to imitate the sounds you make. Their first few words would appear like mumbles or probably babblings and eventually lead to particular phonics. This is such a fantastic way for you to know that they are starting to learn.
During this same month, there are lots of other advancements in terms of babies motor skills. They will show improvement in grabbing small objects that they see and they can even start moving these items from one hand to the other. They may also start displaying their pushing ability.
What is a baby crawling?
For your baby to start crawling means a few things. First of all, it means your baby has a vital brain area developed that is responsible for coordinated movement and balance. It also means your baby has strong enough arms to support his entire upper body – a vital sign.
When your baby first attempts to crawl, he will start by putting weight on his hands and knees, and then slowly start to add motion. At the same time, your baby will be strengthening his muscles for future use. Babies like to crawl because it is their first sense of freedom and mobility. They are no longer constrained by their crib walls or the playpen gate. They are now free to explore their surroundings without being constricted.
When Do Babies Start Crawling?
For most babies, crawling develops shortly after they learn to sit up on their own without parental assistance. This is usually six to seven months after birth but can be as early as four months and as late as ten months for some babies.
In recent years, babies have been learning to crawl later and later, and many babies have opted to skip the crawling stage altogether.
How can I help my baby learn to Crawl?
To avoid a lot of unnecessary worries, it is important to know which age babies usually start to crawl. Due to the recent statistics, 50 percent of the toddlers learn to crawl until being 7 months old, 75 percent until 10 months, and 90 percent until 11 months. So don’t panic if your 6 months old baby does not crawl – be patient.
In most cases, the parents do not need to teach their baby to crawl as he will do it on his own. The most important key to self-learning is an adequate amount of floor time. This cannot be emphasized enough. How could a baby learn to crawl if there is not enough time for him to do so and he’s not pushed to do so, because he’s being carried around by the parents all the time? Let your baby practice crawling by putting on the floor surrounded by her favorite toys.
Click here to read more about how to do tummy time with your baby.
Apart from providing the needed floor time, there is also a straightforward and fun way to teach your baby to crawl. Follow the next steps:
Choose a carpet that is firm yet comfortable and thick, and put it on the floor. This is important to prevent your baby from getting cold. Put your baby on the carpet.
Gently position his elbows to be under his upper body in crawling position, making sure that your baby is leaning on them.
Create a ‘roller’ that will support him in the crawling. The easiest way is to make a ‘sausage’ by rolling up a blanket or a big towel.
Put this roller under your infant, not under his stomach but his upper body to keep it comfortable and safe.
The next step is to motivate him to crawl. You can do this by leaning on the floor in front of him, calling him towards you in a gentle voice. You can also put some of his favorite toys on the carpet the way that he could see but not reach them without crawling a bit.
It is a great feeling when you see your baby starting to crawl. However, when this happens, make sure not to frustrate him by cheering to noisily or clapping your hands. Just say something sweet or caress him.
Using this method parents can easily teach their babies to crawl. It takes time and patience, but believe me; you can do this. Don’t be upset if you cannot see the results at the first time, keep practicing day by day.
If you look after the age of 11 months your baby still does not crawl; there might be other physiological or neurological problems in the background. It does not mean that you have to panic, but I would advise you to see a specialist just for sure.
Related:
HOW DOES A BABY GROW IN THE FIRST YEAR?
IS CO-SLEEPING WITH YOUR NEWBORN BABY-SAFE?
HOW TO PROPERLY STORE BREAST MILK?
