Each new skill of a baby plays a big role for his future adult life. One of the most important moments is the period when the child begins to crawl. It is this action that prepares him for upright walking. There are certain stages, the timely overcoming of which is necessary for the proper development of the musculoskeletal system and the human brain.

When a child sees interesting objects around him, he tries to reach them, thereby strengthening the necessary muscles

Parents sometimes rush their children and are very happy if the child turns over early, sits up, crawls, or walks. This is not always correct. Nature has everything figured out, and sometimes it’s worth trusting in the development of a fragile organism. If the baby began to walk early and practically did not crawl, this threatens with very unpleasant consequences:

• The rapid transition to upright posture affects the spine. When a baby begins to crawl, the back muscles are strengthened, which in the future will take on the difficult function of maintaining the spinal column. If this period is missed, the load may be too strong, which can lead to the development of a number of pathologies;
• Crawling involves complex brain work, because... You need control over the alternation of arms and legs. If the baby does not have the opportunity to learn this, problems with coordination and thinking are guaranteed in the future.

It is difficult to name the specific age when a toddler should crawl. It all depends on how he handled the mandatory exercise program before. When a child sees interesting objects around him, he tries to reach them, thereby strengthening the necessary muscles. If the baby turns over early and is active and inquisitive, he can crawl at 5-6 months. Chubby and lazy toddlers who don’t need to try to get something can wait up to 8 months. True, at this time pediatricians already allow you to help the baby and recommend massage to strengthen muscles or special exercises.

Crawling on his stomach is one of the stages of a baby’s physical development, which prepares him for more active movement.

There are three main stages that a child goes through before it can be said that he has learned to crawl:

1. Stomach crawling. The easiest type of movement that requires minimal effort and energy. It doesn’t matter in which direction the baby starts crawling: backwards, sideways or forwards. The main thing is that he already feels comfortable being on his stomach and is ready for new achievements;
2. The second stage can be represented by several options. The child puts his arms forward and pulls his legs towards them; it may even look like a jump. Or the baby gets on all fours, throws his arms forward, and pulls his legs up one at a time. These are already bold attempts, but not yet full-fledged crawling;
3. The final stage is cross crawling. Arms and legs alternate in a clear order, the baby tries to crawl all the time, because he understands that this is the fastest and most convenient way to get what he wants, the muscles quickly become stronger, and the speed of movement increases.

A light massage with your mother’s hands can work wonders - you will be surprised how your little one’s muscles will become stronger after this

Even if your baby's development is going according to plan, muscle strengthening exercises never hurt. When the inversions are completed and lifting on the forearms is mastered, you can begin gymnastics designed to help the baby begin to crawl.

• Exercises using a fitball. The baby is placed with his stomach on the ball, his head away from the supporter, and is fixed in the armpit area. The ball must be gently rocked back and forth, which will force the baby’s back to bend in the right places, thereby strengthening the muscles.
• Gymnastics to strengthen arm muscles. The child lies on his back and clasps his mother’s thumbs with his hands. The mother begins to raise and lower the baby’s arms, spreading them apart. You can even lift the little one by the arms until an acute angle is formed between the surface and the back.
• "Frog" . If the child begins to lie quietly on his stomach and be held in his arms, you can take him by the legs and smoothly bend him into the “frog” position, gradually returning him to his original state. If the baby is not fussy, this is a sure sign that he is almost ready to crawl.

In addition to exercises, you can do a strengthening massage. A special health or treatment program can only be carried out by a medical professional. But everyone can learn general strengthening techniques. Before carrying out manipulations, you should consult a doctor. And if there are no contraindications, then every day you can do light stroking and patting of the back and limbs for 5-10 minutes.

It is important to remember that if the baby is active, but has not learned to crawl at 7-8 months, this is not a pathology - there is no need to panic. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to crawl somewhere yet or is not confident in his abilities. Before taking any steps, you should express your concerns to an experienced professional and follow his instructions strictly.

When a child crawls, this contributes to the development of the musculoskeletal system, and also significantly affects the development of the baby’s entire nervous system. All mothers, without exception, ask the question: when does a child begin to crawl and sit?

It is well known that each baby develops according to an individual pattern; the first inclinations to crawling appear in children when they are not yet six months old. This is due to the fact that many children have muscle tone. And some children don’t crawl at all, they learn to sit and then immediately begin to walk.

If your baby has not started crawling or sitting, be sure to see a doctor by 8-9 months to have his musculoskeletal system checked. On average, infants begin crawling between 5 and 6 months and are crawling well by 7 months. But this is in general. From the very first days, the baby can be provoked to crawl. To do this, you need to make a support with your hand for the legs of the child lying on the stomach, you will see how the child begins to crawl. Over time, this reflex fades away. But regular activities with the child contribute to the early development of this skill.

The boy crawls and sits up between 5 and 7 months. As soon as your back muscles get stronger. These are average periods taken from child development tables. But as mentioned above, times may vary. And this should not be regarded as a lag in the child’s development and it should not be premature to panic.

The girls are a month or two earlier. From 4 to 6 months. Experts say that it is not worth dropping off the girl early. There may be consequences in the future. But if the baby sits up or crawls on her own, there is no need to stop her.

At what month does a baby begin to crawl on all fours?

As a rule, a child begins to crawl on all fours after he learns to sit, most often this can happen at the age of 6-7 months. It is by this age that your child can already hold his head up perfectly and look around. His back muscles are already strong enough to withstand the load of his own body.

It will take another one to two months to practice changing positions, sitting in a position on all fours. The baby will begin to sway like a praying mantis, kneeling forward and backward. And only about 2 to 4 more weeks will the child understand how to start moving. He will begin to actively exercise and will soon be able to sit up from a position on all fours.

Get ready for numerous falls, without this there is no way. Until the baby learns to move consistently in pairs: right arm and left leg, left arm and right leg, he will fall over, hit his head, and nod to the floor. You can cover the area with a blanket, but do not do it too softly, this will cause even more discomfort and distortion of posture. The surface should be moderately hard.

On your belly/on your stomach - pressing your body tightly to the floor.

Many people are concerned about this method, due to the fact that we are more accustomed to watching children crawl on all fours. But there is nothing abnormal about this method.

If the baby begins to move around on his own, but does not do it the way he wants, parents do not need to retrain him or stop him.

The child learns about the world and does it as it is most convenient for him. It is quite possible that his style will soon change, again due to the fact that he will find a more convenient way to crawl - to move.

Some neurologists claim that this method of movement is no less useful for the development of the baby. And they have already proven that children who crawled on their bellies before getting on all fours, growing up, have a penchant for exact sciences and think logically much better.

Conclusion. In general, the development of the skill of sitting and crawling occurs alone, whether it is a boy or a girl, it does not mean any role, there is simply a slight difference in time. Which crawling method your child chooses or skips this stage and immediately goes the same way does not depend on gender.

Each stage of a child’s development brings interesting skills into his life and opens up new abilities. Parents look forward to the moment when their children start crawling on all fours.

Newborn babies are born with a reflex, the essence of which is that the baby makes crawling movements, lying on his stomach, and pushes off with his heels from the palm of an adult. Of course, this cannot be called crawling. This is just a reflex that will fade away after 4 months.

When children begin to crawl, on all fours or otherwise, depends on their physical fitness. The whole process begins at about 5 months. The child is already turning over on his tummy, looking around with pleasure.

When he begins to rest with his palms and legs, if you hold him by the armpits, then you can already lay the baby on the floor so that he feels space (some pediatricians advise starting to do this at 4 months). At 5-6 months, the baby should be placed on his stomach more often. From this position he will quickly learn all the necessary motor skills.

Period	Crawling development
6 months	Creeping occurs - the stage that prepares crawling. The baby is already standing up and has support on his arms. Raising his body, he tries to crawl to the toy of interest. It is important to help the baby by creating support for his legs: the mother should place her palms or a cushion.
6-7 months	Children are already beginning to crawl sideways, backwards or in circles. Learn active independent rollovers from stomach to back.
7 months	You should start teaching your child how to overcome small elevations. A flat pillow is suitable for these purposes. To make learning fun and interesting, parents should choose suitable games and exercises.
8 months	The baby actively crawls in any direction and easily crawls to a toy located at a distance. Can crawl onto a hill - a pillow or a small slide.

It is important to follow the rules:

1. Carry out daily exercises to promote crawling.
2. Give freedom to the baby. He should be on the floor for a long time, and not in the playpen or bed.
3. Visit an orthopedist and neurologist in a timely manner.

What should the crawling surface be like, safety precautions

When children begin to crawl, it is important to prepare a firm work surface for them (a bed or sofa is not suitable for this purpose). A baby crawling on all fours can easily get injured, so you also need to think about safety.

Precautionary measures:

• Parents need to monitor the room temperature. It should not exceed 23 degrees. Cold air should not blow across the floor, but you should remember about systematic ventilation and humidification (the norm is at least 30%).
• Clothes should be comfortable. Comfort and freedom of movement are important. You should not overheat the child, put on him several sweaters and rompers.
• For safety reasons, it is necessary to remove all wires from the floor and cover sockets. Dangerous objects should be removed from the lower shelves, and unstable objects should be removed from the upper shelves, those that can easily fall, for example, when hit or shaken.
• Constant monitoring required to prevent the baby from reaching various chemical liquids, animal bowls, hot mugs, and cosmetics.
• You cannot leave a small child alone in the room. If an adult needs to leave (even for a minute), the baby should be placed in a crib or playpen.
• Parents should not be afraid of dirt and germs from the floor. It is important for the baby to get used to them and develop immunity. However, it is certainly necessary to observe the rules of basic cleanliness. The carpet should be free of crumbs, stains and animal hair.

Some children simply do not have the opportunity to master the skill of crawling because they are always in a crib, playpen or in their arms. Such children most often get back on their feet immediately. Orthopedic experts believe that this has an adverse effect on the musculoskeletal system.

Methods and stages of crawling in boys and girls

Mastering the skill of crawling depends on several criteria - the child’s physical fitness, term (premature babies usually begin to crawl at about 10 months), as well as the degree of development of the nervous system. It is believed that girls begin to crawl a little earlier than boys.

In fact, everyone develops the skill of crawling gradually and step by step:

• At 3 months

It becomes more interesting for the child to lie on his stomach. He confidently holds his head and looks at the space around him.

• At 4 months

The baby can already lift himself up with the help of his hands, lying on his stomach, and turn in all directions. If an adult puts it on its legs, the baby, albeit hesitantly, will rest against the surface.

• At 5 months

The baby begins to master the method of crawling on his belly, and also tries to sit down.

• At 6-7 months

The baby is becoming more and more active, has mastered turning over from tummy to back, gets on all fours, and continues to master the skill of crawling. There are several types of crawling, and each child chooses the one that is most convenient and interesting for him.

Stomach crawling

The easiest way for a child to start learning to crawl is with this method. Already at the age of 3 months, many people become interested in lying on their tummy and looking at the world around them.

The baby makes involuntary crawling movements and tries to move towards objects of interest. However, at this age he is not yet able to rise up, and he automatically presses his stomach to the floor. In this manner of crawling, it is not possible to move at a fast pace, and most often babies crawl backwards rather than forwards.

The method is very useful for strengthening the muscles of the neck and back, for improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, given that three-month-olds sometimes suffer from colic. Crawling on your stomach is an effective method of getting rid of such unpleasant sensations.

In Plastun style

Plunge crawling is distinguished by the movement of the legs. The child lies on his stomach with his legs spread wide apart. Then he bends his knees, pushes off the floor and, straightening his legs, moves forward. He also uses his arms, lifting himself up on them and pulling up his torso.

This method of movement is important for development, as it improves the baby’s coordination of movements and is a prevention of diseases associated with the hip joints.

On knees

When a child becomes able to move on all fours, then he already knows how to sit, because it is from this position that it is most convenient to start crawling. Experts point out that this method is the most difficult, since the baby is required to hold his body in an elevated position. He must be able to maintain balance and coordinate his movements.

In the first stages of mastering movement on all fours, the baby will simply stand still, rocking back and forth. Once he gets used to it, he will be able to move very quickly around the room, quickly and consciously reach the desired object.

This crawling is useful for the following reasons:

• Forms the curves of the spine.
• Teaches the baby the correct distribution of the load on the body during movement.
• Teaches the child how to control his body.

Cross crawl

When children just begin to crawl on all fours, they move with the help of one arm and a leg parallel to it. Over time, they reach a new stage in crawling development called crossover.

This crawling option is the fastest and most technically difficult. The child already knows how to alternate arms and legs and crawls using the leg opposite to the arm. In this position, the baby can stand steadily on his knee and hand while lifting the opposite ones.

The technique allows you to move as quickly as possible in a straight line and teaches you to maintain balance.

Exercises to help you master crawling

The famous doctor Komarovsky believes that the skill of crawling will come on its own and there is no need to teach the child to sit, crawl and walk. The main thing is to do gymnastics and hardening.

Not all experts agree with this, but you should always perform basic general strengthening exercises. They will minimally help develop the skill of crawling, so that it will be easier for the baby in the future.

Fitball exercises

Exercises on a fitball are very useful for the development of motor activity of a baby.

Let's look at some of them:

1. Wiggle. It is necessary to place the baby on the tummy and rock it slightly. Then repeat the same on the back. It is important that about an hour passes after eating before classes.

1. Handle support. The baby lies on his tummy, the adult holds his legs and pushes the ball forward. As soon as the child’s hands approach the floor, he will voluntarily unclench his fists and put them forward. This exercise is useful because it develops the baby's reaction and support on the palms, and this is very important in crawling.

1. Leg support. In this exercise, the baby lies on his tummy in the same way, and the adult, holding him with his hand, pushes him back. It is necessary that the baby touches the floor with his entire foot.

Experts advise placing the ball in the crib where the baby is lying. He will be able to push off with his feet. This method perfectly stimulates the flexion and extension of the legs.

Gymnastics for the arms

When a child begins to crawl on all fours, it is important that his entire body is well physically prepared. That is why it is necessary to strengthen the baby’s arms in advance, preparing them for crawling.

• The baby lies on a hard surface on his back. Mom puts her thumb in the baby's hands. When he grabs it tightly, you need to smoothly raise and lower his arms.
• Next, the mother spreads the baby’s arms to the sides and crosses them on her chest. You can perform this exercise either in combination with the previous one or separately.
• An interesting exercise: Boxing. The mother needs to insert her thumb into the baby’s palms and alternately pull his arms forward (as if “boxing”). You should start with slow stretches and gradually move to fast ones.
• The last general strengthening exercise- This is a complete lifting of the baby by the arms. This must be done smoothly and slowly. Then calmly lower it into place in the same way.

Flip exercises

This exercise is important for those kids who have not yet fully mastered rollovers. It is also useful for strengthening all the muscles of the body.

The mother holds the baby tightly by the hand, placing her finger in his palm. With her right hand, the mother holds the baby’s left leg and turns his hand, helping him to roll over. To make it more interesting, you can put your favorite toy nearby, which the baby will try to turn to, first with his mother’s help, and then on his own.

Exercise “get the rattle”

Parents place the baby on his tummy on a hard surface. There is a favorite rattle in front of him, but it should be placed so that he cannot immediately grab it. If the baby's several attempts are unsuccessful, parents should give him a rattle and switch to another activity. After some time, it is worth repeating the exercise again.

Pediatricians note that it is bright favorite toys that are an excellent incentive for the development of crawling skills in children. After all, you really want to get the treasured thing, but to do this you have to work hard and master the skill of crawling.

Roller exercise

To perform this exercise, you need to form a cushion and place it under the chest for the child lying on his tummy. In this position, the head and arms will hang from the roller, and the stomach and legs will lie on a hard surface. The baby will be interested in playing with his toys from this position, turning his head in all directions and communicating with his parents.

The exercise not only helps to master the skill of crawling, but also perfectly strengthens the vestibular apparatus.

Exercise "frog"

The child must be placed on his back. The mother should bend the baby’s legs into the “frog” position, then straighten them.

It is important to monitor the general emotional state of the baby. You should not perform the exercise if he is crying.

The next step: the mother turns the baby onto his stomach and makes a support for the legs from her palms. He pushes off and crawls forward.

You should put various bright toys in front of him that will attract attention and give an incentive to crawl towards them.

The baby’s interest in exercises will only grow if you choose suitable poems and tell them emotionally. Singing songs can also captivate the child so that he himself begins to make funny sounds, trying to sing along with his parents.

A good example

Whatever exercises parents come up with, the best way to develop crawling is a clear example. Both mom and dad should clearly show the baby what it means to “crawl.” And the baby will have more fun at this difficult stage. He will actively play with his beloved parents, trying to imitate their movements.

Parental control will also help you avoid trouble if your baby suddenly trips or wants to grab a dangerous object.

For older children who can already crawl a little, parents can create various obstacles in the form of pillows, folded bolsters, or passages under chairs. As soon as dad crawls cheerfully through such obstacles, his son or daughter will immediately want to follow him.

Firming massage

In combination with various exercises, you should definitely do a restorative massage. To prevent this process from causing tears and hysterics in the baby, the mother needs to find different rhymes in advance and, while stretching a certain part of the body, pronounce suitable funny words.

The massage should begin and end with light and smooth strokes. However, before you begin such procedures, you should consult your doctor.

Before performing massage and exercises, at least half an hour should pass after feeding.

Pediatricians prescribe special therapeutic massage for many children. You will have to responsibly complete the entire course. But after it, even passive and physically underdeveloped children begin to actively crawl.

When is it time to get back on your feet?

All children are different, and the age when a child stands up independently can be completely different: from 8 months to a year. Experts say that you should not carry out various exercises too hard to help your baby start walking. As soon as the baby’s body is ready, he will be able to stand up on his own.

Many parents wonder when their children will start crawling on all fours, worrying and looking for different ways to quickly achieve the desired goal. It is important not to overdo it and correctly perform the simplest general strengthening exercises.

When children begin to crawl on all fours, you can begin to gradually teach them to stand on their feet.

Crawling is an important stage in a baby's development. This is physical strengthening, education of determination and perseverance. Parents need to help, encourage and facilitate the development of this skill.

Video: how to teach a baby to crawl

How to teach a child to sit, crawl and roll over:

Exercises to teach a child to crawl:

Everything is different. One begins to sit at 5 months, and at 8 months he is already trying to stand and even take the first steps around the perimeter of the crib, while the other at this age is still just mastering the sitting position. There are children who seem to have no intention of sitting at all - they tend to crawl straight away, since in this position they are most comfortable and safe.

About skills

If a child is ahead of the calendar development, this causes pride and delight in the parents. And if he lags even slightly behind his peers, mothers begin to sound the alarm and blame themselves for everything. Many people try to help their baby learn new skills, and rightly so. With questions about how to teach a baby to crawl and whether it is worth doing it at all, they often turn to doctors.

Evgeny Komarovsky calls on parents to abandon value judgments regarding their own child. Each child has their own norms and terms of development; they can differ significantly from the statistical average. Parents are especially concerned about the physical development of toddlers - one child crawls at 5 months, another does not sit or crawl at 7 months.

The best thing parents can do for their child is to stop paying attention to neighbors and girlfriends who persistently instill uncertainty about the proper development of your child. If you create all the conditions for the normal development and growth of the child, and also regularly visit the pediatrician, and the physical development of your offspring does not raise any questions or concerns, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

About crawling

There are children who do not crawl. At all. From a sitting position, they immediately begin to stand up and take their first steps. The crawling stage, according to Evgeniy Komarovsky, is very useful and necessary for the health of a person’s back. That is why crawling should be encouraged and supported in every possible way. If the child begins to crawl on his own, it will be easier for parents. If he categorically refuses to move on his belly or on all fours, this is a reason for parents to seriously think about whether they did everything right.

Often, mothers and fathers, in an effort to see their little one walking upright as soon as possible, ignore crawling altogether. They put the child on his feet and lead him by the hand, buy him various devices that help the child to be in an upright position (walkers, jumpers, etc.), or they could simply crawl with him. The benefits of this would be much greater.

Attempts to verticalize a fat, plump child or an overweight child are especially dangerous. In such babies, crawling should be encouraged with double enthusiasm. And all walkers and jumpers should be hidden as far away from him (and his parents) as possible.

How to teach?

The ability to crawl is inherent in nature; parents should only help the baby a little to “remember” this. Typically, the process of moving in space using crawling begins at the age of 5-6 to 8-9 months. If an older child does not sit or crawl, it is worth consulting with a doctor to find out what the reason is - muscle weakness of the back and limbs or the individual characteristics of the baby. Stimulating crawling is a necessary set of measures.

Preparatory stage

The preparatory stage consists of stimulation and creation of motivation. If a child is not interested in crawling, he will not crawl. This means that we need to create a need for him to crawl. Place in front of him a beautiful bright toy or a very interesting object that the baby cannot reach without trying to move his body at least a little forward from the position lying on his stomach. If the child is already sitting, this will make the task easier; if not yet, you should not force him to sit down, it is better to stimulate crawling.

The main stage of training includes a healing massage to strengthen the muscles of the back, neck and abdomen, as well as the classes themselves. Ideas about what position is best to crawl in are just parental ideas. Babies themselves choose a comfortable body position for themselves. Even if from the outside it seems that the child is crawling incorrectly, pushing off with only one leg (or crawling on his stomach, spreading his arms and legs and waving them), there is no reason to intervene and try to change anything.

Slow crawl

Quite often, children who are helped to get on all fours “freeze” in this position for a long time. They can sway, as if checking whether they maintain balance, but they are in no hurry to move forward. Komarovsky recommends not to rush such “slow” toddlers anywhere. They go through an important stage, studying the vestibular capabilities of their own body.

Wise parents will help them with this - they will turn on rhythmic music or begin to recite poems and rhymes in time with the movement.

The specialist recommends that parents do not search the Internet for a video about how to teach a child to crawl at 5 months using the Komarovsky system (this is a very popular request). Such a video does not exist, since the age at which a child begins to crawl is different. The little one needs active help from parents when he himself is ready for a new way of moving, and this often happens much later than 5 months.

However, Evgeniy Komarovsky still suggests a few techniques that will help teach a baby to crawl.

• Personal example. From the outside it looks funny and sometimes even absurd, but a better way to teach a child something than a personal example has not yet been invented. If the baby is lying on his stomach, crawl next to him on his belly. If he is already on all fours, stand next to him and show him how to move. Children who are afraid to move forward can be helped by supporting them with the palm of their hand under their tummy. If the whole family, including brothers and sisters, gets down on all fours for a couple of days, it will be absolutely ideal.
• The mission must be achievable. If you place a toy too far from your baby in an attempt to get him interested in crawling, your baby will quickly realize that getting to it is difficult, difficult, or even impossible. Then he will stop trying and come to terms with the inaccessibility of the desired object. Alternatively, he may start screaming heart-rendingly, demanding this toy. But if you place it nearby, and move it a little further every day, then the crawling process will occur naturally, with mutual interest of the parties.
• Movement training. It is worth adding new exercises to your daily gymnastics or massage procedures that will imitate crawling and train muscle memory. You can put your child on his back and alternately bend and straighten his legs at the knees. This is not only a useful procedure, but also a fun game. You can put a soft roller under your child’s tummy, take him by the legs and “roll” his stomach a little on the roller, while the baby should rest his hands on the hard surface of the floor.

Another effective exercise is reminiscent of the movements of a frog - place the baby on his stomach on a hard surface, alternately bend both legs at the knees and slightly spread them apart (this will be similar to the way baby frogs swim). After some time in this position, you can place your palm so that the baby’s feet rest against it, then the baby will learn to push off and make the first inertial movement forward.

Walking on your hands will help strengthen your arms and shoulder girdle. If the baby leans well on his hands while lying on his stomach, gently grab his legs and lift them slightly, lightly push the baby forward so that he begins to “step over” with his hands. Do not do this too quickly, otherwise the baby may hit his head hard.

It is enough to repeat these exercises 2-3 times a day for 15-20 minutes. If parents carefully observe the timing and systematicity of classes, the child will master crawling in 4-6 weeks.

Where to crawl?

A cramped playpen or limited space in a crib does nothing to promote the development of a child's crawling skills. To make the process go faster, it is best to organize a place for your baby to exercise on the floor. You should not do this on a cold floor; it is best to cover it with a warm, but not very thick blanket, and lay diapers on top. You should not practice crawling on a sofa or bed, otherwise you will inevitably fall.

Safety

Dr. Komarovsky advises mothers to look at the world through the eyes of a child in order to better understand what he wants and what he is afraid of. To do this, he recommends that mothers lie on the floor, first on their backs, then on their stomachs, and take a good look around. It will immediately become obvious where and what sticks out and lies poorly, which attracts the child’s attention. Wires, dangerous corners, inviting dresser drawers - all this will become obvious when viewed from below, and it will be easier for mom and dad to understand how to protect the child.

Some parents believe that to ensure safety it is enough to buy a playpen for their baby. Evgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that a playpen is an excellent way to create a safe space for a baby, but only for the time when the mother needs to leave (to the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the toilet).

If the mother is free and in the same room with the child, there is no need for a playpen. While the mother is reading or working on the computer, it will be much more beneficial for the child to crawl on the floor.

If you decide to buy a playpen, then you can choose a multifunctional design that quickly transforms into a changing table, a crib, or an electronic rocking chair with music and a night light. Many playpens have wheels on the legs, with their help you can easily move the playpen with your child around the apartment. This way, the baby can cook dinner in the kitchen or vacuum in the living room with his mother.

When do you need to consult a doctor?

If parents regularly do exercises and massage for a couple of months, but there are no noticeable results (besides, the child is already 9-10 months old, but he does not sit or crawl), this is a reason for a visit to doctors - an orthopedist and a neurologist. If no health problems are detected, parents will have to resort to certain pedagogical “tricks”.

Little tricks

• All children are greedy. If you invite a friend to visit with a child who already crawls or even walks perfectly, and leave the children to play in the same space, the guest who is more mobile will quickly take possession of all the toys of your lazy little one. Usually the sense of ownership takes over, and the child begins to make attempts to move around to take back his possessions. Maybe this will not happen on the first visit of friends (and not on the second), but it will definitely happen.
• All children love to play. If you make small reins from a sheet, which are placed under the child’s arms to provide support from above, and equip the surface according to Glen’s method (an inclined surface on the main one), then such leisure time will be perceived by the child as a game, and crawling will become the natural ending of this game.
• Convenience. To crawl with pleasure, a child should not feel uncomfortable. Check how spacious his clothes are and whether the seams, fly, zippers and button fasteners are in the way. In summer, it is better to carry out such exercises in one diaper. In winter, the child should be dressed lighter than at rest, because active movements will increase sweating.

You should start actively helping your child learn to crawl only if the baby himself is “lazy” or is slightly behind in development. It is better not to disturb babies who have independently chosen their crawling style and have already begun to implement an individual development program, even if the child moves with only one leg or even does it backwards.

Pediatric practice shows that a child who has learned to crawl quickly will later begin to walk. Therefore, the transition from crawling to standing must also be timely, correct and smooth.

See below for more details in the short video of Dr. Komarovsky.

• When it starts to crawl
• Doctor Komarovsky

The first year of a child’s life is a crucial period: the baby, with the support of its parents, learns many new skills and abilities. For example, he learns to sit, crawl and walk. And because Right Whether a child does this depends on his future health.

Therefore, arm yourself with patience and knowledge to:

* avoid common mistakes, which parents often make in an effort to help their child;

* understand when the baby is ready to start sitting, crawling, walking;

* prepare the child to acquire new skills and abilities, stimulate his interest in them by doing the necessary exercises and encouragement.

What are the typical mistakes of parents?

The first and most common

Many parents are interested in when a baby should start sitting, crawling and walking. In fact, the word "should" Not Absolutely applicable to a baby up to one year old.

This You must learn: The baby will begin to learn new skills and abilities when he is ready for them. Understand and not miss these moments - your duty!

After all, each child is individual: he can be born either full-term or premature, have diseases or congenital pathologies, etc. For these reasons, his physical development is sometimes somewhat delayed, and the musculoskeletal system

Hence, start off seat the child teaching him to crawl and walk ahead of time is a futile idea and harmful. Because it can lead to sad consequences: improper development of the skeleton in the form of curvatures of the spine, chest, etc.

Of course, you can’t delay too much either. It will be better if the calendar for the development of a healthy child becomes a guide for you. However, if there are obvious deviations from it, contact your pediatrician.

Second mistake

Many parents believe that in order to master sitting skills, it is necessary to help the baby: put support under the backrest. For example, a pillow. But this common approach is flawed because the back does not need support, and the child will sit down when he is ready for it.

Third mistake

Some mothers and fathers believe that if the baby misses the crawling period, nothing bad will happen.

In fact “skipping” this stage will not lead to anything good. After all, the muscles of the arms, spine and shoulder girdle are not ready for physical activity, which increases significantly with an upright position of the body. In addition, the child at this stage does not have confident coordination in his movements.

Fourth mistake

There is a stereotype: parents believe that before standing on their feet, the child must train his arms to pull himself up and support himself.

In fact, he much prepared hips, strong muscles of the shoulder girdle and back are more needed, since he must stand up relying on the muscles of the legs, and Not pulling yourself up on your hands.

The surest sign that it is too early to walk is if the baby, standing on his feet with support, steps on his tiptoes.

Therefore, if your child begins to stand on his feet, but you see that he is still Not ready to walk, do not rush nature: do not hold his hands and do not try to help him walk when making his first walks around the room.

This would be a mistake, because by doing this you harm the baby: disrupt the normal development of the musculoskeletal system and create conditions for the occurrence of injuries, due to the fact that the body will fall back or forward when walking.

Remember! You should always focus on what your baby can do on his own!

When a child is ready for new skills and abilities

To understand this, you must A few points to keep in mind:

Is it time to sit down?

If your child begins to confidently and actively roll over from back to tummy and back, he is able to feel balance and it's coming soon time for independent sitting. This usually occurs at 6-7 months.

A baby is ready to start crawling if he:

* sitting on the side, leans on one arm, and the other reaches for the toy, but at the same time holds himself and Not falls back;

* standing on all fours:

– leans forward, pulls one hand, knocks it on the floor or tries to grab an interesting toy in front;

– rocks back and forth, keeping the back parallel to the floor and Not bending it;

– moves backwards: this happens because at first it is difficult for him to lift the handle and move it forward, but he really wants to move and explore new territories;

* lying on stomach, bends the leg under the tummy on its own, or you bend it yourself (it should remain bent), and at the same time the baby tries to crawl.

These points mean that the baby is developing correctly and slowly can bear his own weight, his side muscles and shoulder girdle muscles have become stronger and he will soon begin to crawl. As a rule, this happens at 7-8 months.

Go already?

When your baby is sitting and crawling so steadily that you have trouble keeping up with him around the room, he is ready for the next stage - walking. Children begin to walk confidently at 11-15 months of age.

However, few know when a child is ready to learn new skills and abilities. Your task is to help the baby acquire them Right, so that Not harm your health.

How to teach your baby to sit, crawl and walk

It's actually quite simple. It is enough that you:

* followed the instincts of the child, which are inherent in nature;

* instilled in him new skills and abilities in accordance with physical readiness for the next stage of development by performing a set of exercises.

It's not difficult, the main thing is Not get ahead of events.

Sitting exercises

Their goal is to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle and back.

1. Teach your child to focus on his elbows.

Place him on the floor, press one arm to the floor with your full elbow, and with the other help him act: reach for the toy. During the exercise, make sure that the baby’s legs do not strain, and that one of them (opposite to the active arm) is bent - this will provide stability. Then change the handles.

2. Teach your baby to lean on his free palms.

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs and place your baby on your thighs with her tummy. After this, place his palms on the floor, after placing a bright object in front of him so that the baby reaches for it.

During the exercise, hold the toddler by the sacrum and lower back so that he Not fell forward.

3. Strengthen your muscles using various aids:

* Exercise on a small oval ball.

Place the child on the ball with his tummy, and in front of him a bright toy. Then place your baby's hands on the floor. In this position, make rocking movements forward, while the child will reach for the toy. During the exercise, hold the baby's sacrum and lower back with your hand.

* Exercise on a large round ball.

Place the child on the ball with his tummy, hold him by the sacrum and lower back with one hand, and bend one leg with the other. Then start swinging the ball from side to side, periodically bending one leg then the other. It’s good if the baby begins to alternately take one hand off the ball and reach for the object that interests him.

* Build an obstacle course.

Take an ordinary sofa cushion and place it on the floor, then place your baby on it with his tummy, and in front of him - an interesting toy. Then place the baby’s palms on the floor and alternately bend one leg and then the other, helping him crawl forward towards the goal.

During the exercise, if necessary, hold the baby by the lower back and sacrum with your hand.

4. Teach your baby to rock on all fours.

Place the child on all fours and rock him back and forth, holding him by the buttocks and thighs so that the legs are slightly bent under the body.

Doing all the exercises every day, you probably ask yourself the question: When will your child sit down? It’s simple: if he, sitting on his side and leaning on one hand, lifts the other off the floor, a “drum roll” is quite appropriate, because The child has already acquired the skill of sitting.

Now you can safely move on to the next stage - learning to crawl.

Crawling exercises

The goal is to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle and deep back muscles, as well as the lateral muscles.

All exercises that help master the skill of sitting also prepare the baby for crawling. However, this is not enough, so this complex needs to be supplemented.

1. Pat your tummy.

A baby who is preparing to crawl, as a rule, has not yet strengthened his muscles. Therefore, standing on all fours, his back bends. To correct this, lightly pat the tummy - then the baby will tense up and try to keep his back straight.

2. Overcome obstacles.

Place a bag filled with plastic balls or pillows on the floor and help your little one overcome this obstacle on all fours.

3. Play "tunnel".

Lay a long tablecloth or blanket on the table so that the edges hang down to the floor. Thus, you will get a homemade tunnel, at the end of which there is a favorite toy or a mother calling the baby to her.

3. Crawl with your baby.

At the age of 7-8 months the child becomes a little repeater so it will be great if you “move” on the floor with him for a few days.

A baby who wants to explore the world will quickly learn a new skill by repeating various exercises, such as crawling behind a moving toy, walking through a tunnel, and others.

4. Strengthen deep muscles.

A toddler is happy to learn new skills if he has a goal to which he strives - a favorite toy. However, it is wrong to place it straight ahead, since it is difficult for him to move forward. Therefore, it is much better if the toy is located on the side of him. Then your child, leaning on the handle, reaches his goal easily.

So, one more stage has been passed: the child has learned to crawl. Now you need to consolidate the results achieved and prepare for confident walking. After all, you have to stand on tiny legs and stay on them.

Walking exercises

Their goal is to strengthen the thigh muscles and stimulate interest in new discoveries.

1. Teach your child to stand up, crawl and get down on all fours independently.

At first, the baby rises and, holding onto the support, swings, but in this position he quickly gets tired. As a rule, this lasts several days.

During this period, the parents’ task is to put the child, holding him by the armpits and butt, on all fours or sit him in the middle of the room, since he can’t do this on his own yet Not Maybe.

The goal is to encourage the child to crawl back to the object of interest and stand up.

A week after such active training, the little one’s legs will become stronger and he will learn to get down on all fours.

2. Take nice breaks.

The first lessons are difficult, so the baby sometimes gets tired. You will understand this if you see that he is standing on tiptoes at the support. Then take him off the “track” and give him a little rest: repeat the crawling exercises, allow him to sit and play on the floor.

Also, help your little one relax: place his tummy on a large ball and make circles. During this simple exercise, massage his butt by patting it.

3. Teach to walk correctly along the support.

After a month of active training, the baby should already confidently walk along the support with an extended step (to the side). But Not He always does it correctly, so help him learn: move the child’s legs with your hands.

4. Teach to fetch toys that can be moved.

Cars or bicycles with high handrails are suitable for this. The baby, holding on to them, will move around the room more confidently.

And now the goal has been achieved - the baby is gone! Hurray!

Finally, we will give two contradictory facts about how a child learns to walk:

* Necessity of shoes.

When a toddler is just starting to get on his feet, definitely he needs shoes because he often wants to put his foot down wrong, because it’s more convenient for him. In this case, the shoe will fix the ankle.

* Need for a walker.

Most pediatricians have come to the conclusion that walker - not such a good assistant in the physical development of a child. Since the baby is forced to stand in them, Not can get down on all fours, rest and crawl. Moreover, such training is not entirely beneficial for the spine.

Perhaps you have already received all the necessary information on how to properly teach a child to sit, crawl and walk. As you can see, it's not difficult at all.

The main thing is to take your time and don’t stimulate your child ahead of time!

It’s better to wait patiently until the little discoverer of the world is ready for the next stage of development, help him explore new territories and do exercises, and constantly encourage him with praise.

resident doctor of the children's department