How to teach a child to crawl

Why is crawling good for you?

Mums and dads are looking forward to when the child learns to walk. At the same time, they often underestimate the importance of the crawling step. There are many reasons to encourage children to walk on all fours as much as possible before they are ready to walk.

Moving on their bellies, on all fours or in any other way, the child trains the muscles of the neck, arms, back and legs, maintains the flexibility and mobility of all joints.
Physical achievement contributes to the development of fine motor skills. This means that in the future it will be easier for your child to wield a spoon, button up and master the letter Crawling Is Important.
In classic crawling, children simultaneously move their right arm and left leg forward, and then their left arm and right leg. Thus, the connections between the hemispheres of the brain are strengthened and The Importance of Crawling develops bilateral coordination - the ability to perform actions with the left and right parts of the body in concert.
It also improves binocular vision (the ability to clearly see an object with both eyes) and hand-eye coordination. It is she who allows us to simultaneously use our eyes and hands when we want to do something.
During movement, the child learns to navigate in space and control his body. He begins to understand how to control speed, how to avoid obstacles and when to stop in order not to hit. It is better to hone these skills during the crawling phase, at a safe distance from the ground, than while walking, when it hurts to fall.

How to teach a child to crawl

The child himself will determine at what point it is already time to crawl and exactly how to do it: on his stomach, sideways or backwards. But parents can prepare their children for an important stage in advance and thus make it easier for them.

What to do from birth

Lay the newborn on the belly more often. Start with 5-10 minutes several times a day and then gradually work up the time. Playing in this position, the baby strengthens the muscles of the neck, arms, back, abdomen.

What to do from 2 months

At about 2 months, the baby learns the ability to raise his head. This skill will come in handy when crawling. To strengthen the neck muscles, lay the baby on his stomach, sit next to him and show a bright toy or rattle. Move it in space so that he lifts and turns his head.

What to do from 4 months

Children begin to rise on their elbows. To get your child to do this hand-friendly exercise more often and more actively, place a few toys at a short distance from him. Let him try to reach them, leaning on one hand and pulling out the other.

What to do from 6 months

At this age, children are physically able to stand on all fours. To help the baby up, place a rolled towel under his breast and gently lift. Hold in this position for a few minutes, allowing you to move.

If the child is already confidently leaning on four limbs, place your palms under his heels so that he can push off and make a forward movement.

Try to encourage children to spend more time on the floor rather than in a stroller or high chair. To learn to crawl, a child needs space to explore.

What to do from 8 months

As a rule, most children are already either starting to crawl or are completely ready to do it. Your task is to push the child to more active movement. This can be done as follows.

Take a rolling toy and place it close to the child, but out of reach. When he crawls to the bait, move it a little further. And so several times. Ultimately, your hero should receive a trophy as a reward for perseverance.
Place the toys with a snake at a distance of half a meter from each other. Encourage the child to crawl from one target to another.
Scatter toys and pillows around the room, thus creating obstacles for the child. Sit at the other end of the room and call him to you. It's okay if he doesn't do the job the first time. Do not hesitate: very soon the child will easily overcome all the obstacles on the way to you.