Baby crawling

The importance of crawling is much more complex than just the baby’s mobility. Its relationship with the physical development and intellectual growth of the little one makes it a key factor that will influence and mark the progress of their school and extracurricular learning. For example, research by Glenn Doman and his collaborators with babies has shown that: babies of a certain Amazon tribe, unable to crawl on the ground (due to venomous snakes, insects, and many predators making it very dangerous), develop a sense of long-distance vision (focusing approximately 15 meters away), but are not able to do so at short distances (30-40 cm), which may affect their learning capacity. Near vision develops materially when the child crawls and creeps, and this is the distance at which, a little later, the child will read and write. That is why crawling is so important—it allows for short-distance ocular convergence, a fundamental aspect in the proper learning of our children.

Is it normal for babies to crawl backwards?

Yes, it is. When your baby starts crawling, which usually happens between six and ten months, they will choose the most efficient way based on their energy level. If the baby’s arms are stronger than their legs at that moment, they will push or drag themselves backward.

Crawling backward won’t bother them as long as they can get where they want. As their legs get stronger, they will probably learn to crawl forward.

However, some babies who crawl backward need help to change direction. To encourage the baby to crawl forward, place their favorite toy just out of arm’s reach in front of them.

Keep in mind:

- Find a space where the child can move easily and place them there at least once a day.

- Do not force them to stand up; the child will do so and take their first steps when they feel comfortable and secure. If parents pressure them before they’re ready, the child will likely become discouraged and not want to stand again.

- Adapt the home so the child can explore safely. This means closing off dangerous places, covering electrical outlets, protecting furniture corners, and managing cables. It’s not about changing your entire lifestyle but better safe than sorry.

- Don’t make life too easy for the child by bringing everything they want within reach or carrying them too often.

Provide stimuli in the crawling or creeping space that attract their attention and encourage movement in search of those stimuli.

- It’s important to watch the child’s clothing—ensure they are comfortable and wear pants that don’t hurt their knees when crawling. Also, avoid shoes when encouraging crawling; socks, special crawling shoes, or slippers are better.

Crawling helps develop brain coordination

When the child crawls, they generate a distance between their eyes and hands similar to what will later be needed for reading and writing. Therefore, crawling decisively favors the early appearance of both functions (reading and writing) with the additional intellectual benefits that this entails.

That is why it is very important to give babies the opportunity to crawl freely. Often, we don’t allow them to do so because we worry about them getting dirty, hurting themselves, or for safety reasons, we think it’s better to keep them in a playpen, limiting their space for exploration and for moving around in different places, which strengthens their autonomy and security.

Parents or adults in charge of the children should provide a space where the child can move easily. Do not force them to stand up since they will do so when they really feel safe.

The crawling stage usually lasts 3 months. Crawling appears to be a big step in their movement as it allows them to move without adult help, set goals, improve movement coordination, promotes muscle development, and adapt better to their surrounding environment. However, many children learn to walk without ever having crawled. This does not mean some children are smarter than others; it just means each has a different developmental path.