Crawling questions

Hi All,

My 9 monthers are not crawling yet. They have had tummy time since a few weeks old. DS has always preferred being on his tummy more than DD. However, he will often roll around and doesn't stay on his tummy. DD will start screaming when she's tired of being on her tummy. I have tried several things to encourage crawling . . .
-- Surrounding them with toys.
-- Putting an interesting toy in front of them; however, a little out of reach.
-- Laying on the floor in front of them.

Do you have any other suggestions or advice? I would appreciate anything.

 

This might sound weird, but get down on the floor and show them how! Also, try putting them up on their hands and knees, and see if they can get that rocking motion going. Once they have that, it will be no time before they are crawling.

 

We are in the same boat. Our girls will be 9 months on the 14th. They will hang out - even turn themselves onto their stomachs - and push themselves up but no crawling. I have tried everything that you have tried - I will be interested to see other peoples ideas. I have even tried leaving the room because I figure they are more likely to crawl when no one is looking!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Apr 12 2007, 03:08 PM) [snapback]216865[/snapback]
This might sound weird, but get down on the floor and show them how! Also, try putting them up on their hands and knees, and see if they can get that rocking motion going. Once they have that, it will be no time before they are crawling.


Yet again, ditto what Becky said! :good: We go to physical therapy and this is what the therapist did with them. She would put them in the position and show them to rock back and forth. At home, I did the same thing and also crawled around the room. My ds started first and then dd saw him and started as well. Now, I don't know if the "workout" helped, but it seemed to, because before we started this they showed no real intrest in it. Also, while they are up on all fours put a toy out of reach and once they start moving their arms toward it, you can move their legs...so they get the idea. Just make sure when they move the right arm you move the left leg. It may sound dumb and you may already know, but I didn't. :blush:

 

I too would love to know what else to do. Neither one of mine are crawling yet. Lauren will get on all 4 and rock (she's been doing this for about 3 weeks now) but won't move & if she is sitting she will dive to her tummy, like maybe she is trying to go from sitting position to crawling, but nothing. Mattie just sits there & watches. When I put her on her tummy she rolls to her back. <_<

They constantly want to stand though. I try to sit them on the floor and they stiffen their legs to stand up instead. Maybe they will walk & never crawl. That is what I am telling myself, so I don't worry. :unsure:

 

Maybe they just won't crawl? My oldest didn't crawl, never went into the position and didn't even scoot. He went straight to walking.

 

My Jessy didn't crawl till 10-11 months and Jazzy had been crwaling since 7-8 months. Jazzy would bring her toys so she never saw the need for crawling :huh: but she was also slow in walking.

 

Just wanted you to know that mine aren't crawling yet either!! I have tried "showing them" and that hasn't had any effect. I didn't want you to feel like the only one!! :hug99:

 

Hello!
Just wanted you to know you aren't alone! Mine aren't crawling yet either..not even trying...just rolling.

 

my girls didnt crawl until 10/10.5 months. we used to 'putting interesting toys infront of them yet out of reach' method alot of the time, other than that we just let them go and they crawled when they were ready.

 

add my 10 month old dd to the list of non-crawlers!

 

Thanks for all of the replies and the wonderful suggestions. I had previously tried getting them into the crawling position. When I would let go they would fall to their belly. I will try the other suggestions.

 

Crawling is a pseudo-milestone, babies don't really have to learn to crawl. James rocked back and forth for a few weeks then gradually learned to crawl, Sean must have been taking lessons because he just started crawling all of the sudden.

 

I did the same as you i put toys in front of them, food in front of them, got up and crawled myself but i dont think it made any difference. Jack didnt start crawling untill he was 10.5 months and Sophie has only just done it in the last couple of weeks. Also not every baby crawls some bum shuffle and others go straight to walking. Just give them a little time and they will start to do it on their own. One day you will be siting there and they will just take off!! x

 

I used to think it was ok if babies went straight to walking and never crawled - until we had an EI evaluation for torticollis. One of ours still isn't crawling at over 9 months (and the other one just started last week). The physical therapists and doctors involved in the evaluations said that it is important for babies to crawl because it strengthens various muscles and creates neurological paths that are important to good motor function. Babies can go straight to walking and learn to use muscles in different ways, but they "lose" the learnings that crawling provides. I hope I stated this right - this is what we were told by everyone in the EI program.

I am not too worried about the one who isn't crawling yet - some babies don't crawl until 10-12 months. I will not be encouraging him to walk before he crawls though...

 

I agree with others that suggested showing them how....my girls thought that was hilarious when I did it and it seemed to work! Also, if you know any babies who are crawling, maybe have your little ones watch them, too. My girls first started crawling to get to the tv remote. Ha ha - future couch potatoes!

 

I had one crawl at 8 months and one not crawl til 12 months.....my only advice is that they will when they are ready. Encourage tummy time though....that really helped mine.

 

So glad to hear that so many of your babies aren't crawling either... no crawling going on around here, however there is ALOT of rolling to get where they want to go.

 

PHEW!! Glad to hear a lot of 9 monthers not crawling! Mia is SOOOOOO close. Actually DH and I decided she did crawl today: Moved hands forward one at time and scooted her legs up. Not quite the official crawl, but close and I have a feeling it will all come together in the next couple days. But she has been close to crawling for over 3 weeks! Jacob is another story. He JUST start pushing up to almost all fours. He also just started pushing himself backwards. It will happen. Just as a side note. I have REALLY enjoyed these months of sitting up but NOT crawling!!!! I am worried about chasing two crawlers!!!
Melissa

 

One of mine has been crawling for weeks and the other one tries but just cannot figure out how to put one knee before the other. I hope she figures it out soon because it's a big source of frustration for her. She sees stuff she wants and she just cannot reach. She "army crawls" meaning she pulls herself along with her arms which is very hard to do! I've tried helping her but she isn't going to get it unless she tries on her own. Sometimes I pretend not to notice when she's struggling because she won't get anywhere unless she figures it out on her own.