As a new parent, watching your little one grow and develop can be an exciting experience. One of the most eagerly anticipated milestones is when babies start to crawl.
This usually happens between 6-10 months of age, although it can vary from baby to baby.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss what crawling is, how it develops, and when you can expect your little one to take their first crawl.
What Is Crawling?
Crawling is an important milestone in a baby’s development as it helps them learn important skills such as body awareness, coordination and balance.
It’s also the first step towards learning more complex motor skills such as walking and running.
Crawling involves using all four limbs – two arms and two legs – to move around on the floor or other surfaces.
There are two main types of crawling: belly crawling (or “commando”) and bottom shuffling (or “bear walk”).
Belly crawling is the most common type of crawling and usually begins between 6-10 months of age.
Bottom shuffling usually begins around 8-12 months of age.
When do babies start to crawl?
Crawling typically develops in stages over several months. During the first stage, babies learn how to use their arms to lift their head off the floor or other surface while keeping their legs bent at the knees for support.
During the second stage, they learn how to move their arms and legs together in a coordinated fashion while keeping their head up off the ground or other surface.
Finally, during the third stage they begin using alternate arm/leg movements to coordinate themselves forward in a belly crawl position or backwards in a bottom shuffle position.
This final stage is when babies typically begin successfully moving across rooms or surfaces independently without help from an adult or caregiver.
In fine, the answer to the question “when do babies start to crawl?” is a bit complex.
While each child will develop at his/her own unique pace, most babies will begin to belly crawl between 6-10 months of age and bottom shuffle between 8-12 months of age.
Encouraging your baby through these steps by providing them with lots of tummy time can help them reach this milestone faster since crawling is an exciting milestone for parents and caregivers alike!
With patience and practice, you’ll soon have a crawler on your hands!
