When should my child be crawling?

16 Jun When should my child be crawling?

A common question that all new parents ask is when should my child be meeting milestones? These include rolling, sitting, crawling, standing and walking.

This is dependent on a few factors, if your child is born premature, they will take longer to meet milestones as compared to a full-term birth. If your child takes longer to meet the previous major motor milestone, they may take longer to meet subsequent ones.

What skills does my child need to crawl?

With crawling, the child needs to show trunk control and the ability to shift weight onto hands and knees. They also need spacial awareness and body awareness of their legs and hands. These skills are developed earlier with the addition of tummy time, rolling and sitting. The child needs to be able to get in and out of a 4-point kneeling position, and have the hand-eye co-ordination to move arms and legs to gain the ability to move forwards.

Commonly, crawling is achieved between 7-9months of age.

Further Information

If this article has raised questions for you, or if your child is developing slower compared to other children, please book to see a paediatrican or a physiotherapist. They can then provide advice tailored for you and your child.