Why crawling is so important

Crawling is one of the most important stages in a child’s development, and for Your Child, it is definitely more than just a cute way to get from one point to another. As a matter of fact, crawling is a crucial time to develop physical strength and other important skills. It happens usually around 6 to 10 months of age.

Here, we have listed the top six reasons why crawling is so important:

Physical development: Crawling provides Your Child with the opportunity to move the entire body, which enhances the development of both gross and fine motor skills. Moreover, crawling is the first time Your Child is putting significant weight on the hands. This helps to strengthen the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints and ensure a better control of the hands. Children who miss out on crawling because they are constantly being carried, might develop problems with their muscles and motor skills later. 

Spatial understanding: Crawling helps children develop spatial orientation, which they need in negotiating their movements. With constant practice of crawling, babies develop body awareness in space, so they know where they are and how to maneuver around their environment. It also helps Your Child understand the concept of depth and height in an uneven terrain.

Brain development: Crawling involves the movement of both sides of the body which means that both sides of the brain have to work together to coordinate the movement. In addition, by moving from where they are to where they want, children are already practicing problem-solving and endurance skills. Thus, crawling provides Your Child with an early foundation for developing problem-solving skills.

Coordination and balance: Crawling helps the left and right sides of the body to work in a coordinated manner by facilitating the development of the vestibular/balance system. It also helps in the development of hand-eye coordination and reaching for an object.

Binocular vision: Crawling encourages the development of far and near vision, as babies learn to look into the distance where their toys are, and when they get to the toy, they can also see at a close range. Additionally, it helps Your Child to master left-right linear movement of the eyes — visual tracking — which can assist with school-related activities.

Self-confidence: As Your Child moves about from one point to another independently, your baby get a sense of achievement, which helps to build self-confidence.