Skipping crawling

DS is now 8 and a bit months. Although he does rock on his hands and knees he is obsessed with standing up and walking. If we hold his hands he can turn around and walk back and forth between us. He really seems uninterested in crawling now but will try and walk almost the whole time he is awake.

I know if he does there can be some developmental implications and we should keep encouraging crawling, even once he can walk.

I would love to hear any stories about bubs that have missed crawling.
Thanks!

ooo I had never considered the developmental implications. Just thought I would share according to MIL dh didn't really crawl. He crawled once across the room were he promptly stood up and walked back the otherway. he was nine months at the time.

My DH never crawled (and neither did Olivia or Charlie) and he has no co-ordination issues. Played cricket and rugby at state level (so must be pysically coordinated) and has a degree (so mentally does OK).

I will be interested to see if the lack of crawling impacts Olivia & Charlie.

PISH. I never crawled and DS hasn't crawled - but is walking unaided. OK, staggering unaided.

Guess what - I can dance, I can read (honours degree in Medical Genetics), I can play sports, play the piano well, I have great co-ordination. My sister never crawled and was a sports champion, INCLUDING in gymnastics - and has a medical degree too. I have not met anyone not crawling has hindered in any way.....

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There are other activities that use both sides of the brain at once

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Can you let me know what things?

Kim, I did not mean to upset you (and I am very sorry if I did), but I've had a lot of people tell me I'm not clever and unco-ordinated because I never crawled. Yeah right, like you can fence when you have no co-ordination! Like an IQ around the 150 mark is a sign of stupidity (it may be a sign of many things, but outright intellectual stupidity is not one of those things). It just really annoys me because people say these things of DS now and I get a bit defensive because I know it's not the be-all and end-all.

DS is already a great little dancer, he loves to get his boogie on and he climbs all over me, so I know his brain is just fine... I just wish other people would stop trying to tell me otherwise! I also did loads of opposites-playing when DS was a few months old, he can do opposites and he could crawl if he wanted to, he just doesn't want to.

ETA: Lucy, climbing, marching and pretty much any activity where you move opposing hands and legs works well. DS cruises moving his left hand and right leg, then right hand and left leg quite a bit of the time, so he's fine for opposites. He also dances and waves opposites while dancing, so I'm counting that too.

I'm pretty sure I DID crawl and I would have to be the most unco person around. When I try to tell people this I say, "oh, I have no hand-eye coordination" and end up pointing to the wrong thing in the wrong order. IQ in full working order last time I checked though!

OMG Caryn... can't believe Leibs is almost 1 and walking like that!! WTG!!

Krys.. Oskar is not at all interested in crawling either. He loves it when we "walk" with him but hates being on his tummy even on top of us. I'm not pushing the issue, he'll do whichever he wants to when he's ready. He sits and spins round and round..lol and has been sitting since 5 1/2 months so I think this is one reason he just doesn't want to lay and work out the crawling.

I have a feeling that Jambin isn't going to properly crawl either. He commando crawls on his belly, and is fairly fast at that, but does it one-sided (we joke that he looks like a wounded soldier) by pushing off from one leg and pulling with one arm. He is also obsessed with standing and being walked around (with his hands held). Occasionally, he'll get up onto hands and knees for 1-2 seconds, but doesn't rock or move forwards/backwards, and flops down onto his belly as soon as he wants to go anywhere. I think he's frustrated with the crawling and wants to skip straight to walking.

Is there any way to encourage a baby to crawl on hands and knees if they're not interested?

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Is there any way to encourage a baby to crawl on hands and knees if they're not interested?

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Cherie honey.......I tried everything with Olivia, & gave up. She just never did. Just shiffled along on her bum for 10 months. Fast. Whilst talking at me. LOL! We even tried crawling around her to get her to get the gist.........but she never crawled.....it bothered me at the time (first time mum, totally paranoid) but I have since just let go. Charlie never crawled either.....it didn;t worry me a bit. Lexie does crawl, and it seems to me the only difference is the muck she collects on her knees in comparison to the grot the other 2 picked up on their bums!

TBH and don't shoot me but I think its a big load of baloney! Not just that but I think we should refrain from pushing our kids physically when it comes to this. I've heard some awful stories on here about nurses and dr's causing pain and frustration to little ones by pushing them to crawl.

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that my DH never crawled..started rolling at 3 months old and walking at 10 months old...just wasn't interested in the crawling. He is very co-ordinated and is one of the smartest people I know with an honours degree in biotechnology, a diploma in ambulance practice and a post graduate diploma in intensive care ambulance. So if that's what not crawling does for you...bring it on!!!! Try not to worry.

Totally agree Cai and Rachel - well said!

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TBH and don't shoot me but I think its a big load of baloney! Not just that but I think we should refrain from pushing our kids physically when it comes to this. I've heard some awful stories on here about nurses and dr's causing pain and frustration to little ones by pushing them to crawl.

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Our friend is an occupational therapist and she went into all this with us. But she also really really stressed that development should be through fun not work. So I dont think it is baloney but do think that you can only encourage and then they decide for themselves.

This has been interesting to read because its looks like Iz might be the same. She's coming up to 8mths, and she drags herself around if she wants to get somewhere fast. She will kind of do this weird crab crawl on her hands and feet (not knees) to crawl slowly and when she does this she does cross over her hands, rather than both at once when she is dragging herself. She is more interested in standing though - today I found her after her nap standing in her cot. Shes continually pulling herself up on everything now - or just up on hands and feet with bum in the air. Makes me wonder if she will be walking before she crawls properly. Sounds like there isnt much we can do though until shes old enough to copy us and have fun "crawling" games etc.....

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first time mum, totally paranoid

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Lucy I can totally relate but its kind of frustrating as there isnt really anything we can do!!

Thanks for this thread.
We where told a similar thing as well, as Aiden is showing more interest in walking then crawling. If we stand him up, he is taking steps, but, on his belly, he just tends to lay there and not do to much at all, other then look around. Certainly, he does reach for things, push his legs etc, and we give him lots of tummy time, but, he is just not all that fazed on the crawling thing. Although i guess, he is still young.
I was starting to worry if he would sorta skip crawling completley, but, as already stated in other posts, there is not much one can do. I am glad there are some "dh/ds/me etc didnt crawl and we/he is fine" type stories.

BTW - i am sure i crawled - and i am totatly unco.

Hmm this has been interesting to read too!!

Avaleigh is over 5 months and a few weeks ago she has been able to stand with us just holding her hands, she was very wobbly. Now she is a lot better and has actually taken a few aided steps, she will hold herself up too if she is holding on to something. Avaleigh is trying to crawl and I encourage but not for long, she is much more interested in standing up!

Oskar has decided that bum shuffling is definitely for him and has mastered it very well in the past week!! Amazing how fast they get it once they "know" how to do things. BTW... my mother tried to MAKE Oskar crawl several times with the result of him screaming and getting hurt!! I did tell her to just leave him alone and the result is he has figured out for himself how to bum shuffle and get around just fine. :D

There are actually benefits in crawling before walking, you can google it & find out. I'm not saying that those who dont or didn't have problems...though the question has been asked so if you are interested in looking it up it cant hurt. It's also more than just using the "left & right sides of the brain".
I don't think there are huge implications, as many have stated they are fine...but just more so some benefits IYKWIM.

I was told just the other week as Charlie was starting to crawl, "the longer you crawl the better" but don't know how true that is.

In regards to experience, my brother never crawled & has had many learning difficulties & some other issues. Not saying that's the reason, just interesting to know that it could have been a contributor.