okay, I know you aren't supposed to compare babies...
But I'm a little worried. One of my friends who lives in CA sent me a video of her 6 month old at one of those little gym places and she (the baby) was crawling around all over the place, sitting up on her own and starting to pull herself up into a standing position.
Warner (at just shy of 5 months) can roll across the room, but he just doesn't seem to have any interest in trying to sit up on his own--and I've read he needs to do that before he'll learn to crawl. And my mom keeps freaking me out by saying that he's GOT to learn how to crawl or he won't learn to read well or something.
I play the game with him, where I pull him up into a sitting position, then a standing position and also, I prop him up on pillows to sit up and he sits in his bumbo seat, and whenever we read books (which is pretty often) he sits up pretty straight in my lap with his back to my stomach (he just can't do it on his own)--what else should I be doing? When did your LO start sitting up and then crawling?
I don't want to be one of those moms who worries too much and I know all babies develop different skills at different times, I just want to make sure I'm doing the best for him.
Re: okay, I know you aren't supposed to compare babies...
6 months is early to crawl. Don't worry!
I never crawled (walked at 11 months) and I was reading at 2.5!
Anyway, to answer your questions:
Sitting up unassisted: 6.5 months
Army Crawling: 9 months
Regular Crawling: 9.5 months
Standing: 9.5 months
1st Steps: 13.5 months
We have a PT so I am can confidently tell you all of that was on track developmentally. I know it's tempting to compare, but don't do it! I just told everyone, via my blog, to please STFU about DS not walking yet. I get so sick of the comparisons "Oh, really? My son was walking at 7months..."
Your DS is fine!
No worries warranted - the range of 'normal' is really broad. DD could wobbly sit unassisted around 7 months. Rolling and full sit/slow crawl around 8. I was crawling like a banshee at 5 months old, but DD didn't crawl like that until almost 9 months old. She can pull up and stand on her own now but can't walk yet at 11 months.
Tell your mom to chill.
I think 6 months is pretty young to crawl! Nathalie goes to a playgroup that includes a baby who is around/just turned 6 months and this baby is definitely not sitting on her own yet. Warner is just perfect and right on task.
I have no idea what's "normal" yet, but don't people also say girls develop faster than boys for some reason? I have a friend whose son is 10 or 11 months and has just started to really crawl.
In any case, I think if your doctor doesn't think there's a problem, then all is good!
Also, for what it's worth, I know I will be one of those moms who worries about if my kid is developing as fast as others!
I do this all day long as an early intervention physical therapist and you should not worry at all. There is a wide range of typical and what is most important is how the babies perform versus exactly when.
Sitting is appropriate 6-8 months
Transitioning from sitting to hands and knees comes a month or two after sitting.
Crawling can start anytime around 6 months but usually tummy loving babies come along a little quicker. Anytime by 10 months is again, considered "within age expected ranges."
Its always tough to not compare but it sounds like you are doing great!
I'll reiterate what everyone else said about not worrying about your son's progress or comparing him to other babies. Because you asked about milestones, DD was late reaching a lot of them...then when she decided to do them, she mastered most of them very quickly:
- sitting at 7 months (and only for a few seconds)...she did it continuously by 8 months
- rolling = never (seriously, she NEVER rolled and hated being on her stomach)
- cruising along furniture between 9 and 10 months
- crawling at 10 months (which she learned to do in like two days, once she tried...had zero interest in being independently mobile before that)
- walking a few days before her first birthday (and she walked clear across the room...13 steps, as I counted in disbelief)
So it sounds like your son is more advanced than my daughter was at the same age...at least he rolls
I've never been a fan of "training" or practicing certain skills repetitively, other than incorporating suff into normal play (my mom's an occupational therapist and works with kids, and she wasn't worried). It sounds like that's what you're already doing. DD is still teaching us that she'll do it when she's ready, no matter how much we may be encouraging something.
FWIW, the link between crawling and reading (according to the research) is that there is seems to be a correlation between babies who never crawl (just walk) and learning disabilities. That may be what your mother is thinking about.
My daughter crawled at eight months and was sitting up around sixth months.
1. There is still a HUGE difference in age between a 5 and 6 month old. When DS was that young, I remember being amazed at how much he changed from month to month.
2. 6 months is extremely early for crawling and pulling up.
DS started sitting up and crawling really early, but he was never one for staying still either. Many kids don't start sitting up until 6+ months.
One thing I did with DS was not prop him up. I put him into a tripod position, put toys in front of him, and he had to work to play with them. I don't know if it made a difference or not (like I said, he hated staying still on his back, and hated tummy time even more) but he was sitting by 4.5 months.
FWIW, DS never rolled anywhere, so your DS is ahead of where he was at that age. He hated being on his tummy so much that he didn't roll from back to belly until he was 5.5 to 6 months old. He learned how to crawl by leaning forward from a sitting position.
Oh, and to answer your questions (remember, he was really early with a lot of stuff)
sitting up: 4.5 months
pulling up: 6 months
crawling, cruising, and getting into a sitting position on his own (that was a crazy week!): 7 months 1 week
first steps: 9 months
walking: 10 months
6 months sounds very early to crawl.
DD started sitting up at 4.5 months, and was really steady doing it around 6 months. She "tripoded" at first, sitting up with her hands in front of her on the floor. Gradually she let go of the floor. I usually just put a thick blanket on the floor, put her in the sitting position and let go. Sometimes she'd sit, sometimes she'd topple onto the blanket, but she always had fun. It sounds like you are giving him lots of opportunities to practice, I wouldn't worry!
Like everyone else said, don't worry! Every baby really is different. (I'm sure you're sick of hearing it!)
DD started crawling early, right at 6 months. But, she just now at 7 months can sit for long periods of time unassisted. Up until a couple of weeks ago she would fall over. But she still crawled. I guess she did those two backwards!
To the pp who said crawling isn't a milestone, why not? To me it was quite exciting!
It's not considered to be a developmental milestone anymore because the "Back to Sleep" campaign has caused more kids to skip crawling altogether due to lower tummy time amounts.
who knows what Warner will be able to do when he's 6 mo old!
I know a very intelligent successful adult who never crawled at all, he just walked, he also did not get any teeth till 18mo old (not sure if that's relevant, but his 1y.o still has no teeth!)
DD started walking by holding onto our hands a week before 7 mo old, she did not crawl until about 3 weeks later. She's now 10.5 mo and walks by holding onto just one hand (she cruises too), I think she can walk indepedently physically but psychologically she's not ready, she's too afraid. A few times she's stood on her own w/out holding onto anything, she even danced a few steps but as soon as she realizes she's not holding onto anything, she sits down. My back is killing me always holding her hand but she'll walk when she's ready.
a hint for sitting, put a pillow behind his back as he may suddenly lurge backwards and can hurt himself
I always worried about Maggie too. She was always at the end of the time period for physical milestones.
6mo - finally rolled over
10mo to the day - started crawling
14mo - consistently could walk without assistance
My sister has some friends who do a lot of comparing and she always says they will all be walking and talking by the time they enter preschool so we should all just relax
DO NOT WORRY!!!! 6 months is very early to crawl. I felt the same way when I saw a 6 month old not only crawl but pull herself up and take steps! My baby wasn't even rolling over at this point and she was 5 months old!
Now DD is crawling (started at 8 months) pulling herself up, standing on her own, and takling steps. It wasn't until she started crawling that she learned to roll over. Every baby is different so please don't worry. You can do all you want to prepare him to crawl but he will do so when he is good and ready.
Just FYI, this is very, very OLD research that people used to believe back in the 70s, and not at all supported by educators or pediatricians anymore. As a reading specialist, I've read lots of articles on the topic, and there really is no correlation.
FWIW, Ben didn't crawl until almost 9 months and walking before 13 months. However, once he catches onto something - he is fast. lol
Of course now I compare his lack of talking to other toddlers, so sadly it doesn't end.