My Baby Reaches Crawling Age but Refuses to Crawl. How to Encourage Him?

Muscle development of the crawling age

Normally, the gross motor development for two months children is the stage when the baby can lift his/her head by him/herself. When the baby reaches 6 months old, he/she can turn upside down. At the age of 8-9 months old, the limb muscles will start to strengthen. The baby will be able to sit by him/herself, push the body up, and move forward using the foot to push the floor with the support of the arms.

At first, the baby will crawl slowly. When their arms become stronger, they will crawl around and start to climb and hold on something to stand. At one year old, they will start walking while holding something for support and begin to walk on their own.

Why doesn't my baby crawl at crawling age?

Parts of the reasons the baby doesn’t crawl are:

1. The children are overweight. Moving limbs is a bit difficult.
2. Children lack physical stimulation such as always have someone to hold him/her around, being carry for a long time, or place the cushion or the mattress that’s too soft.
3. The environment is not suitable to crawl. For example, the baby stays in a small and narrow cot, or the baby’s legs break and have a splint on.

Mothers can encourage the baby to crawl by:

Use colorful toys or toys your baby likes to lure him/her to move. Gradually move away to let the baby follow you. At first, the distance should be short because if the gap is too large, it might discourage the baby. Don’t forget to compliment your baby. Kiss him/her every time he/she succeeds. Generally, the children will have similar developmental stages. If your baby doesn’t crawl but still stand while holding on something, that’s fine. It’s a leap development. In some cases, the development might not match the age specification. If you’re worried that your children might have a delayed development, please see the doctor for a diagnosis.