Wendy’s Wild Ride: How Skipping Crawl Later Leads to Learning Lags—and a Whole Lot of Mom Panic
So, Wendy (keeping her ID under lock and key) was giddy when her little Jake took his first steady steps after his first birthday. But hold on—this wasn’t your run‑of‑the‑mill stumble through the crawling phase. Nope, baby Jake took the direct‑to‑walking shortcut. He skipped crawling entirely and waltzed straight to standing.
“I thought the sooner he walked the better,” says the stay‑at‑home mum
“I was thrilled when he started walking, but honestly I barely remember him crawling. I didn’t worry about it at all. Early walking sounded awesome, right?”
Until a therapist dropped a truth bomb: Jake’s learning hiccups—including dyslexia—might be tied to the fact that he never got a chance to crawl.
Mom’s Eye‑Widening Revelation
At preschool, Wendy felt something off but didn’t get help right away. “He struggled with phonics, couldn’t read, and his spelling was a nightmare. I thought he’d catch up eventually, but that never happened.” She’s got a whole brood of three kids aged 11, 9, and 10 months, so it was clear that Jake’s development was a world apart.
With the other kids catching the classic crawl‑to‑walk groove, there was a huge gulf in milestones. “It’s baffling,” says Wendy.
Why Crawling Is a Total Game Changer
Senior OT Yael Sasson explains that the cross‑crawling dance—right arm, left leg, then left arm, right leg—boosts a child’s bilateral coordination. “Wriggling around strengthens the upper girdle, fine‑motor skills (think handwriting), and the muscles for good neck & posture,” she says.
And there’s a bigger picture: Baby crawling expands mobility and curiosity, expanding learning opportunities. Dr Chong Shang Chee, head of the Child Development Unit at the National University Hospital, adds that the more a child explores, the better the brain learns.
Yael’s Daily Checklist: “Did He Crawl?”
Yael cautions that skipping crawling isn’t a sign of low IQ—just a bump in school performance. “Parents usually put little one on their backs to stay safe from SIDS and suffocation, but that limits tummy‑time. No tummy‑time means no chance to practice crawling.”
To fix that, she urges supervised tummy‑time from day one! Start with a quick 10‑minute burst, then stretch it out. “I’m talking about waking hours—not during sleep,” she stresses.
Is a Not‑Crawling Baby Just Odd?
Dr Chong notes that while most babies crawl between 7‑10 months, some people find other ways to move: bottom‑shuffle, sit‑and‑shuffle, or even direct stand‑to‑walk. “If the child stays alert, curious, and active in whatever mode, things are usually fine.”
When babies start standing, they’re cruising around older items at about 10‑12 months and can walk around a year. Those who don’t hit these marks should see a pediatrician.
Wendy’s Takeaway: “I was wrong?”
Now Jake is on regular therapy. His grades have seen a slight improvement, but he still lags behind classmates. “I didn’t realize how critical crawling is. I avoided it because I feared germs. That was a rookie mistake,” Wendy says, eyes closed.
We hope this story nudges parents toward the humble tummy‑time that could make all the difference. And for those breezy early‑walkers, don’t let the shortcut become a stumbling block later on.
