Hippity Hop Hop

Finwe has a new way of moving forward. He hops his legs forward and then reaches with his arms. It is quite effective. Many times I have heard pediatricians say: As long as your baby is finding a way to get to an object, it is okay if he/she doesn't exactly crawl. Like this doctor says:

Rolling over, sitting without support, cruising (walking along furniture), and walking independently are important developmental milestones. Crawling isn't.

Crawling isn't even mentioned in my favorite pediatric development textbook!

This seems strange since, of any of these behaviors, crawling is most associated with babies. The truth is many babies never crawl! They do need to find some way to move across the floor. Each will do so at unpredictable times and in distinctive ways. Your grandson may be a scooter, one who likes to stay upright and scoot across the floor on his bottom. Many babies prefer creeping, or wriggling forward on the stomach. Many children will crab-crawl, moving backwards. And, of course, many children will get up on all fours and crawl forward in the traditional way. Each child is unique.