Benefits of Creeping for Babies and How to Promote it

Intelligence and cognitive development in your baby relate to their ability to move freely. This is why creeping is so important.

The development of babies’ brains usually depends on how people stimulate them. Thus, motor development relates to your baby’s intelligence. This is why freedom of movement is so necessary. Today, we’ll talk about the benefits of creeping for babies.

It might be surprising for you to know that every time your baby moves, he or she is preparing to face their different stages of development.

Benefits of creeping for babies and when they start doing it

When babies are six or seven months old, they start moving with their tummies still on the floor. This action is known as creeping. In fact, this is one of the most important achievements when it comes to babies’ mobility. Because, when they start doing it, they become independent from their surroundings. From that moment on, they don’t need you to reach certain objects or look for new stimuli.

However, once babies are born, they’re able to move around with their face down in order to breast crawl. This is an instinct of mammal newborns to move towards the nipple and attach to it for breastfeeding.

In order to help them develop this instinct, you can place them on a flat surface, so they can try and learn to coordinate their reflexes. Then, these reflexes will become voluntary movements. As a result, they’ll start moving gradually.

If you want to help your baby start creeping, you should do it for short periods of time, and your baby should be well-rested. In addition, you must inspire them with loving words. Gradually, they’ll start increasing the distance, and they’ll hold their heads up for longer periods of time.

Many children start crawling before creeping. Don’t worry about it! Since these movements are so important for them, they’ll have a second chance when they’re two or three years old and play on the floor.

Some benefits of creeping for babies

More freedom

When babies start moving without other people’s help, it becomes the first sign of freedom and self-assurance for them. Thus, they’re happy and confident, which is essential to becoming independent. From then on, they start exploring without limits.

It promotes muscle growth

Imagine the effort your baby makes when creeping or crawling around. In fact, they make more effort than people do when walking. Therefore, this exercise promotes muscle growth and improves tendons and joints. Furthermore, it helps them balance their vertebral column.

Creeping prepares them for walking

The rhythmic synchronization required for creeping will prepare the body for the balance and coordination they’ll need to stand up.

More benefits of creeping for babies

It improves hand skills

The open position of the hands and the friction between the hands and the ground make babies close their hands instinctively. As a result, it improves your babies’ hand skills for future actions.

It develops visual skills and reading processes

Since babies look at their hands, they learn to focus from a short distance. Then, they look at their destination. And, when they move, they look both ways constantly. Therefore, they start training the muscles that control the movements of the eyes to develop two visual skills: 

• Convergence, which allows us to look at a close object with both eyes for a long period of time. For example, when we read.
• Accommodation, which allows us to look closely at something, and rapidly move our eyes to a more distant point. For example, when students copy in their notebooks what they read on the board.

Creeping helps establish a proper space-time relationship

This kind of movement, which includes the arms, helps them identify the distance between objects. In order to identify this, they’ll base it on the number of movements they need to perform, in order to get what they want. So, they’ll be able to work out the distance and locate themselves in time. 

Freedom of movement is very important for babies’ proper development. Therefore, provide your baby with a safe environment, so that they can move freely. And, remember to use positive reinforcement.