What's the Right Clothing for a Crawling Baby?

Today, we'll give you some keys to know what's the right clothing for a crawling baby so you can take care of your little one's freedom.

Reviewed and approved by the pediatrician Marcela Alejandra Caffulli.

Written by Maria del Mar Garcia Martin

Last update: 27 December, 2022

During a baby’s first movements, it’s important to know the best options to help them acquire security, dynamism, and self-confidence. Their first trips and falls will occur around 8 months of life, and under this premise, it’s natural for many parents to ask themselves the same question: What’s the right clothing for a crawling baby?

Without a doubt, it’s vital that the child be protected as they move forward on their own. That’s why parental support is essential, as is the clothing the child wears. Here are some useful tips for when you go shopping. Take note!

What’s the right clothing for a crawling baby: One of the big questions at this stage

Moms and dads have many doubts about their baby’s crawling and first steps. Thanks to these developmental milestones, little ones learn to get to know the space around them, to coordinate their movements before they start walking, and the first signs of independence can be glimpsed.

Crawling goes far beyond mere movement. As experts warn, these early experiences can predict the development of future motor skills. You must be aware of the characteristics of crawling, in addition to creating a safe environment for little ones to move freely.

The duty of parents is to try to make the most of all these benefits through various strategies. This is why choosing the right clothing for a crawling baby is key to safeguarding some aspects:

• Slips: When faced with slippery floors, it’s important to avoid thin clothing, as it makes it difficult for them to start crawling and encourages them to fall.
• Protection from the cold: During the winter season, it’s also common for children to get cold while on the floor. Therefore, it’s a good idea to place a foam rubber mat or a non-slip carpet on the floor to let them move about freely without risk. Likewise, use clothing that’s appropriate for the weather.
• Prevent injuries in summer: Along the same lines, during the summer, there’s a higher risk of the child hurting their knees. Especially if shorts are chosen that leave the legs uncovered.

What options to choose?

On the market, there are different options that aren’t always the best. Moreover, especially when mothers are new mothers, the choices are often based on aesthetics rather than on comfort and practicality.

In fact, as specialists warn, it’s important to keep in mind that during the crawling stage, babies need to be extremely vigilant, as hundreds of dangers lurk in the least expected places.

For all of these reasons, we recommend you consider the following alternatives that will be useful to both you and the little one in the house.

1. Built-in knee pads/knee pads

The new knee pads incorporated in baby clothes are specially designed for this moment. They are also quite easy to remove and, for parents’ peace of mind, washing is also very simple.

This ensures that your little one isn’t only well-protected at home, but also everywhere else. In addition, their clothes will always look intact. These accessories alleviate the friction of the floor on the knees and their cushioned surface softens bumps and sudden movements.

2. Classic knee pads

For more traditional parents who want a basic, but equally efficient option, there are also classic knee pads on the market that fit over the child’s clothing. They’re just as efficient and also serve this purpose.

However, they can be a bit limiting, given both their weight and their shape. They can be useful for use on particularly unfavorable surfaces, although indoors they may be unnecessary. Keep in mind that it’s one thing to take care of your baby and another thing to overprotect them.

3. Recycling old socks, one of the best options within the appropriate clothing for crawling babies

Perhaps you don’t know that recycling clothes is one of the options that are also ideal when it comes to protecting little ones in their first trips and falls. Therefore, we recommend using old or unused socks for this purpose.

To do this, you’ll have to cut the ends of the garments and then place the cut socks on top of the child’s pants, as if it were a homemade kneepad. In this way, the goal is for the part of the heel to coincides with the knee of your little one to avoid injuries.

4. Specific pants for crawling

Surely you’re aware of the existence of sweatpants and leggings, which are perfect for preventing scratches and scrapes while your child starts to go around the house.

The main difference with respect to other similar garments is that these pants are more elastic and flexible. This gives the baby more comfort and freedom when moving around.

Ideally, you should opt for a larger and looser fit than usual. And the best thing? There are different designs, both winter and summer.

5. Only dark-colored clothes

It may seem obvious, but it’s a mistake many new mothers make. No matter how careful the parents are with the cleaning, the permanent contact of the clothes with the floor will inevitably pick up dirt. What happens then if the clothing is white? Well, it’ll turn black, brown, or gray in just a couple of uses.

It’s true that pastels and white are a perfect choice when it comes to dressing up your baby. But unless we want to deal with stains and spots every day, it’s best to opt for dark colors. This way, you won’t have to change clothes every 30 minutes because their favorite pants got dirty. This is a basic tip but at the same time very useful.

6. Overalls: The right clothing for crawling babies

In conjunction with the above, we’ll leave you with another essential tip during their first forays into crawling: Overalls.

Perhaps there’s no more suitable garment to protect the whole body of your little one, as overalls keep them warm in cold seasons, facilitate their movement, and expedite the removal process when bath time comes.

Overalls are the perfect armor for our “four-legged” warriors, one that’s clearly functional. Rompers can also be an option, although most of these are thinner than a classic coverall. Therefore, in case you opt for the latter, accompany them with the tricks that we’ve already taught you.

Choose the right clothing for crawling babies and you won’t regret it

It’s clear that it’s important to find quality information to answer the most common questions that arise in motherhood. We hope that our tips have opened the door for you to look for functional options that look after your baby’s well-being.

What do you think of these tips? Have they helped you learn more about your child’s crawling and how best to support them? Be sure to share these tips with other mothers and fathers who have doubts about how to protect their children. Sooner rather than later, they’ll leave this stage behind and give way to their next new adventure: Taking their first steps.