Eek! I’ve got a bottom shuffler!
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Printed Date: 06 May 2025 at 7:51am
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Topic: Eek! I’ve got a bottom shuffler!
Posted By: Maya
Subject: Eek! I’ve got a bottom shuffler!
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 3:46pm
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But my question is - does it matter?
After months of commando creeping backwards, Sienna has decided her preferred method of moving is bottom shuffling. She puts her hands in front of her and rocks backwards and forwards so that she moves. She gets all around the house, and she's pulling up to stand on the furniture, so does it matter if she doesn't crawl? Mum did developmental therapy with both my brother and sister and is insistent that crawling is a vital stage for development of spacial awareness and that I should be doing crawling patterning with her, but my sister who is doing ECE training reckons that there's no evidence to support that. Oh and Mercedes doesn't crawl properly either, she's happy to creep around backwards. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Replies:
Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 3:56pm
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My MIL is a SPARC tutor, and does private reading recovery teaching with lots of children of different ages and abilities (some just need a little extra help, like my sister who can't spell to save herself, some have learning difficulties). She said she often gets the children to crawl around her lounge, because it helps their reading ablility. Apparently crawling makes connections that help with reading in some way. I'll ask her about bottom shuffling, if you like. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: MILF
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:02pm
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isnt crawling related to using both sides of the brain together? the whole left/right concept starts from there i believe.....
and the spatial awareness is a big thing, dhs cousin who never crawled has broken his collarbone so many times from falling, and not being able to stop himself - as ridiculous as that seems! ------------- Lyla - mum to Xanthe - my big 4 year old 
and Jordis - 1 year old 
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Posted By: mum2emj
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:03pm
| jade was a bum shuffler, it was gorgeous. i wasnt concerned about it at all. she did learn to crawl eventually- about 17 months!!! lol, she learnt to walk before crawling! she is fine developmentally too, i did see on the nought to five programme that they recommend a cetain number of hours crawling before walking for something, but it hasnt affected jade... |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:06pm
| get maya to crawl round after the kids, save your knees! at the end of the day if they dont want to crawl no matter how much you show them they just wont. |
Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:06pm
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She probably will learn to crawl at some stage. Hannah crawled and walked within a few weeks so hardly ever ccrawled, but she does quite a bit now in playing. ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:08pm
Oh, just remembered: MIL said it doesn't really matter what order they do things, just that they do it eventually  ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:08pm
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The interesting thing is that my grandma reckons my mum never crawled, she was a shuffler, and my sister was a shuffler too and now they are both really clumsy so maybe that's coz they never developed spacial awareness? ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:17pm
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Okay, I rung my MIL but she's teaching at the moment so she'll ring me back in an hour. I'll let you know what she says! ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:22pm
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Thanks Becca!
And good to know my girls aren't the only lazy bones and that they do eventually get it! Maya crawled at 8 1/2 mths and walked at 10, the gremlins are 10 months in a week or so and nowhere near walking, I'll be surprised if they're walking by 13-14 mths the rate they're going   ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 4:51pm
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Totally unhelpful, but ooooh bum shuffling is SO cute! ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 5:01pm
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I don't think it matters. Hannah didn't crawl until 10mos and 3 weeks later decided against it, in favour of walking (with us holding her hands). Took another two months before she could walk independently
Now she's 3 1/2 and is so interested in learning stuff that she knows the ABC song, can count to 50, can recognise and say any 2-digit number, and I've recently started her on a reading series (bearing in mind that I plan to homeschool her anyway) and can fluently read words and sentences such as: here is Jane, Come here Pat, This is for you, I like the toy shop.... actually sometimes there's no stopping her LOL ------------- |
Posted By: Kels
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 5:02pm
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I bet she looks so cute shuffling across the floor ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Busy mum to Miss 15yrs, Miss 10yrs and Master 4yrs |
He crawled about a week later so she may crawl once she has mastered the art of shuffling. I wonder if Mercedes will copy or she may just crawl, then Sienna might copy her. Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 5:09pm
| I dont think it matters. Some babies dont ever crawl...they just work out the most efficient way to do something and then start walking. Maybe yours are just more ingenious! |
Posted By: Redbedrock
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 5:12pm
Yep my mum is proud of the fact I never crawled and I am the most unco, accident prone person I know (see my recent thread about driving the car into the back of the garage if you need proof), but i read real good ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Maya wrote:Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 5:32pm
My BIL didn't crawl and has a speech impediment apparently because of it - something to do with that part of a babies speech developing at the same time? I don't think I believe it though because apparently I only crawled for a couple of days & I am fine! Well I think I am Anyway, go gremlins I say ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 5:43pm
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Paris was a shuffler, thing is she never rolled or tried to roll or crawled or anything at all hence our dilema.. all she could do was sit.. and then shuffle.
eventually she did start to stand at things.. then went back and did a little normal crawling and a learnt to roll.. but we did (me and daycare) focus on that and do little exercises and coditioning as you called it, basically taking her through the motions bit by bit of how to roll etc first, then how to crawl as we had heard the same thing about cross-over of the brain and stuff. she only did that for maybe a week or so (not long enough..) but then just got up and walked. so i did encourage things like pretending to be animals etc every once in a while just to get the crawling thing happening and well-developed but she was about 17 months at that stage not a wee dot like your little chickie.. If she wants to shuffle, she will.. and despite all of my efforts i found that if she doesn't want to crawl you can hold her there etc until you go blue.. it won't work well, if at all. I have found though that compared to Ayja, who crawled fairly early-ish.. Paris is terribly unco-ordinated with some things.. ie riding a bike, it had only just happened, cos for the longest time she couldn't co-ordinate her legs taking turns etc to get the peddles moving. ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
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Posted By: Bubbaloo
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 6:30pm
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James started of bum shuffling first then went to crawling so she still could crawl no he does both but crawls more now. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  Was danni-chick Mum to James My Angel 28/07/08 |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 7:23pm
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I have talked extensively to Gaz's mum who is a teacher about this and she says crawling is pretty important but that it doesn't matter what age it happens. So don't fret too much, they'll crawl later.
She also said that developmentally it was important for kids to do things like hang upside-down on monkey bars etc and that schools getting rid of those sorts of things because of the potential danger was going to have an effect down the line... of course that isn't yet proven, but interesting. |
Posted By: thunderwolves
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 8:01pm
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crawling is pretty important for training both sides of the brain to work at once..but often doesn't matter as much in girls as they are prone to enjoy things like monkey bars, which have the same effect. What you can do if she doesn't crawl properly before she walks is when she is bigger play lots of crawling games..lots of schools now provide perceptual motor programmes for children that have trouble with reading and writing and the un-official statistics point to the fact that alot of the kids in this programmes didn't crawl properly...
Professional hat off............................bum shuffling is soooo cute.. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: nictoddie
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 9:27pm
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Emma, I would have to say that it is very important, Braedon was a bottom shuffler and did not crawl at all, he walked at 21 months, he is now 4 and a very cautious boy, it took him along time to walk down stairs he would sit on his bum and go down that way , his speech has been delayed also and there are quite a few things he would never attempt but is getting better we have just had a referral to special ed at my insistance through our plunket nurse to have him assessed he is not thick but infact quite bright there is lots of things he is good at he is very quick on the computer but for my own peace of mind I would like him looked at, you won't be able to force them to crawl but try to encourage it for left/right brain developement and co-ordination. ------------- 
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Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 9:35pm
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My MIL said pretty much what has already been mentioned: crawling helps with the left-right connections in the brain (because you alternate sides as you crawl eg left leg then right hand) which has flow-on effects on spatial awareness and coordination, as well as academic learning such as reading. She said that one of the first things she asks when children come to her for help is "Did they/you crawl?", and that often it is the children with learning difficulties that didn't crawl.
MIL suggested making a game of it. Get everyone (Willie too!) down on their hands and knees and crawl around making noises... do "horsie" rides on Mummy and Daddy's backs, then have her/them take a teddy for a ride on theirs (when they are a little older)... she said it doesn't matter if they still bum shuffle, as long as they crawl too. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 06 August 2007 at 9:51pm
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well i was a bum shuffler from around 6 or 7 months and was walking at 10 months....dont think i fit any of the theorys of not crawling?
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Posted By: james
Date Posted: 07 August 2007 at 8:14am
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emma i never crawled i had hip deplacser and i bottom shuffler i was dignosied with a lreaning dissaplitiy when i was 14 .(i cant remeber the name) which means that my left and right side of my brain dont work together well. my teacher recnocks it had something to do with me not crawling, hence why i was sooo worried about james not crawling. but after about 2 months of bottom huffing he started crawling so the gremlins might to ------------- <a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://b4.lilypie.com/nLJ5p13.png" alt="Lilypie 4th Birthday Ticker" border="0" /></a> |
Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 07 August 2007 at 8:27am
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Bombshell, did you crawl during play at a later stage? Because that would have created the connections, without crawling being your main form of mobility. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 07 August 2007 at 10:00am
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The jury is still out on whether or not it matters. The current thinking seems to be that as long as they are progressing, any mode of "transport" is ok as long as they eventually learn crawling through games and play. The crawling cross-patterning is important but many believe you can make it up later by playing crawling games etc.
You told me not to worry about Elle not crawling so here's me returning the favour! I'd say just be happy that she can move herself around! Try having an 11.5 month old that can't move anywhere independently! Grr :( Well done little Sienna :) (eta the "as long as" part at the start) ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 07 August 2007 at 10:24am
nope apparently i got up and walked....was told this by mum, and grandma and aunty for years so i dont doubt it - and i have mega high IQ, photographic memory etc....so maybe i slipped under the radar??? |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 07 August 2007 at 4:03pm
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I haven't read the rest of the replies, but I was a bum-shuffler, and I'm fine!! Was always an avid reader and top in school and stuff. Spoke alot since I was a toddler too... ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 07 August 2007 at 5:38pm
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One of the Mum's at Playcentre was a Paediatrician and said there was no problem with bottom shuffling. They tend to walk a little later because they can see everthing they need to when shuffling so no need to stand and walk.
I asked her about learning difficulties but she said people claimed crawling was a necessary stage for correct brain development but no studies had identified a link between bottom shuffling and learning difficulties. |
Posted By: ShanzD
Date Posted: 14 March 2012 at 7:08pm
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i feel a little better about my about to be bum shuffler, there is so much pressure on parents that I was feeling like I had done something wrong, was nice to read that there have been no offical studies that have identifed a link so there is hope for her yet x ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Ceres
Date Posted: 15 March 2012 at 10:47am
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DD is a bum shuffler too. She has never crawled, she always screamed when on her stomach - hated it. She has been walking since 1 year and 3 days - so no delay there. Her paed (she has serious and numerous food and environmental allergies which is why we think she never wanted to be on her tummy, it was sore) has told me we should encourage crawling but, seriously, you can't force a child to crawl - especially when they can already walk! She does mammoth walking sessions too, has very good endurance, so I don't see her crawling any time soon. It's a difficult one, isn't it .
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Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 15 March 2012 at 12:33pm
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My girl is a bum shuffler (well more of a scooter) and I think all the stuff about needing to crawl is a load of rubbish! She is so ahead in so many other ways like talking and also with her finer motor movements. Funnily enough she actually started to crawl after walking (at 19 months), so cute.
I think bum shuffling in quite clever, as they can still carry stuff around with them. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 16 March 2012 at 12:16am
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Ok, so thought I'd check back in on this one, since I got a message saying new people have posted on here. Haven't been back here really in years. I posted on the 1st Page about Paris back then...
She is now nearly 9, rides a bike awesomely, very co-ordinated now, is super duper active, has no learning problems and reads at an 11.5 yr old level.... .....so no, as long as you foster all the important stuff and catch up by doing those games and rolling etc so that they eventualy learn the things they need to, then being a bum shuffler does completely mean that all the stuff discussed above will happen. Each child is different and gets about their own way, it's important for the two sides to learn to work together and cross over etc, but all other aspects of development are just as important.. one single factor does not completely determine the outcome. ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja
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Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 17 March 2012 at 2:57pm
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My Miss4, was a "monkey crawl / bum shuffler"
It used to really annoy me how people would say, she is not going to bright or blah blah from that whole left/right brain thing. Well she is bright / doing really well for her age, both with learning / writing / rides bike with no training wheels swings on monkey bars / climbs etc So dont spend a minute longer worring about it. My friends daughter was the perfect crawler she is now 6, she writes most her numbers and letters back to front (like mirrorer) cant swing on the monkey ladder or ride a bike with no trainer wheels. Its got nothing to do with whether they crawl/bum shuffle, I think its their personality and genes on how confident/good they are with activites and school work slight vent but my 2c worth. lol |
Posted By: Dophy
Date Posted: 24 March 2012 at 11:08pm
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My 14 month daughter is a bum shuffler I was so worried because Id heard about the whole left/right side od the brain thing that I called my plunket nurse who got someone to come assess her and see. The wonderful lady said that its not true at all that crawling helps with their development more than bum shuffling. And that she is doing so well in other ways like she has quite a few words under her belt etc and that I have no reason to be concerned. Was such a relief because I kinda felt like I had failed Caitlyn in some way by her not crawling.
If you are concerned call plunket, I found them very helpful. |
Posted By: Mrs Mac
Date Posted: 12 April 2012 at 10:57pm
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I'm and ECE teacher, and I've worked with under 2s and had bum shufflers. I wouldn't worry about it, some kids just find it a better way to get around. As someone else mentioned, they do often learn to walk later because they can already look up easily from sitting.
I had a hunt through my notes for you, can't see any evidence that it's unhelpful for children. The important thing to remember is that there's no one way children learn something. As long as you are talking to your child and playing with them (including playing with their hands/feet/arms/legs) they are going to make those connections, and you're doing it right! -------------   Jan '13
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Posted By: MrsMc
Date Posted: 14 April 2012 at 9:56am
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an interesting observation, im in ECE and 2 and a half years ago we took on the free movement philosophy, so babies never get sat up until they can do it themselves
we have not had one bum shuffler since then, they pretty much all roll to tummy, then crawl, then sitting comes next, then walking so if you are worried about it dont sit them up and give them a chance to bum shuffle. However of the bum shufflers ive had in the past none of them seem disadvantaged when they get older |