When Should My Twins Crawl?

Updated on January 18, 2007
M.D. asks from Jacksonville, FL
12 answers

My twins just turned 9months today and still are not crawling they hate being on their tummies unless they roll over on them and they get on all fours and sometimes do the hoping thing but have no interest in crawling I know some children skip crawl and go straight to walking but how can I tell if my twins will skip this step. They try to pull up on things and love standing when I hold their arms and will hold themself up with their walker toy(not a walker they sit in)plus one twin rolls everywhere so I think he like rolling rather than being on all fours. I've tried encouraging them and getting on the floor trying to get them to come to me put toys out of their reach and they just get upset or roll to it they were 6 week preemies up until now they have been right up to date with their age group and sometimes ahead.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.H.

answers from Jacksonville on

My son will be 10 months old on the 21 of this month and he started crawling on the 9th of this month. Don't worry about it they will do it when they get ready. My son was six weeks early too. He is crawling everywhere now.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Everyone had great advice. My best advice is not to worry about it. Sometimes mom's get all caught up competing with the "Joneses" if you know what I mean. All children will crawl and walk (unless there are truly extenuating circumstances, which you do not appear to have), just like they will all learn to read. They will do it on their own time- no need to worry! My youngest is almost 1 and not walking. I (even though I have 2 others) was still worried as my other two walked sooner. I have let it go and he seems to be progressing just fine. Good luck with twins! You should really pat yourself on the back mama!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.K.

answers from Tampa on

Hi M. --

I'm the mother of four-year-old twins. First, there is no time they "should" crawl. I have a friend whose daughter neither walked nor crawled until she was 17 months. She's now a happy, healthy and bright five-year-old.

My twins seemed to go right from crawling to walking. It took a long time. And I thought there must be some developmental delay. But, as you'll learn, they just do everything in their own time.

When did your boys roll over? Mind were four months.

Then they didn't do much else for a while. They didn't like tummy time either.

My friend's 11-month-old still doesn't roll over, never mind crawl or walk. Her doctor said some kids are just "lazy", but it all works out.

Since your boys are trying, and they love to stand up, I'm confident they are on their way. Mine seemed to learn to crawl, stand and walk within a week. It wasn't really a week, but it seemed that fast at the time. And my kids hit just about every milestone very close. If one rolled over, soon after, the other. Same with walking, talking, potty-training, etc.

Good luck.
-- C.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.G.

answers from Jacksonville on

My son who is now 8 started to crawl at 6 months, he did everything early by ten months he was just about walking. My daughter now three - did nothing except roll over till she was 10 months then she started to crawl, and she didn't walk until she was 14 months. I wouldn't worry, as you know all kids are different. They'll do it when they are ready. Keep doing what your doing as far as encourging them to reach for toys. My 4 month old hates to be on his belly too. I hope this helped.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.L.

answers from Jacksonville on

Hi!
I think most doctors will tell you between 9 months and 18 months.
My oldest, who is now 7, didn't crawl until 12 months, and didn't bother walking until almost 19 months of age! I was concerned, but, like your twins, she hated being on her stomach! I never did any "tummy time" with her because she just screamed! She would pull up and stand, but that was it. I have 4 children now, and she was the one that took the longest! My youngest loved to roll, too. My middle 2 were walking by about 13 months. Oh, and my youngest walked by 12 months. It is hard not to worry. You want them to reach that milestone so bad! And then, once they start walking, it becomes running, and then you are begging for them to slow down! Enjoy your boys, they grow sooooo fast!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.M.

answers from Sarasota on

My son was almost one before he started to REALLY crawl. He was born 5 weeks early. He also did the rolling to get around. He also would pull up on things to stand and "walk" around the room holding on to things.He started walking about a month after crawling. He is now 20 months and RUNS everywhere. I was a little worried too when he was a late crawler, but shouldn't have been. He is perfectly normal, like your sons are I am sure. They sound like they have good muscle development already. Enjoy them! One day they will be mobile and non-stop, and you'll be chasing after them!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.D.

answers from Tampa on

Hi M.!
I have twin boys also!! They just turned 3 years old (where did the time go!!).
I wouldn't worry about them not crawling yet, mine didn't start that until around 9 months also, and they were not premature, so it may take yours a bit longer. Just keep playing with them on the floor and soon enough they will want to see whats going on where you are and crawl right over to you!!
Also, I wanted to respond to you to let you know of the mother's of twins club I belong to. It's called PPODS, and it's just awesome!! Great women in the club and we have a site on yahoo where we all chat and ask questions and support each other. Go to ppods.org and check it out!! We would love to meet you and your little boys and have to join our club!! If you have any more questions on twins, just ask away!!
Take care,
C.
Mommy to Austin & Cole

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from Tampa on

Hey M.,

I have twins (boy and girl). They are now 6 years. They didn't crawl until they were about 10 months and they didn't walk until they were well past a year. They were always too busy "talking" to each other. I remember worrying that they would never start talking to us. They were almost 3 before they started communicating with any real sense of clarity. About 6 months later, I couldn't get them to shut up. Relax. If you have real concerns, ask the Pediatrician. If the DR is okay with where they are at, then don't worry-it will happen.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.H.

answers from Tallahassee on

I have three y/o old twin boys and let me say they are a definite handful. My boys went striaight from sitting to kinda scooting (where they push with their back legs like a army crawl)straight to walking. They both started walking when they were 11 months. Don't worry because they aren't crawling because once they do your life changes again=;

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.M.

answers from Sarasota on

Hello M.,
First, congrats on having twins. What a blessing. My daughter will be 1 in 2 weeks. At about 9 months, she began to pull around on the floor with only her arms, but it was a pull not an army crawl. I called her my little floor sweeper. Just within the past month she began crawling. I started to kinda worry, and I also thought she was going to skip crawling. But it suddenly happened. She was a 10 lb baby, so the more reasearch I did, the more I realized she would probably be a late bloomer. Although it is very exciting when they reach that milestone, OMG, she doesn't stop. She also never really rolled or anything and HATED her stomach. All things come with time. Enjoy it now because it won't be long.

There is no age milestone now for crawling as they don't really consider it a milestone. Some babies don't crawl, they just find a way to get around. Maybe for yours it will be rolling. The babies finding a way to get what they want is what's important

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

My son is almost 10 months and not crawling yet. He has always hated being on his tummy too. He pulls himself up, walks with me holding his hands and all the things your little ones do. EVERYONE keeps telling me that I shouldn't worry. Every baby really does progress differently. I know that I didn't crawl. I started walking around 10 months. It's crazy giving someone advice in the same situation as me. I don't know about you but I'm going to try not to worry until my son is about a year old!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.C.

answers from Panama City on

Hi M. D,
Sounds like you are on top of things with encouraging your children to play and enteracting with them. some things I can think of are using different texture of surfaces like carpet, sand, wooden or soft tile. a big deal for children is the gripping of the feet and leg muscles that cause the push pull. One of the elementary school teachers made note that the children who did not have steps to climb showed weaker abdominal muscles. they did not care to jump rope or ride big wheels or tricycles. she noticed that these children seemed to have problems grasping pattern play, and did not retain reading and math skills as readily. I don't know how well documented her findings are but I do know she is taking seriously games that require the children to move in a certain way and to focus developing the lower abdominal muscles. perhaps yoga for tots might work for you and your boys. Not only will they develop flexibility but strengthen the lower muscles as well. Perhaps swimming classes can be an alternative to yoga also. Robin Train at Patterson Elementary School in Panama City, Fl might be a resource to the kind of play that would target gross motor muscle development. Often mothers of multiples have commented to me that twins or multiples can sometimes be 3 to 6 months slower in some developments than single births. Sometimes its just environmental nothing permanent like physical or mental deficiences. Just developmentally delayed in some stuff. In any case, keep their pedetrician looking at your concerns. Write it down and firmly call the doctors attention of changes, lack of changes or progress. As a new mother doctors don't want you to worry and you shouldn't. Still mothers are the best resources children have at checking on potential concerns. Don't be cheated out of your near alarm. Err on the side of asking the doctor to check it out anyway.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches