The Longer Babies Crawl, the Smarter They Are

Little Miss Roo is practicing her walking!

Last Wednesday Rooney and I went to eat lunch with Eric at work. I used to work there, too, so I was catching up with some of my old co-workers. I was talking to a couple ladies who couldn't believe how much Roo has grown. I was telling them that at 14 months she still isn't walking. One of them said, "The longer a baby crawls, the smarter they are." I laughed it off, thinking she was just trying to make me feel better.

To be honest, I have never been worried about her not walking yet. It is totally normal and common for kids to wait til 15 months to start walking. BUT when I have to carry all 24 pounds of her, sometimes I wish she was walking. I know it's a double-edged sword because at times she will insist on walking when I could carry her faster. Still, walking is a crucial milestone that she will need to learn sometime! Plus, I just think it would be fun to see her toddling around!

Anyway. Later that day, it popped back into my head what my old co-worker had said. I was thinking about how Roo has been crawling for nearly 8 months now! She was an early crawler, starting at 6 months. So I wondered if there was any truth that crawling making babies smarter. Google tells me there is!

The main reason: Crawling requires the use of both the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

• Infants who spend more time in the crawling phase statistically have better test scores as preschoolers than children who walk early!
• Some people advise against assisting your child in walking because more brain development will take place as they crawl and creep.
• Crawlers also have more upper body strength, which helps them when they get a little older and pull themselves out of the pool, as an example.
• Rooney is really smart! ;) Her favorite toy right now is the shape sorter, which is meant for kids twice her age. (Mom brag.)

Sources

• Brain Development in Babies Who Take Longer to Walk
• Crawling = Baby Genius?
• Late Walkers are Naturally Smarter
• Do Babies Need to Crawl?

P.S. If your baby learned to walk early or never crawled, I don't think it is cause for concern. They must be smart for learning to walk so early! In general, all mobility and play make kids smarter!

P.P.S. They also say breastfed babies are smarter than formula fed babies. Since Roo was mostly formula fed, maybe this will balance it out. Also, I was not breastfed and was a 4.0 student, so take it or leave it. :)