# Why do Toddlers Toddle?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 4, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281 "2009-05-04T14:12:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281/21 "2009-05-04T22:40:02Z")

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Our pediatrician said it is not uncommon for children to never crawl. My daughter, by the time she figured out crawling, could almost walk. I seem to recall him saying it has to do with the whole “back to sleep” thing, but that it was absolutely nothing noteworthy.

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281/22 "2009-05-04T23:16:26Z")

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My niece only “commando crawled” - she never did it properly on her hands and knees.

I’ve always assumed that they pull up for the same reasons that humans as a species stand up - so they can see over the prairie grasses and wild tables.

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**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281/23 "2009-05-05T14:48:41Z")

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> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> My niece only “commando crawled” - she never did it properly on her hands and knees.

That’s another thing that bugs me - when my kids are darting all over the house on their tummies, and yet everyone tells me it’s not officially “crawling.” As if there’s a rulebook or something.

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**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281/24 "2009-05-06T15:58:41Z")

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Celtling had the cutest little scoot. Byt he time she was three months old she figured out that if she pushed with her legs and lifted her butt she could slide backwards on her shoulders to wherever she wanted to go. I wish to goodness I’d gotten a tape of it.

She scooted everywhere this way. At about four1/2 months she was able to crane her head around to see where she was going, take aim, and then scoot herself around in a new direction. For this reason we called it “Row-boating”.

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-toddlers-toddle/495281/25 "2009-05-06T16:09:28Z")

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I haven’t learned to walk, and still crawl everywhere.

I wish my parents had instilled in me how important walking is. But you know how it is: you’re young, there’s so much going on in the world, and putting aside time for practice comes low on the list.

Once you’re past a certain age, it’s so hard to pick up these skills.

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