[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”61px|||||” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Your baby has figured out how to get across the floor, but they are doing it with their belly planted firmly on the ground. They pull forward with their arms, push with their legs, and somehow reach exactly where they want to go.<\/p>\n
So, does that count as crawling?<\/p>\n
If you are wondering when do babies start crawling, many babies begin traditional hands-and-knees crawling around 7 to 10 months. But that familiar crawl is only one way babies may become mobile. Army crawling, also called belly or commando crawling, is another.<\/p>\n
Army crawling describes a baby moving forward while keeping much of their belly against the floor.<\/p>\n
You may see them pull with their arms, push with their legs, or use a combination of movements to make progress. The motion can look a little like an adult crawling under something low to the ground, which is where the name comes from.<\/p>\n
Some babies become surprisingly fast this way.<\/p>\n
Others use army crawling for a short time before experimenting with hands-and-knees movement or another way of getting around.<\/p>\n
Yes. Your baby is moving independently from one place to another, even if their stomach never leaves the floor. That distinction can be helpful for parents who are waiting for crawling to look a certain way.<\/p>\n
A baby who spots a toy and belly-crawls across the room to reach it has clearly developed a new form of mobility. They are using their body to pursue something that interests them and learning how their movements affect where they end up.<\/p>\n
It does not have to resemble the classic hands-and-knees pattern to be meaningful.<\/p>\n
Babies tend to use the movement strategies that work for them at that moment.<\/p>\n
For one baby, pulling forward on the belly may be the easiest way to travel. Another might prefer scooting. Someone else may move quickly onto hands and knees.<\/p>\n
As babies gain experience and their physical control changes, the method they use may change as well.<\/p>\n
There is no need to decide that an army crawl is a problem simply because another baby the same age moves differently.<\/p>\n
They might, but there is no guarantee that every baby will make that transition.<\/p>\n
Some babies army-crawl for a while and later lift onto their hands and knees. Others continue using a belly crawl until they become interested in pulling up, cruising, or another form of movement.<\/p>\n
A few babies spend little or no time using a traditional crawl.<\/p>\n
Rather than waiting for your baby to replace one movement with another, watch how their mobility is developing overall.<\/p>\n
Are they covering more ground? Changing direction? Reaching a destination more deliberately? Finding new ways to change positions?<\/p>\n
Those observations can tell you more than whether their belly is touching the floor.<\/p>\n
Once parents notice an unconventional crawling style, it can be tempting to start repositioning the baby’s knees or repeatedly placing them on all fours.<\/p>\n
That usually is not necessary.<\/p>\n
Give your baby safe floor space where they can move freely. Place an interesting toy nearby, sit down where they can see you, or simply let them explore without directing every attempt.<\/p>\n
If they decide to experiment with hands-and-knees crawling, they can do so through their own movement. The goal is to give babies opportunities to use their bodies, not to make every crawl look the same.<\/p>\n
Different crawling styles can be part of typical infant movement, but it is still useful to pay attention to the overall pattern.<\/p>\n
Notice whether your baby uses both arms and legs and whether the two sides of the body are participating in movement over time.<\/p>\n
If your baby consistently relies on one side, loses a movement skill they previously had, or something else about their development concerns you, talk with their pediatrician.<\/p>\n
Sharing what you actually see is more useful than trying to identify the cause yourself.<\/p>\n
One reason crawling styles are difficult to predict is that babies can change strategies surprisingly fast.<\/p>\n
An army-crawling baby may suddenly start getting onto hands and knees. They may discover sitting transitions, begin pulling themselves up, or simply become much faster at the movement they already use.<\/p>\n
You might also see several styles in the same day.<\/p>\n
Babies are not choosing a permanent crawling technique. They are figuring out how to move through the space around them.<\/p>\n
At Celebree School of Alexandria, infant teachers provide age-appropriate opportunities for babies to move and explore throughout the day.<\/p>\n
One child may travel across the play space on their belly. Another may be rocking on hands and knees, while someone else is still focused on rolling, reaching, and sitting.<\/p>\n
Teachers observe those changes and share what they notice with families, helping parents stay connected to new physical skills as they emerge.<\/p>\n
The focus remains on the individual child and the movement they are currently developing rather than expecting every infant to crawl in exactly the same way.<\/p>\n
Army crawling may not look like the crawl you pictured, but your baby has still discovered a way to get where they want to go.<\/p>\n
Give them safe space to practice, watch how their movement evolves, and resist the urge to compare their style with another baby’s.<\/p>\n