Flooring - Could this be why your child isn't walking or crawling yet?

I don't know about where you live but in Colorado there seems to be an ever increasing amount of tile floors.  Whether it's being put in because it's cheap or easy to clean in rental homes I'm not sure, it certainly isn't to keep the house cooler here in Colorado!

For ages babies have been learning to crawl and walk on all types of flooring - even dirt floors!  So the likely culprit behind a baby not crawling or walking on time isn't the floor itself.

It seems that parents are more reluctant to put a child down on a floor that is tile or wood.  On carpet parents seem fine putting a baby down on their stomachs, but on wood or tile they try to lay a blanket down or they put them on the bed or couch instead.  Tummy time is still important no matter what kind of floor you have, but it does seem more difficult or scary on tile.  Wood floors are surprisingly soft, heads will still "bonk" on it causing crying with crashes, but wood is a lot softer than tile.

So, if you have tile floors you can scour second hand stores and get rugs or foam play mats to cover them up or if you can afford them just go get a rug or foam play mat.  But a rug or mat will limit the amount of space your baby can explore.  You can also head to the dollar store and get a non-slip mat that usually goes under rugs but will provide a little bit of cushion itself or a roll of non-slip drawer liner for a couple dollars that you can lay down for a little bit of cushion. 

If you child is learning to walk on a tile floor it can be scary for parents.  By the time a child learns to walk they have hopefully learned how to protect their head but it is important to be near and avoid major crashes while they are learning.

If your child is having trouble learning to crawl it likely isn't the floor itself, but if they have any weakness in their muscles it will exacerbate the issue.  So, the first thing to do is ask yourself if they have been on the floor enough?  They should be on their tummies on the floor each time they are awake for at least a couple of minutes - as they near 6 months they will hopefully be playing on the floor on their tummies for 5-10 minutes at a time.  They should be pushing up high enough with their arms to get their tummies off the ground by 6-8 months or so, if they aren't pushing up high enough to get their tummies off the ground try giving them some more time to practice during the day on their tummies.  You may have to entertain them more than normal to keep them on their tummies longer than they are used to.


If your child is having trouble learning to walk it also isn't likely the floor itself.  Try having them play in standing at a couch or table longer by putting their toys up on the furniture.  You can stay close and guard them if you are worried they will fall and hit their head on a hard floor but try to let them play without holding onto them the whole time.  Sometimes just a little more time in standing will increase their balance and strength enough to have the confidence to try a first step.

As always - it's a great idea if you feel your child is delayed in any movements to call and get an evaluation for Early Intervention services and talk to your doctor.  Sometimes a little support is all you and your child need!  If nothing else from the evaluation you will like pick up some great tips to get your child moving better and faster!