W sitting is normal?

W sitting and its impact

W sitting:

W sitting is when a child sits on their bottom with their knees bent and feet positioned outside of their hips. If you're standing above your child, you will see their legs and body make the shape of a W.

Many parents have heard the phrase “W sitting” and that it is “bad” for their child to sit this way. However, many are unaware of the reason that children are discouraged from sitting in this position.

First of all – what is W sitting?

W Sitting is when a child is sitting on their bottom with both knees bent and their legs turned out away from their body. If you were to look at the child from above their head, his or her legs will be in the shape of the letter “W.” Their knees and thighs may be touching together or spread apart.

For many children, this is a preferred or comfortable position, and they sit that way without even thinking about it. Often times, kids who sit in this position are doing so in order to make up for weaknesses they may have in their hips and trunk. The added stability of this position allows them to play with toys in an upright sitting position without worrying about falling over.

                         Reasons for w sitting:

They're just responding to their natural anatomy.” If your child wants to sit in a W position, it means there's no excessive stress on his joints, muscles or knees because kids know how to avoid pain in their bodies, she added. A child cannot dislocate his hip by sitting this way, both doctors said.

Common reasons why children W-sit that SHOULD BE ADDRESSED:

• Limited core strength: The W-sitting position gives kids a wider base of support. This may be used to compensate for weak belly and back muscles that make it tiring or challenging to sit in other positions.
  
• Muscle tightness: Tight muscles of the legs (particularly the hamstrings on the backs of the thighs) and hips can lead a child to prefer a W-sitting position over long sitting (legs stretched out in front) or tailor sitting ("criss cross applesauce" position).
  
• Low muscle tone: We often talk about muscle strength, which refers to active, contracted muscles. Muscle tone is the resting state of the muscles and is controlled by the brain. Some kids have what's called hypotonicity, or low tone. When they aren't actively firing their muscles, these kids have floppier, softer muscles that have a harder time holding their bodies upright. W-sitting is very often seen in kiddos with low muscle tone.
  
• Poor trunk rotation skills: If a child is lacking the ability to twist the torso adequately, he will struggle to transition into and out of a sitting position on his bottoms and may compensate by W-sitting.

Common reasons why children W-sit that are TOTALLY NORMAL:

• Fine motor control: Children (and adults) get the most coordinated, controlled movements of the hands and fingers when they are really steady through the body and arms. It is normal that at times your child will assume the most stable sitting position possible when completing challenging fine motor tasks.
  
• Flexibility: Let's face it, most adults don't W-sit in part because we can't. Most children have the flexibility to easily assume a W-sit position and so they likely will at times.
  
• Convenient transitions: This one applies particularly to babies. The quickest way to find a seat while crawling is to plop the bootie down into a W-sit. Sure, your baby could rotate and get into a nice seated position but when the dog barking grabs her attention mid-crawl, it makes sense that she finds the quickest transition possible to sit up and check things out. Similarly, if your baby plays in a tall kneel position (balancing on the knees, shins and tops of feet with bottom lifted), she'll likely drop down and back to sit on her calves and possibly to W-sit. It's a natural, easy transition.

It is very common (and normal) for kids to move in and out of this position when playing on the floor. Problems from this position arise when the child sits in that way for an extended period of time. At what age is a child most likely to sit in a W position? Usually between 4 to 6, but you'll also see it with younger and older kids.However, as a parent, it is important to recognize when your child is sitting in the W position and to correct it for the following reasons.

• W sitting increases the risk of the child’s hip and leg muscles becoming short and tight – this can then negatively affect their coordination, balance, and the development of gross motor skills down the road

• W sitting can increase a child’s risk of hip dislocation – especially those who already have hip dysplasia (which may not be formally diagnosed)

• When sitting in the W position, kids are unable to rotate their upper body
• Makes it difficult for the child to reach across the body and perform tasks that involve using both hands together or crossing their arm over from one side to the other
• This will later affect their ability to perform writing skills and other table-top activities that are important in school
• W Sitting hinders the development of a hand preference
• The child is only able to use objects on the right side of the body with the right hand and those on the left side of the body with the left hand – this could lead to coordination difficulties later in life

• W sitting makes it difficult for the child to shift their weight from one side of their body to the other
• The ability to shift weight from one side of the body to the other is especially important in standing balance and when developing the ability to run and jump

• W sitting does not allow the child to develop strong trunk muscles
• In this position, the child’s trunk muscles do not have to work as hard to keep them upright – instead they are relying on the wide base of support of their legs and joint structures to keep them upright

If you see your child W Sitting, rather than simply saying, “Don’t sit like that!” it is a good idea for you to suggest other ways for them to sit such as:

Long sitting

Side sitting

Criss-Cross or Tailor sitting

Sitting on a small bench

How To Break The W-Sitting Position

1. Use Verbal Cues. Something as simple as “feet in front” may be all the reminder your child needs. ...
2. Provide A Chair, Stool, or Riding Toy. Keep other seating options available at all times. ...
3. Move His Or Her Legs. ...
4. Commit To Strengthening Exercises. ...
5. Consider Criss Crossers From Surestep.