Does your kid 'W-sits' often? Stop them right Now!

Children learn faster than watching or imitating their parents than from what their parents teach them. So it’s common to spot toddlers or young kids following their parents or imitating them. For a while, this comes across as amusing and even funny, but imitating certain things at such a young age can be quite dangerous.

However, parents and family members alike, fail to pick on hints that indicate danger for their kids. They take it in jest or simply ignore it judging it as a naïve act. One of the easiest things a parent can spot their child doing wrong is their sitting posture.

Children are flexible and can mold themselves in varying positions when they are at ease, resting, sleeping, playing or doing activities like drawing etc. However, if one ever happens to spot their child sitting with their both legs turned in a ‘W’ position, i.e. their knees bent in the outer position, their feet tucked under or their legs splayed out in a W position, it has DANGER written all over it.


Children consider ‘W-sitting’ as a standard position, and because nobody stopped them from sitting so, it becomes a habit and then they end up feeling secure and supported with this arrangement.

But, letting a child sit in this position for too long can adversely affect their growth and development.

Not only it leads to them suffering through orthopedic issues, but also sees delayed development of Refined Motor Skills.

Watch this video to understand its negative impact on your child in detail.

Scientifically speaking, specialist from the American Pediatrician’s Association state that children who are motorically challenged have the same urge and need to play as any normal child. Play time is when they don’t have to worry about their balance. Therefore, kids who are W-sitters out of habit are dependent on this position for added trunk and hip stability for ease of manipulation of toy.

When sitting this position, the kid is in a fixed position through the trunk. However, the kid can reach out to toys only in their front and not at their back. It also limits twisting and turning to access toys.

Trunk rotation and weight shifts over one side allow a child to maintain balance while running outside or playing on the playground and are necessary for crossing the midline while writing and doing table top activities.

Continued dependence on W-sitting position can prevent a child from developing more mature movement patterns which are necessary for higher skill levels.

They continue to do so, they can:

• Develop orthopedic concerns

• It can cause hip dislocation

• W-position aggravates muscle tightness

• It can cause neurological concerns and development delays

• It promotes abnormal patterns of movement

• It can also discourage the child from forming a hand preference

• In short, if you see your child or any child sitting in the W-sitting position be alerted!

Source