W sitting

There are many different sitting positions that children use every day while playing but there is one sitting position in particular that some children use that should be avoided as much as possible. This sitting position is called “W sitting”. In other sitting positions children are able to develop the rotation and trunk control that everyone needs for midline crossing. Midline crossing is when you reach across your body with your arms. Midline crossing is important for fine motor skills such as writing and also are helpful in developing hand dominance. The reason that W sitting is not recommended is because it hinders the midline crossing, developing hand dominance and also can lead to future orthopedic problems. One reason that W sitting hinders midline crossing is because it keeps the child in one place, the child can play with toys in front of them but does not allow them to rotate their trunk or twist to reach for other toys that are not in front of them. This position could cause the child to not have hand dominance because they are less likely to reach across their body because they are able to pick up things on their right side with their right hand and same thing on the left side. If a child continuously sits in this “W sitting” position it might hinder them from developing mature movement patterns they will need for higher level skills. This sitting position can also cause orthopedic concerns, it can predispose children to hip dislocation, and so if concerns have been raised in the past this position should be avoided. These are reasons why you want to prevent your child from consistently sitting in the “W position”, so watch how your child sits and move them out of this W position if necessary.