Types of Sitting Positions You May See Your Child Do!
- Baby goes from supported sitting at 4-6 months to independent sitting by 6-9 months, mastering various sitting positions by one year old!
- Early types of sitting include supported, tripod, and independent sitting, while toddlers and older children may use positions like ring sitting, crisscross, long sitting, and side sitting.
- Each sitting type helps with developing balance, core strength, and motor skills.
One of baby’s early gross motor milestones is sitting! While we may think sitting is a simple thing to do, there’s actually a lot of muscles working while we sit. It takes baby many months to fully master sitting. A quick summary of baby’s sitting progress looks like:
- By around 4-6 months, baby can start sitting with support. This means when sitting, they’ll need assistance from you by supporting them around their ribcage, a pillow, or anything else that can help them sit up.
- Around 6 months, baby will start to be able to sit up without external support. Baby may use their hands to help them sit up, but this is still considered unassisted because they are supporting themselves.
- By 7-9 months, baby should be able to consistently sit without support. They may start to push themselves up, and move from tummy or back into a sitting position.
- By one year, baby will be strong and able to get themselves into a sitting position on their own.
While baby masters sitting, you may notice them sitting in many different ways. Here are some of the types of sitting.
Early Types of Sitting (3-12 months)
Supported Sitting
This is one of the earliest forms of sitting. This is when baby is able to sit up but only with someone supporting their ribcage.
To do this, put baby in your lap or sitting across from you. Place your hands on their ribcage to support them. You can also use pillows, like a c-shaped breastfeeding pillow, to sit them up.
When doing supported sitting, baby is relying on you or a pillow to keep them propped up— so be sure to stay with them, as they may easily fall over!
☑️ Expert Tip for a Physical Therapist: Baby’s ability to “catch” themselves from falling over while sitting typically follows an order! First, they catch themselves forward, then to the side, and finally when falling backwards. So even strong sitters will lose their balance backwards! If you see baby falling backwards during this stage, that’s expected. It’s good to keep baby’s environment safe by using a pillow behind them and making sure the area is free from furniture or other things they can bump into.
Tripod Sitting
Also known as “prop sitting,” this is when baby props themselves up with their arms. This typically happens around 4-6 months.
Tripod sitting is great practice and preparation for sitting up on their own! Tripod means “3 feet”; what this means is baby will be supporting themselves through 3 points (their 2 arms and their bottom). Baby will still be very wobbly when doing tripod sitting. This is expected as baby improves their balance and core strength.
☑️ Try out this challenge as baby gets better at tripod sitting! While they sit, bring a lightweight toy within reach. They will get to practice grabbing a toy with one hand while supporting themselves with the other hand.
Transitioning from Tripod to Independent Sitting
This phase typically happens around 5-8 months. While it may not exactly be a type of sitting, you may notice your little one testing their strength as they work to be more independent in their sitting!
Sometimes called “wobbly sitting,” baby is using their arms less to prop them up, but is not fully able to sit up yet without any arm support. While it may seem like they’re unsteady, they’re actually getting stronger every day!
Independent Sitting
This is a big step (or sit!) for baby’s motor skills! Around 6-9 months, baby will be able to sit up on their own without any support from their hands.
A great way to strengthen baby’s independent sitting skills is to place toys all around them while sitting. This not only tests their balance as they look around at all the toys, but also gets them try out moving into different positions (like laying or crawling) from sitting.
Functional Sitting
From 8-12 months, baby has got the hang of sitting, and is now able to sit and transition into different positions. These positions are typically laying on their tummy or crawling, but as they get stronger, this may also include cruising, standing and walking.
☑️ If baby is not sitting up without support by 9 months, talk to your healthcare provider.
Toddler and Childhood Types of Sitting (Older than 1 year)
Once baby masters sitting, they may sit in a variety of ways. Here are some of the types of sitting you may see your child doing!
Short Sitting
This is typical sitting in a chair, step or other elevated surface. In this position, children can practice sitting up straight (rather than slumping over). This works their back and neck muscles.
Ring Sitting
Ring sitting is a common early sitting position, because it helps children balance while learning to sit independently. This is when a child’s legs are in front of them with their feet touching, making a oval or ring-like shape.
Pretzel, Tailor or Criss-Cross Sitting
This one goes by many names! This type of sitting is when children sit on the floor and have their legs crossed in front of them. This type of sitting is great for playing games on the floor!
Long Sitting
This is when a child sits with their legs straight out in front of them. This can be a great position for stretching out leg muscles.
Side Sitting
This is a sitting position when a child’s knees are bent and their feet are on the same side of their body. This position is also good for floor sitting.
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. It is okay for a child to move into a W-position sometimes, as long as children are not sitting in this position too frequently.
If you have any questions about your child’s sitting, talk to a healthcare provider.
