Each time I walk into a classroom, I can find at least 3 children who are on the floor in the W-Sitting position. What’s so wrong with W-sitting? Let’s explore.
What is W-Sitting?
In this position, a child’s base of support is wider and his center of gravity is lower,.It’s a convenient position for play because they do not have to work on keeping their balance while also concentrating on toys.
In this position, a child cannot achieve active trunk rotation or shift his weight over each side, making it difficult to reach toys that are outside of their immediate reach.
It is so important for kids to be able to weight shift and rotate in order to develop adequate balance reactions and to have access to the movement needed to attain other important developmental milestones.
If you find that your child has difficulty avoiding W-sitting, it may be worth seeking the advice of a pediatrician or physical therapist for suggestions on how to correct his position and for treatment of any underlying strength deficits or muscle tightening that has resulted.