Does your child W-Sit?

What is W-Sitting

Thank you to The Inspired Treehouse for some of this great information!

W-Sitting (as seen in the above photo) is when children sit on the floor in a way that their legs form a 'W'. Many children will sit this way to increase their base of support, making up for a possible lack of core stability or an underdeveloped vestibular system. Some children will sit with their legs 'criss-crossed' or straight out in front of them and experience a sensation that they will fall over and W-sitting is their body's response to this.

At a time when children's bones are growing rapidly, W-Sitting can affect the way their femur and tibia (leg bones), feet and muscles around their hips develop. This also limits a child ability to develop cross-body coordination.

Our Phys Ed team has known about W-Sitting for a while now, however we are coming across more and more resources from medical practitioners advocating for awareness on this topic. Please take a moment to read the information below and if you have time check out this great blog post about W-Sitting.

Why is W-Sitting a Problem?

"This position limits trunk rotation so that kids can't shift their weight to either side. This affects the development of balance reactions and the ability to cross midline. Hip and leg muscles can also become shortened and tight which may lead to 'pigeon toed' walking and back or pelvis pain as they grow" - The Inspired Treehouse 

Credit - TheInspiredTreehouse.com

Some Alternatives to W-Sitting

The Inspired Treehouse also put together this great video about W-Sitting and some alternative ways for children to sit.