W-Sitting
What is it?
- When a child sits on their bottom with their knees bent and feet positioned outside of their hips
- Often, children will move in and out of this position while playing
- A child should not remain seated in this position for a long period of time or use this at their go-to seated position
Why “W” Sitting?
- Children who have weak core muscles tend to sit in this position as it provides them with a wide base of support
- This position provides the child with the ability to hold themselves upright without having to work hard to balance
Why “W” Sitting is NOT ideal
- The child will begin to depend less on the core muscles. With a wide base of support, the child is less likely to engage their core muscles. The lack of core strength can affect shoulders and wrist stability weakness and can affect fine motor development.
- This position can lead to decreased trunk rotation and impacts the coordination of left and right side of the body. This can ultimately impact bilateral coordination (use of two sides of the body in conjunction) which is vital for everyday activities such as writing, cutting, using utensils to feed, etc.
Possible Implications
- Hip Dislocation
- Sitting in this position can put strain on the hips and joints and can increase the likelihood of dislocation.
- Limited Trunk/ Core Strength
- Sitting in this position can make it easier to keep the body upright.
- In this position, core muscles are not in use and will be delayed in developing if remaining in this wide position.
- Lack of Crossing Midline Movements
- This position makes it difficult to rotate the upper bodies and challenges the use of bilateral integration
- Increased Muscle Tightness
- W sitting will increase tightness in the hips, knees, and ankles
Alternative Ways to Sit
- Legs Crossed or “Criss-Cross Apple Sauce”
- Sitting on their bottom, crossing their legs, knees bent, and feet tucked underneath
- Long Sitting or Legs in Front
- Sitting on their bottom with their legs straight out infront
- Legs to the side
- Sitting on their bottoms and bending their knees so that both legs are lying in one direction on one side of their body
- Prone
- lying on belly, supporting self on forearms
