While playing on the floor with my daughter today, I noticed she was “W” sitting, which is the picture on the left. Naturally, my instinct as a pediatric physical therapist is to encourage her to sit in a different position. Many of the children I worked with had other underlying issues such as low muscle tone, poor core strength, in-toeing, muscle tightness, or neurologic conditions. In those cases, this position can be counterproductive to therapeutic interventions. However, what really are the dangers of “W” sitting and how can they be corrected….it depends on why a kiddo is using this position and what the underlying issues are.
What is “W” sitting and is it bad?
“W” sitting is described as sitting with knees bent and feet behind, splayed to the sides while the bottom rests on the floor, as seen above in the picture on the left. It is somewhat of a controversial play position in terms of when it should be avoided. It’s a perfectly normal “transitional” play position in young children under approximately 8 years of age.
Often, babies will plop down into this position from crawling because it’s a quick, easy transition. And not to be too technical, but the structural alignment of bones and joints in babies and toddlers are different from that of adults. As a child grows, boney alignment becomes more similar to that of an adult. So what may be a position causing undue stress in an adult or an older child, in a baby or toddler, the position does not pose much of a risk.
Although, some potential gross motor dangers of prolonged use of this position are as follows:
Potential Dangers of “W” Sitting
- Poor core strength:
- This sitting position provides a wide base of support for increased stability, requiring less core strength and balance to utilize this position. Thus, development of core strength that typically occurs with upright sitting can be hindered.
- Muscle tightness and imbalance:
- When frequently “W” sitting for long periods of time, hip muscle tightness can occur. This can lead to a muscle imbalance of the hips, which can cause “in-toeing” or for the child to appear “pigeon-toed.”
- Stress on joints at hips and knees:
- Extra stress on tendons and ligaments in hips and knees can occur when they are placed in an unfavorable position, such as “W” sitting, for long periods of time.
When to correct “W” sitting
If you or your child’s doctor have a concern for developmental delay, low muscle tone, or poor core strength and your child continues to favor this position consistently, then “W” sitting may be cause for concern and should be addressed.
“W” sitting is often the position of choice for young children when watching TV or during screen time. On average, a typical preschooler watches more than 32 hours of TV per week according to the Nielsen Co. report in 2009…that is an excessive amount of time spent in “W” sitting! In order to prevent habit formation as child gets older, it may be beneficial to encourage various sitting positions and intermittent movement.
A Few Suggestions for How to Correct
- Different sitting positions:
- Side sitting
- Tailor sitting (“criss cross applesauce”)
- Long sitting
- Use low table to sit on stool or small chair for arts and crafts
- Focus on play activities to increase core strength:
- Animal walking (crab walking, bear walking, inch worm walking–> with hands and feet on floor, keep hands stationary and walk feet closer to hands, then keep feet stationary and walk hands away from feet)
Of course, any correction really is going to depend on why a kiddo is “W” sitting. If a child lacks core strength, then yes, working to improve core strength will be beneficial. But if there is muscle tightness in the hamstrings, hips, or other muscle group, then stretching and working to regain muscle balance will be beneficial.
To recap…yes, I am a pediatric physical therapist. Yes, my child “W” sits. And yes, I’m going to allow her to some of the time…at least for now.
Always speak to your child’s pediatrician if you have any concerns about him or her “W” sitting.
Love the pics and the tips!