Have you ever seen a sitting W?

'W sitting' describes the position of a child with knees together and feet pointing outwards, when sitting on the floor. When you look at the child from an aerial view, his or her legs will be in the shape of the letter 'W'. Their thighs and knees may be touching together or spread apart.

Vast majority of children find this position very comfortable and therefore sit in this position without even thinking about it. Ideally, from a scientific perspective children engage in this position to make up for their weak trunk, hip and core muscles. When sitting in this position they get added stability and therefore do not feel weak whilst sitting down and playing.

It is very important to correct your child's W sitting position for a number of reasons:

• It tightens and shortens a child's hip and leg muscles leading to varied difficulties in coordination, balancing and other gross motor tasks.

• It can also lead to hip dislocation

• Difficulty in rotating their upper body which can impair their capacity to reach out to objects across their body (midline) and sides which can again cause difficulties in writing and other fine motor tasks.

To read more about crossing body's midline, read my previous article here: Crossing the Body Midline

There are many ways to constructively help your child correct this position. Rather than a stern "do not sit like that", encourage your child to try the following ways:

1. Cross-legged Sitting

This is the most ideal position for a child as it allows complete movement of the torso. It will prevent leg muscles from tightening, which in turn will stimulate the development of strength building.

2. Sideways Sitting

Side sitting allows development of balance and cross body movements which not only builds core strength, but also helps in various fine and gross motor developments.

3. Elongated Sitting/ Long Sitting

This is basically a stretch! A position that allows the stretching of hamstrings and the calf muscles; what more could we want? The child will be on a path to developing excellent core strength.

4. Laying On Stomach Sitting

This position promotes strengthening of neck and shoulder muscles. It also improves motor skills. This will eventually help the child to crawl and walk efficiently.

Pro-tip: It is extremely helpful with the digestion!

These positions will allow the child to better use both extremities of their body and would not cause any long term harm. It will also help them to shift their body weight side to side more easily and conveniently. Bearing ideal growth and development in mind, it is essential that the child has a correct sitting position to accelerate both their physical and mental development.

Initially, the child may be reluctant and would resist the correction but you need to continuously remind your child to correct their position as it can highly impact their growth and development.

You can always consult an occupational therapist for further help and guidance who may offer ideas and help to encourage your child to enjoy these different positions in fun and meaningful ways.