Earlier this year, Lauren Drobnjak at The Inspired Treehouse wrote a very informative article about W-sitting and the long-term implications it may have on a child’s development. We highly enjoyed the article, and recommend reading both the article and the revisited update where a few comments were addressed. Below are the links, as well as a brief summary of the article.
W-sitting is when a child sits with their bottom on the ground and their legs on either side, with their knees bent and legs rotated away from the body. When you stand above them, it looks like their legs form a “w”. Children tend to fall into this sitting habit because it offers a wider base of support and lower center of gravity. This means that a child doesn’t have to worry about keeping their balance while playing. Unfortunately, this position affects the development of balance reactions. It also affects the ability for a child to cross midline since it limits trunk rotation. Core strength may also become an issue if a child frequently “w” sits.