Sitting in this position could be seriously harmful to your child's development

When you become a parent, there's often nothing your little one can do that isn't "the cutest thing ever!" Whether it's spilling food on the floor or crayon drawings all over your white wall -- irritation only lasts for a moment before you remember just how adorable they are.

But today, we have some info for you that should be taken a bit more seriously than peas spilled on the carpet. Believe it or not, paying attention to the way your child sits is much more important than you might realize. According to the occupational therapists at The Pediatric Therapy Center, the ever so popular "W" sitting position (pictured below) can be extremely damaging to a child's development.



This type of sitting is common while children are either relaxing or playing on the floor. But according to the researchers, W sitting after 2-years-old tightens muscles, preventing the development of motor skills and core strength.

%shareLinks-quote="It inhibits core strength and prevents trunk rotation. It can also lead to tightness in the muscles of the legs, hips, and ankles as well as possible hip dislocation." type="quote" author="Amanda Pueppke, PT" authordesc="DPT Physical Therapist" isquoteoftheday="false"%

Sounds scary, right? Physical therapist Amanda Pueppke, also adds that it can cause children to become pigeon-toed -- leading to frequent tripping and loss of balance. But what's actually causing all this damage? Pueppke puts it like this: Because children don't have to work as hard to hold themselves upright in this position, they "spread their lower limbs out over a wider base of support, relying on their joint structures, and not their muscles, to hold them up to play."

To prevent "W" sitting, take a look at ptcne.org for helpful tips on guiding your child out of the habit.

For more well-being info, click through below for the healthiest and unhealthiest states:

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