W sitting is when a child sit’s on their bottom with their knees bent and feet positioned outside their hips. If you looked at the seated position from above their legs and body make a W shape.
Why do children sit like this?
- Larger base on support.
- The knees, feet and bottom all touch the ground and this creates a stable base for the child.
- W sit helps compensate for abdominal and trunk weakness or their poor balance.
- It becomes a habit.
Is W sitting bad?
It is perfectly acceptable for a child if they move in and out of the position while playing, as long as they don’t remain in W sitting for long periods or use it as their preferred sitting position.
What are the risks associated with W sitting ?
Repeated or long periods of W sitting may result in;
- Poor Posture – children sitting in W sit don’t have to use their core muscles as much due to their wide base of support, as a result they limit the opportunity to strengthen their core and trunk muscles. It also encourages posterior pelvic tilt, which can result in slouching and limits trunk extension.
- Trunk Rotation is limited – Lack of cross body movement because W sit makes it difficult to perform trunk rotation with one or both arms. Trunk rotation is a key developmental step as it helps integrate the left and right side of the body, which improves co-ordination, we therefore should encourage sitting positions that allow cross body movements.
- Tight Muscles – Increased muscle tightness in hips, knees and ankles especially in children prone to tight muscles or hypertonia.
- Structural Abnormalities – structural abnormalities of the hip as W sit puts strain on the hips and joints. It also increases the likelihood of dislocation or in-toeing walking pattern.
Are there Alternatives?
If your child enjoys sitting in W position it is important to encourage them to use a different position to break the habit. You can use verbal cues to remind them or offer a small chair or stool. Here are 5 positions you can encourage your child to use as an alternative to W sitting.
- Cross Legged – legs crossed or “criss-cross” sitting, when the child sits on their bottom, crosses their legs, bends their knees and tucks feet underneath.
- Long Sit – where the child sits on their bottom with their legs straight out in front of them.
- Side Sit – child sits on their bottom and bends their knees so both legs are lying in one direction to one side of their body.
- Kneeling, Toes tucked – child rests on their knees and sits with their feet directly below their bottom.
- Prone Lying – which is lying on their belly and supporting themselves on their arms.
All of the above are great options for children to use when playing and relaxing and if you remain consistent, your child will soon learn to use these alternative sitting positions instead of W sitting.
