Dooley Noted: 2/10/2015
I saw something disturbing at the airport.
I watched as a young toddler was sprinting from her mother like an absolute Olympian.
She was as fast as lightning. She squealed in absolute joy. She ran right up to me to share her smile of contentment.
Then, she was off.
I watched as she sprinted – because kids never jog.
I watched her explore.
I watched her fall. Kids aren’t afraid of failure, so they keep moving after they tumble.
The child’s mother could barely keep up with her.
But then, the kid did something glorious.
She fell, and decided to crawl instead of walk.
Her mother yanked her by the right arm to pull her upright.
The child, falling off balance, fell again. She started to crawl.
The mother promptly picked her up and took her to a chair, where they sat in a slouched posture.
To distract the wriggling child, she gave her candy.
In ten minutes, I watched an athletic, brilliant child learn behaviors from her mother that compromise health.
Crawling develops core stability and symmetrically developed limb opposition.
Due to the cross-crawling patterning, this reflexive movement helps the two cerebral hemispheres develop movement patterns.
This cross patterning also helps with development of other modalities, from memory to emotion to logic.
And the mother stopped it.
Sitting compromises mobility and puts stress on tissues as one biomechanically disadvantageous position is maintained.
This sets one up for spinal and pelvic instabilities.
And the mother encouraged it.
A child that wanted to move was prompted to sit and eat.
Obesity is pandemic and exacerbated by immobility matched with excessive caloric intake (particularly of junk food).
And the mother encouraged it.
You might be thinking the following:
“Dooley, you’ve never had kids. You don’t know what it’s like.”
You’re right. I don’t.
But I’ll tell you this much.
I’m the one treating your kids as they become adults. They are set up for failure with the dysfunctional habits you promoted in childhood.
Their scolioses and hip dysplasia were likely exacerbated by the fact you didn’t let them crawl long enough.
Then, you encouraged the loading of the spine by letting them walk before that child was ready.
Their weight struggles are likely exacerbated by the junk food and immobility with which you distracted them in childhood.
Movement strategies and food choices are behaviors. They are learned.
Perhaps that child needs to be left alone, for her reflexive choices aren’t setting her up for dysfunction.
Be careful what you teach. Children learn from you.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley