Is The W-Sit Really That Bad?

"I've noticed my child is starting to W-sit often, is this really as bad as everyone says?"

Answer:  W-sitting can be such a complicated topic! So often we hear it's an absolute, always “NO!” and that it immediately needs to be redirected, but the reality is, that's not always true!

W-sitting, when used excessively or inappropriately *can* cause unnatural stress on the musculoskeletal system. When it's used excessively, or it's difficult for a child to play in other positions, it's absolutely worth redirecting, and ideally getting a physical therapy assessment to determine if any possible weakness or asymmetries in strength could be contributing! BUT, W-sitting can also be a totally normal play position.

Here are a couple of quick things to ask when it comes to W-sitting:

1) Does your child use it as ONE play position, with a variety of others? Children need to be able to use a variety of play positions to engage functionally with their environment, especially when seated on the floor. This can look like legs in a ring sit (O shape), side sit (one leg in a w position, the other in front of them), legs out straight, criss-cross apple sauce, and even a W position at times! Especially when a child is first mastering crawling and transitioning through their environment, you may notice them moving in/out of a w-sit as they crawl and then stop to engage with something. That is totally okay, and normal! If you're seeing a variety of play positions, that is huge!

2) Does your child have difficulty playing in any other position? If your child has a challenging time attempting play in positions other than W-sitting, it may be worth looking into. As mentioned in #1, w-sitting as one of many positions they play in is usually not a concern. But if it's being used excessively or is the only way they can successfully play on the floor, it can be related to some weakness or imbalances in the strength of muscles that are worth looking more into!

3) Are feet facing inward or outward? Typically, feet facing inward are not of concern, as that is often the position that is used when moving/transitioning between positions like crawling and sitting. If feet are facing outward, it can indicate a position being used more for stability to play, which again, can indicate some possible things that PT might help with!

4) Are they able to fix their legs and continue playing with simple cues like "fix your feet" or "legs straight"? If you're worried that W-sitting is becoming excessive, and/or is meeting other areas outlined above, try giving verbal and physical cues. Saying "feet forward" or "fix your feet" while gently cueing them to show them what you mean often is enough to help. Just be sure that every one that is cueing them is using the same wording to keep it easy for them to understand and follow through with!

Hope that helps, and please know that if you EVER have concerns, you can absolutely push for a physical therapy assessment to look further into those areas of concern for you!

WANT MORE?

For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.

KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of two (soon to be three)! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.