Cruise Control
Written By Janis Graham
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For a brief period of time — postcrawling, prewalking — furniture figures prominently in a baby's life. Without the support of a chair, Mom's leg, a tree trunk, she really can't get around upright.
Until recently, it was assumed that cruising — a sideways shuffle steered by extended hands on nearby objects — was little more than a transitional form of walking. But as researchers take a closer look, it turns out that cruising is not at all like walking; it's more like erect crawling. "In early cruising, the upper body does all the work of keeping balance, supporting the body, and steering," says Karen E. Adolph, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neural science at New York University. "The only thing relevant to the child is what can be reached with the arms. No attention whatsoever is paid to the floor or feet."
Beginning cruising, in other words, takes crawling to a new level — literally — and opens up a vertical perspective on the world, firing a baby's desire for exploration. After a few weeks of practice (and many falls), cruisers develop stronger leg muscles and better lower-body control. They begin to face front, lift one foot then the other, and hold on with only one hand. The stage is set: All a baby needs is to let go.
Did you know: A typical toddler travels more than 39 football fields per day and accumulates an average of 15 falls per hour.
