W sitting

W sitting is when a child sits on the floor with their bottom between their feet, knees bent, and legs turned out to the sides, forming a shape like the letter ‘W’.

Children may sit this way out of habit or because they have poor core stability.

Why W sitting can be a concern

W sitting can affect a child’s physical development in several ways, it:

• reduces the use of core muscles, which can impact strength, balance and coordination
• may affect both large and small movement skills and make everyday tasks more difficult
• can lead to poor sitting posture
• may contribute to an in-toeing gait (sometimes called ‘pigeon toes’)
• can place stress on the joints which may lead to pain in adulthood

How to reduce W sitting

You can help your child avoid W sitting by encouraging other sitting positions, such as:

• cross-legged sitting
• side sitting
• long sitting (legs straight out in front)
• squatting
• lying on their tummy
• sitting on a well-sized chair

It’s also helpful to give regular, gentle reminders about good sitting posture.

Encourage activities that build core strength, which helps reduce the need for a wide base of support.

See the Coordinating my body for play and activities advice sheet.