As a Physical Therapist, child development in terms of physical health and muscle movement comes very naturally to my clinical eye.

W-sitting scares the crap out of me.

From the perspectives of joint positioning and stress forces: It’s the equivalent of a reverse heel hook in BJJ… the worst of the leg locks in terms of destructive power to the knee and ankle joints.

While I hate seeing W-Sitting, I know it’s not the WORST thing in the world. At the same time, it’s one of those things where healthcare providers are taught to LOOK OUT FOR!

Here’s one perspective:

If You Ever See Your Kids Sitting Like This, Be Sure To Stop Them. This Is Why…

And yet, here’s another perspective from one of my favorite pediatric PTs. So… maybe it’s a problem. Maybe it isn’t so bad. So long as it doesn’t cause HARM… then, we’re okay.

My final take on the matter is this: If you can get your kid to stop it, do it. If they seem hell bent on w-sitting, it may be worth to have them checked out — and, after — if there really isn’t any red flags, it may not be worth a battle royale for… just so long as it doesn’t last too long. For this, my guess is that your parenting instincts will take over.

If anything, I’ve seen my kiddos cousins, playmates, and even other children in the playground up to age 7, 8, and 9 demonstrate W-Sitting. None of theme seem to have self destructed or demonstrated developmental issues.

So, again, just so long as no harm is done & your parental instincts aren’t waving red flags… your kiddo should be fine.

Also, remember my thoughts on seeking a professional eye??? Boom.