W-Sitting and Side-Sitting: What the Research Shows

What is W-sitting?

A child sits on the floor with their bottom between their legs, knees bent, feet tucked out to the sides. Viewed from above, the legs make a W. It's sometimes called "television sitting."

It's most commonly noticed in children between about three and six, though younger and older children do it too.

Why children choose it: it's genuinely comfortable and mechanically efficient for them. The position gives a wide, stable base of support, which frees both hands for play without requiring much trunk control. And it fits the anatomy — young children typically have a physiological degree of inward rotation at the hip (femoral anteversion, also called internal femoral torsion) that makes W-sitting the more natural position. For children with less of that rotation, cross-legged sitting is more comfortable and W-sitting may be difficult or impossible.

In other words: most children who W-sit are doing it because it's the position their body is currently built for.

Is W-sitting harmful?

For most children, no.

The common claims — that it causes hip dysplasia, damages joints, deforms bones, or delays motor development — are not supported by the research.

What the systematic review found. A 2024 systematic review (Nordon and colleagues, published in Acta Ortopédica Brasileira) searched five major databases for evidence on W-sitting, screening 3,641 articles. Seven met inclusion criteria. Its findings:

No scientific evidence supporting advice against W-sitting in children
No causal relationship between W-sitting and developmental dysplasia of the hip
Muscle activation is the same regardless of which sitting position is used

The review was careful about its own limits: it was a lower-tier (Level III) review, and two of the seven included studies were judged methodologically inadequate for assessing causation. So this is a case of the evidence being thin and what exists pointing away from harm — rather than strong proof of safety, and rather than evidence of harm being outweighed. Both matter, and this page says the former, not the latter.

What major institutions say. Children's Hospital Los Angeles states that studies show W-sitting is not harmful, and that the origin of the myth is unclear. The International Hip Dysplasia Institute describes W-sitting as normal for many children, says it should be allowed, and notes that treatments for it were debunked more than two decades ago. The Merck Manual notes that although W-sitting was once thought to worsen the underlying hip rotation, there is little evidence that the position should be discouraged or avoided.

On hip dysplasia specifically. The timing alone makes the claim implausible. Hip dysplasia develops in infancy, when the hip socket is still soft cartilage. W-sitting doesn't appear until toddlerhood, well after the developmental window. Babies are routinely screened for dysplasia.

Where the myth came from is genuinely unknown. It circulates among therapists, teachers, and parenting content without a traceable source. If you've been told to stop your child W-sitting, the person telling you was almost certainly passing on received advice in good faith.

So is there anything to it?

Yes — but it's a different concern than the one usually stated, and it's worth understanding the distinction.

W-sitting can be a signal rather than a cause. For some children, a strong preference for W-sitting reflects something worth looking at: limited core strength, difficulty with trunk rotation, low muscle tone, or motor planning differences. The position is chosen because it compensates. In those cases the position isn't the problem — it's a clue pointing at the thing that is. (This is clinical observation and consensus among pediatric therapists rather than something proven in trials, but it's a well-established way of using the sign.)

This is a meaningful difference. It means the useful response is assessment, not correction. Stopping a child W-sitting doesn't address an underlying strength or coordination difficulty; it just removes the strategy they were using to manage it.

There are groups where clinicians are more proactive. For children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, significant hypotonia, or known orthopedic conditions, therapists may work more actively on positioning, because those children's joints and alignment may genuinely be more vulnerable. If your child has one of these diagnoses, follow your therapy team's guidance — this page is about typically developing children.

Duration may matter more than posture. A recurring theme in the physical therapy literature on sitting, mostly in adults but plausibly relevant here, is that how long you stay in one position matters more than which position it is. A child who moves between many positions through the day, W-sitting among them, is doing something different from a child who is static all day in any single posture.

The other floor-sitting positions

Children move between several floor positions in a session of play, and each one trades stability against freedom of movement differently. Knowing what each is called is useful mainly for one reason: it lets you understand what a therapist means when they suggest one.

Side-sitting

The body rests on one hip with both legs bent to the same side. It is asymmetrical by nature, so the trunk has to work on one side to stay upright — which is exactly why therapists suggest it. Alternating which side takes the weight keeps the work even.

Ring-sitting

Legs bent in front with the soles of the feet close together, making a rough circle. A wide, stable base that leaves both hands free, and usually the easiest position for a child who tires quickly.

Long-sitting

Legs straight out in front. It demands the most from hamstring length and trunk control, so a child who cannot hold it comfortably is often being limited by tight hamstrings rather than by weakness.

Tailor-sitting

Also called cross-legged or criss-cross. Ankles crossed, knees out. A middle option — more demanding than ring-sitting, less than long-sitting — and the one most classrooms ask for.

Why W-sitting is the one that gets singled out. Of these, W-sitting gives the widest, most stable base and asks the least of trunk control — which is why children default to it, and also why it attracted the theory that it prevents strength developing. As the sections above set out, that theory is not supported by the evidence.

What to do with this in practice. Offering variety is reasonable and costs nothing. Prohibiting one position is not, and the pressure parents feel to police it is out of proportion to anything that has been shown.

When is it worth a conversation?

These are the things actually worth paying attention to — not the sitting position itself.

Talk to your pediatrician or a pediatric physical therapist if your child:

Sits in a W position almost exclusively and can't comfortably manage other positions
Can't sit upright on the floor without propping on their hands
Is behind on motor milestones, or isn't walking by around 15 months
Has suddenly changed how they walk
Is still primarily toe-walking by age three
Can do something on one side of the body but not the other
Tires quickly during physical play, or struggles to keep up with peers
Trips, falls, or bumps into things noticeably more than peers
Reports hip, knee, or back pain
Avoids climbing or playground equipment

The framing that matters: you're not seeking help for W-sitting. You're seeking an assessment of strength, coordination, and motor development — for which W-sitting was one observation among several. A difficulty crossing the midline or a postural difficulty is often part of that same picture.

If none of the above applies, no action is needed. Your child can sit however is comfortable.

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What if I still want to encourage other positions?

Reasonable, and there's no harm in it — the key is that this is optional, not corrective.

Offer alternatives rather than prohibitions. Cross-legged, side-sitting, long-sitting, or sitting on a small stool or cushion.
Change the setup rather than the child. A low bench or stool during floor play makes W-sitting impractical without anyone having to be reminded.
Expect limited success. Therapists have long observed that discouraging W-sitting works only briefly. Alternative positions generally don't let a child keep both hands free for as long, which is exactly why they chose the W.
Don't make it a correction cycle. Repeated reminders about a harmless position cost more — in the child's self-consciousness and in your relationship with them — than the position does.
Build strength through play instead. Climbing, crawling, animal walks, and riding toys develop the core stability and trunk rotation that make other positions comfortable. Balance and movement play helps too. That's a better use of effort than policing posture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my child W-sit?

It is comfortable and stable, it frees both hands for play without requiring much trunk control, and it fits the degree of inward hip rotation that is physiologically typical between roughly three and six years old.

Is W-sitting bad for my child?

For most children, no. A systematic review found no scientific evidence advising against W-sitting and no association with hip dysplasia. It is a normal, comfortable position for many young children.

Is W-sitting a sign of autism?

No. W-sitting is common in typically developing children and is not a marker for autism. Some autistic children have differences in core strength or motor coordination that make the position preferable, but the position alone indicates nothing.

Does W-sitting cause hip dysplasia?

No. The systematic review found no causal relationship. Hip dysplasia develops in infancy, before W-sitting typically appears, and babies are routinely screened for it.

Should I correct my child's W-sitting?

For a typically developing child, correction is not necessary. You can offer alternative positions if you prefer, but repeated correction of a harmless posture generally is not worth the cost. If your child has a known motor or orthopedic diagnosis, follow your therapy team's advice.

At what age should a child stop W-sitting?

There is no age at which it needs to stop. Many children use it less as they grow and hip rotation changes. If a child past four or five can only manage W-sitting and no other position, that is worth an assessment because of the limitation rather than the position.

Can W-sitting be a sign of something else?

Sometimes. A strong preference may reflect limited core strength, difficulty with trunk rotation, low muscle tone, or motor planning differences. In that case the position is a clue rather than a cause, and an assessment is more useful than correcting the posture.

Do children with low muscle tone W-sit more often?

Frequently, yes, and that is the part worth noticing. W-sitting gives a wide, stable base that needs very little trunk work to hold, so it is an efficient choice for a child whose core tires quickly. The position itself is not the problem; what it can indicate is that sitting upright is hard work. If a child almost never chooses any other position, that is worth mentioning — not because of the hips, but because of what it says about endurance.

Sources

Nordon DG, Passone CGB, da Silva CAA, Grangeiro PM. W-sitting in childhood: a systematic review. Acta Ortopédica Brasileira. 2024;32(6):e279277. doi:10.1590/1413-785220243206e279277 — PubMed 39802577 (PMID 39802577)
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. W-sitting is not bad for kids, say CHLA experts. Checked August 19, 2026.
International Hip Dysplasia Institute. W-sitting and hip development. Checked August 19, 2026.
Merck Manual, Professional Version. Femoral torsion. Checked August 19, 2026.

Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your child has a known orthopedic or neurological condition, follow the guidance of their care team. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your individual situation.

W-Sitting and Side-Sitting: Is W-Sitting Actually Bad for Kids?