Although the timing and developmental milestones of basic motor functions (such as sitting, crawling, and walking) can vary across cultures due to different childcare practices, the motor functions themselves are universally present in all human societies.

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Motor development milestones, such as sitting, crawling, and walking, do not follow a single, identical course for all children regardless of culture. Because cultural child care practices vary, different practices can accelerate or inhibit a child's achievement of these physical milestones (Karasik et al., 2010).

Cultural Variation in Motor Development Milestones

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The Aché society in Paraguay provides a clear example of how cultural child-rearing practices influence the timing of motor development milestones. To protect their children while foraging in the forest, Aché mothers carry them extensively, rarely putting them down. This practice leads to a delayed onset of walking, with children taking their first steps around 23–25 months old, significantly later than the 12-month average in many Western cultures. However, this early delay does not hinder long-term motor proficiency; by age 9, Aché children exhibit advanced motor skills, such as climbing tall trees and handling tools like machetes, surpassing their U.S. peers. This case demonstrates that while basic motor functions are universal, their developmental timeline is shaped by specific cultural contexts.

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