Can children multitask? – Yes, they can!

Have you ever thought about your child multitasking? Probably not, and it isn’t something we typically bring up when talking about young children. Yet, when they play, multitasking can happen coincidentally. One example of where this is true is when they walk backwards while pulling a toy!  

Walking backwards demands more physical effort than walking forwards which makes the action more challenging: 

Movement – the ability to move backwards by shifting the body into reverse is a unique movement style. Your child's movement begins with the heel when moving forwards, and with the toe when moving backwards.^[1] This puts different pressures on the joints and muscles in their hips, knees, calves and ankles.  

Concentration – your child spends more time holding their body weight on one leg when travelling backwards as the movement is slower; this requires more concentration to stay upright and balanced.  

Balance – they must be steady and balanced to walk backwards so they don’t topple over. Their arm or arms will be held in a different way as to when they walk forwards, and this may shift their centre of balance. 

Coordination – arms and legs move in a coordinated pattern which differs from a forward movement. 

Muscles – walking backwards uses greater muscle activity in the core, glutes, quads, knee joints and calves.^[1,2] 

Pulling a toy while walking backwards demands more thought: 

Your child may keep a watchful eye on their toy and hope it doesn’t fall over or bump into something. 

They must think about the direction they are heading in, as well as the direction of their toy. 

Since they can't see where they are going, multiple senses must take into account the area around them, or they might bump into something – or lots of things!  

Combine all these thoughts and now see just how much multitasking your child is doing – and they make it look so simple! 

References: 

[1] Grasso, R., Bianchi, L., Lacquaniti, F. (1998) Article: Motor Patterns for Human Gait: Backward Versus Forward Locomotion. Journal of Neurophysiology.  

[2] Kwon, C-W. Yun, S., Kwon, J.W. (2022). Differences in the Gait Pattern and Muscle Activity of the Lower Extremities during Forward and Backward Walking on Sand. The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy.