As kids, we develop little quirks, habits, and personality traits that we often don’t realize will impact us later in life. And even something as simple as sitting in a certain position can end up reshaping the body as it grows.
This is exactly what happened to TikTok user Sarah Pascarella (@sasscarella).
Pascarella, who typically uses her platform to share glimpses of her life as a nanny in France, recently went viral on TikTok after sharing a PSA to parents, warning them. Don’t let your kids sit the way she used to as a child.
What’s this position?
“This is a PSA to parents that let their children sit in a little W shape when they’re little, something like this,” Pascarella says, demonstrating the sitting position.
The W-sitting position Pascarella is referring to is when someone sits on the floor with their knees bent and legs spread out to the sides, with their feet tucked next to their hips. The legs form a shape that looks like the letter “W.”
“Stop them while you still can,” Pascarella warns.
How did W-sitting affect her?
The TikToker explains that sitting in this position caused her shoes to wear out much faster than normal.
To demonstrate her point, she shows a pair of Converse sneakers, both bent at the outer edges. “Look at them, all my shoes look like this,” Pascarella says. She also mentions that she often opts for platform shoes, explaining that they give her “more sole to get through.”
Pascarella recounts how the W-sitting position affected not only her posture but also the sports she played, as it caused her to run with her legs turned outward. She notes that no coach was ever able to “fix” the way her hips were shaped.
“My pole vaulting coach tried, my hurdle coach tried, my cheerleading coach tried,” she states. “I ended up in the back of all the cheerleading formations because my coach was too embarrassed about how I ran.”
She also recalls that sitting in any other position as a child was painful, but advises parents to act early if they notice their children sitting this way. “If you catch it early on, I feel like it would have been able to be fixed,” she adds.
She implores others to not end up like her, warning, “Now that I live in a walkable city, my shoes are going way faster and I’m having to spend way more money.”
What do doctors say about W-sitting?
According to a Healthline article, W-sitting is a normal habit as children are developing, but can be considered an issue if it’s too frequent.
The article states that prolonged W-sitting can lead to muscle imbalances, hip and leg tightness, and potential coordination issues. It may also cause to orthopedic problems like pigeon-toed walking or worsen conditions such as hip dysplasia.
Healthline advises parents whose children prefer this position to encourage them to sit in other ways, such as criss-crossing or side sitting so their muscles can develop in a balanced way.
@sasscarella Save them while they’re young 😭 #parenting #children #pourtoi #foryoupage #fyp ♬ original sound – Sarah Pascarella 🇺🇸🇫🇷
Commenters share advice
In the comments, some users found the situation amusing, while others shared tips on how to improve the condition.
“ITS THE PHOEBE BUFFAY RUN,” joked one user.
“Regularly W sitting is often a symptom of other things, such as a weak core,” stated another. They advised. “See a PT if your kid does it often, don’t just make them stop.”
“Can confirm,” shared a third. “Sat like that up into my teenage years and now i have sciatica (diagnosed at 22 im 27 now).”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sarah Pascarella (@sasscarella) via email and Instagram direct message for comment.
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