Every parent loves watching their little ones reach new milestones (and probably taking dozens of pictures to capture each little moment). The older they get, the more they are able to accomplish.
While we are their biggest cheerleaders, it’s only natural that we also want to be good coaches and help our babies reach that next major growth achievement.
My lil guy excelled at tummy time from early on, holding his head up well. Further proving his strength, he is slowly starting to use his arms to hold himself up a bit now at 4 and 1/2 months. However, he just won’t roll over on his own yet and hasn’t learned that in order to crawl one day, his legs needs to be on the floor and not do a Superman.
Forget about crawling because he can’t wait to walk. His favorite thing to do at the moment is to be standing, an even puts one foot in front of the other while myself or his Daddy holds him. It might be some time before we have him running around, but when he is not wanting to stand he wants to sit.
He does an impressive job at sitting up with a little of my assistance, but I really can’t wait until he helps no help at all. Once we get that point, we can finally put him in a jumper and walker.
After some research, I found the best tips across the Internet to help baby get there. Here’s how to get your baby to sit up unassisted.
-
Master The Basics
Babies generally sit up unassisted around the 6 month mark. This milestone can be reached earlier if they spend a lot of time working on their muscle strength, or even later—which is totally normal. It’s important not to rush your baby, he or she will get there when they are ready.
It’s important for your baby to master the basics before sitting up like being able to hold their head up, lots of tummy time, being able to reach for and grab toys when playing on their back, rolling around, and bringing their feet to their hands.
2. Practice
Once you start noticing that your baby wants and loves to sit up, allowing them to do so (with your help of course) as much as you can. The more they sit up, the better they will get at it because they are strengthening the muscles needed to do it own their own. Think practice makes perfect.
This means have them sit on your lap while reading books, in the nook of the couch with you sitting right there, or propped up with a Boppy pillow. Eventually, you will be able to sit with the on the floor (in between your legs is best) for some playtime.
There are Bumbo seats that help the baby sit up, but the problem with these is they offer too much support, which doesn’t help your little one build up the strength and balance on their own.
However, many moms will recommend this, so it’s up to you whether or not to try it out.
3. Be Supportive With Some Support
Your baby might think they can sit up by themselves, looking like they are trying to do crunches in an attempt to sit up. Since they still need your help, lend some support.
Use your hands to hold onto your baby hips lightly, allowing them to do all the work. It’s okay is they lean forward a bit, this is all part of building up core, back and leg strength. Just make sure you are still holding on so they don’t face plant!
4. Trick With Toys
Just like many recommend using toys in an arms reach to help the baby learn how to roll over, parents can use toys to teach them to sit up straight. Since babies typically lean over when learning how to sit on their own, you can place a toy on a pillow so that the baby is force is straighten their posture in order to reach the toy. Add this into your playtime routine when on the floor.
Remember to ask your pediatrician if your baby is on track on their own schedule to reach this milestone based on their current behavior. It’s also a good idea to ask other moms and dads their tips and tricks that worked for them! Leave your advice in the comments below.
Leave a Reply