crawling

Crawling is a huge milestone for your baby because it is the first step towards independent mobility.

Between seven and eleven months, most babies are really starting to move. You'll know your little one is almost ready to crawl when she starts doing mini push-ups, lifting or propping herself up on her arms. From there, she will learn to lift herself up on both arms and knees. Then she will begin to rock forward and backward. Eventually she will realize that if she pushes off with her knees, she can move on her own!

how to do this?

Give your baby plenty of tummy time. By playing on their bellies, babies develop the muscle strength in their shoulders, arms, back and core that helps them crawl.

Put her favorite toy on the ground - just a little out of her reach. Resist the temptation to move the toy a little closer - you will be surprised at how patient she can be as she works to solve the problem on her own

Place the palms of your hands behind your child’s feet when she is on all fours. This stabilizes her and gives her something to “push off” from when she is just learning to crawl.

Reduce the amount of time in walkers and bouncers. Babies who don’t spend a lot of time on the floor may take longer to develop the strength they need to crawl. Giving your baby floor time encourages exploration and movement.

Crawl beside your baby. Instead of having your baby crawl towards you, you can also crawl alongside her. You and your baby can both move towards the toy, the mirror, or daddy! This will encourage your baby to do what you're doing and will make her feel less alone.

Know your baby's limits. When she starts crying or seems to be getting frustrated, don't force her to keep trying. Instead, wait until the next day to try again. If you try to force your baby to crawl when she is not ready or just not feeling it, then you will delay the process and make her associate crawling with having a bad time.

Don't give up. Even if your baby can only tolerate being on the floor for a few seconds at a time, try again later or the next day.

Avoid tight clothing (like baby suits, tights, trousers) as they are very restrictive around your baby’s pelvis, hips and knees and can impede her crawling.

Note : Some babies skip crawling, but it’s important to make sure they don’t or they’ll miss important foundational strengths and skills. Crawling is important for many reasons, including building hand-eye coordination and learning to coordinate movements where the two sides of the body are doing different things.