- In this video, I'm going to teach you three activities
to start doing with your baby today
that will teach them to crawl sooner.
Now, in case you're thinking there's no need to do that,
because they'll learn when they are ready, consider this.
Once babies learn to crawl, they are generally happier.
And why wouldn't they be?
Once they're crawling, they can choose where they go,
what they see, touch, or explore.
And a happier baby generally makes
for a happier household all round.
You can start doing these activities
as soon as your baby's able to push up on extended arms
while they're lying on their tummy,
which usually starts between five to six months of age.
And the first thing you want to start with
is a really simple activity.
For this first activity, all you need to do
is place an enticing toy in front of them,
but out of reach and slightly off the floor.
So you may place that toy on a couch or on a play table,
and this will encourage your baby to actually look up
and find the toy by lifting their head
and pushing through their straight arms.
When you see your baby pushing up with their arms straight,
you want to wait and see if they can independently
get into that crawling position, but if they can't,
then you just help your baby by simply flipping their legs
underneath their body.
Now, once your baby is in this crawling position,
you may need to give them some additional support,
so they can actually stay in this position
rather than sliding on out.
And you can do this by simply placing your hands
on the sole of their feet,
and if they need additional support,
then you can place a rolled up towel underneath their chest
or their tummy to give them some more postural support
or you can position your baby,
so that their tummy is resting on the lower part of your leg
while they're in that crawling position.
And pretty soon, your baby will become stronger
and more stable in that crawling position,
and start to rock backwards and forwards.
And when you see your baby doing this movement,
it's time to move on to the next activity.
But before I cover what that activity is,
if you haven't already, make sure you click on the link
in the description box below to get the free
Developmental Milestone Chart.
This will give you an invaluable peace of mind,
as you'll know when to be expecting certain skills
in your baby's first year of life and when to be concerned.
Once your baby is able to hold that crawling position
and starts rocking, it's time to encourage your baby
to start crawling, and to get your baby to crawl,
the first thing you need to do is give them some motivation.
And the way you do this is by placing a toy
or you slightly out of reach.
Now, this might be enough and your baby may start crawling
after the toy or you. Or your baby might need a little bit
more support and you can provide this additional support
by placing your hands on the soles of your baby's feet,
and waiting until your baby reaches out with one hand.
When your baby reaches out with that arm,
you want to apply slight pressure on the opposite side
of the body.
And when you apply some pressure to the sole of that foot,
it gives your baby something to push off
and encourages them to move forward.
Then, as they move the next arm forward,
you would push on the sole of the other foot
until they start crawling.
Now, if you do this activity with your baby
and you notice that their arms actually collapse
underneath their body like they do in this video
or they're unable to keep their arms straight
when they are trying to crawl,
it's important to go back a step
and just let your baby practice
being in that crawling position,
because they simply need more time
to strengthen and stabilize those muscles
before they're going to be able to crawl
in that forward direction.
The third activity isn't really an activity,
but rather, a very important thing
that most parents often overlook.
In fact, this one thing can significantly hinder
a baby's ability to firstly get into that crawling position
and then actually start crawling, so what is it?
Well, I want you to think about what it looks like
when a dog is trying to run on a slippery surface,
no matter what that dog does,
they just cannot get any traction
and continue to slip and slide,
that is exactly what it is like if you're expecting
your baby to crawl on tiled floors, lino, or floorboards
when they have pants and socks on.
Their pants and socks make it really difficult
to get into that crawling position in the first place.
And if they can miraculously
get into that crawling position,
they definitely find it near impossible
to move in a forward direction.
Instead of crawling forward, what you will most likely see
is your little one actually sliding backwards.
And in my daughter's case, getting stuck underneath
all the dining chairs.
So when your baby is initially learning to get into
and hold that crawling position or crawl,
it's important to make it easier for them
to do these activities by doing them on carpet,
on mats or allowing your baby to go pants-free,
so their knees and feet are not covered.
By making this one simple change, your baby may surprise you
and just start crawling.
Once your baby does start crawling,
you may notice that your baby's crawling style
looks a little bit different
and this may result in you starting to worry.
Firstly, don't worry.
Not all babies crawl in a traditional manner.
In fact, there are seven different crawling styles.
So make sure you check out this video next
to see what these seven different crawling styles are
and most importantly, if you need to be concerned.
Thanks for watching and I'll see you next week,
where I'll share more parenting tips and tricks.