DS can roll but what next?

[Alixion]

DS is 3.5 mo and has mastered rolling onto his back. He can't get back again which we are working on but he likes being on his tummy so doesn't have much incentive!

The problem is he gets frustrated because he seems to want to move forward but doesn't know what to do and then he gets upset. At the moment he lifts all four limbs and his head up off the floor and looks expectantly like something should happen...

I would just put a toy in front of him to play with but he's not too interested - I can tell he wants to do something active when he's down on the floor.

Does anyone remember what their babies did after they learned to roll but are a long way from crawling?

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

You could start encouraging him to sit - prop up with pillows/cushions or a bumbo or other baby seat if you have one. That will give him a different perspective at least and also helps to develop the abdominal muscles that are needed for crawling.

[Alixion]

Thanks!
He has a bumbo and will sit in it for about 5mins but he's a leg kicker so gets frustrated when he can't move them. But I will try him propped up to see if he enjoys the balancing challenge!

[Iggly]

Dont prop him up. That whole legs out thing is a way of them building their core muscles and get them on the way to crawling. I know it is tempting to try and rescue them but leave him be for a few mins and see how he gets on. I did that with ds and dd - they were crawling by 6/7 months.

[DIYandEatCake]

Wow, he's doing great! Ds still can't roll at nearly 6 months (though he has been sitting for a while), just adds to the frustration - tries all sorts of wriggling on his tummy but nothing works yet so he ends up just shouting til we rescue him.
One thing he really loves though is his jumperoo - he bounces, turns himself round, and shrieks and chuckles with sheer joy. Worth getting if you haven't already!

[ZuleikaD]

Don't prop him or sit him in anything - frustration is an important part of getting them to use their limbs and the starfish flapping strengthens core muscles so they can sit up later. Propping does NOT strengthen their abdominal muscles.

Gross motor skills are inherited not learned, so there isn't anything you can do to 'teach' them or 'work on' them.

If he has a baby gym you could try him in that.

[17leftfeet]

What happens after they learn to roll is that you blink and they disappear

Then you run around in a flap because your baby has disappeared before finding them half wedged under a random piece of furniture

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

Hi - just to say that I wasn't saying that propping develops abdominal muscles - rather it's one technique to get them on the way to sitting, and it's the sitting which develops the muscles... And I suppose by propping I really mean putting a few cushions around the baby as a bit of support but mostly as a soft landing when they are first having a go at sitting.

Sorry - didn't express myself very well!