Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

Propping babies up unsupported - OK?

2 replies

User24689 · 12/02/2016 13:42

Hi all

Just wanted to know whether this is actually anything to worry about - I have just started 6mo DD at nursery, she is my first and I am really anxious about leaving her so I might just be pfb!

DD is very active, started rolling at 4mo, commando crawling at 5mo and is just starting to get up onto her hands and knees. But, she can't sit up. If she is placed in a sitting position she will just topple over whereas a lot of friends babies her age can sit unsupported no problem.

I have been told by our child health nurse not to worry and that she will go from crawling into a sitting position. She told me that I shouldn't 'prop' her unsupported in a sitting position before she is ready to get into that position herself.

BUT I have noticed that at nursery the workers prop all the babies in sitting positions all the time whether they can get in and out of that position themselves or not. On a visit last week one of the babies was sitting up for the half hour I was there. It meant he wasn't doing anything else, was just watching the room, although he had some toys within reach. He isn't crawling yet but wasn't getting any chance to practice.

I told them that DD can't sit yet and likes to be put down on her belly to explore. But I think they will keep trying to prop her and when she can hold herself up will place her in that position. Is it reasonable to ask them not to sit her up? I don't want to be THAT parent in my first week but what the nurse said worried me and I'm a bit concerned that the nursery workers are sitting the babies up for convenience rather than allowing them the opportunities to explore?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
HSMMaCM · 12/02/2016 18:28

Do you mean sitting in bouncy chairs or high chairs, or against a bean bag where they can crawl off? Some children do like to sit up and watch for a while before getting down to play again. Talk to them and see what they think is appropriate and then decide if it is right for you.

TinyTear · 19/02/2016 11:46

You can ask for what is right for your child.
My daughters all loved to be sat up with cushions and toys around them before they could get there by themselves. and my DD2 hated, really hated to be down on her back or tummy... and she didn't crawl until nearly 8 months...
I could sit her up and she would be happy for aaaages...

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread