SITTING UP!

[SweetBerries]

Hi everyone,

I just want to say before anyone tells me to stop worrying, I AM NOT WORRIED about my little one not sitting up yet. He's 7 months old next week and he's a chatterbox, eats like a horse (pretty much fully weaned) and loves tummy time with a passion I cannot even begin to describe. The thing is, I plonk him on his bottom to have a go and he just slides forward onto his belly again, then pushes himself up with his arms (into that 'nearly crawling' position) and laughs. It's very cute, but SHOULD I be encouraging him to sit more? At the moment I'm sort of letting him find his own way rather than pushing him to do it. I sort of feel like if he wants to be on his tummy, then he can be.

First baby, so I'm always looking for a bit of advice on how to encourage him to do new things. He has a bumbo seat which he LOVES and a jumperoo, it's just sitting on the floor that he doesn't seem fond of!

Advice welcome :)

I'd encourage him, but not worry about it. 7 months is pretty normal as far as I recall, and they all develop at different rates.

You can prop him up with cushions on the floor, give him some toys to play with. He'll get there in his own time though.

My 7 month old can't sit up. She can roll back to front and is just discovering front to back but not conquered it yet. She is my second and I'm not worried. He brother was delayed physically for all his milestones and caught up fine (he
'S now 4.5). I met a 6 month old who was crawling last week. Scared the day lights out of me.
Personally I would not encourage, he'll get there and I would much rather have a talker than a walker!!!

K

My dd didn't really sit until about ten months. It was so strange she just hated it. She had reflux so doctors thought it might be putting pressure on her stomach. She crawled at ten months too and walked at 13 so no other problems. She never once has bum shuffled.
I used a doomoo beanbag shaped into a sort of chair to prop her up to play with toys . I never really forced her to sit even though to be honest I was stressed about it but I know in creche they propped her up with cushions for music and rhyme time.

I'd recommend a sit me up ring of you decide that you want to encourage him

If not of!

Wouldn't encourage him at all, he'll do it when he's ready.

Glad you're not worried - as you know, perfectly fine for his age.

I'm afraid I'm going advise the opposite way about cushions or a ring. I think that takes away the incentive to do it themselves, and the support means they don't have to develop those muscles.

I believe the best thing to do is give them plenty of space (toys within reach) and let them get on with moving themselves. Let them climb all over you in different ways, but just providing balance rather than too much support iyswim. They naturally do exactly the right things to develop all the right muscles!

Ds was like this; was commando crawling with just his arms at 6 months then proper crawling at 7 months. He just had no interest in sitting whatsoever and we tried various things to encourage him. He was walking confidently by 11 months so I wouldn't be worried about it in a development sense. I think ds just preferred to explore!

Really don't worry, my DS2 preferred practising crawling (he crawled at 6 months) and never sat. Then when he was 10/11 months I noticed him sitting one day . Only briefly though, he prefers to be on the move!

I've read that you shouldn't prop them up or use rings etc. Janet Lansbury's blog has a lot on this.