Helping baby crawl and roll

[Autumn13]

My DD is 6 and a half months old. She can fully sit up by herself without being propped up and is gaining leg strength with her jumperoo. I feel like she's a little slow with rolling and trying to crawl though. She's always absolutely hated tummy time, seconds after being put on her tummy she cries so we've just not done it much. I think because of this she can't roll over and I don't see how she's going to learn to crawl either. Any advice?

Try doing tummy time on your chest - she will push up away from you. They prefer it to being on the mat.

They don't actually need tummy time to learn to roll - as long as they get plenty of time on the floor on their back they'll learn to roll to their front, and then to roll front to back again. Tummy time is really about back and neck strength which they can also get from being on your chest (as pp said).

I try that and she hates that too. When she's on her tummy she can push herself up with her arms but she just does that and cries.

She'll get there, kids vary. I think so long as they are not strapped into something the whole time, it's fine. Just sitting at six months sounds about right.

Put her on her back on the mat and surround her with toys, she'll soon have a go.

I'd also enjoy drinking your tea in peace now before you have to keep chasing after her!

She might be a bum shuffler! My daughter was like this and she never crawled. Got herself a v stylish shuffle though!

I have a vague memory that jumperoos slow things down a bit, maybe check?

And lying on their backs helps them roll too, doesn't have to be just tummy time.

Your baby is doing just fine. You really need to not interfere. She will figure things out on her own, I assure you.

Enjoy her immobility while it lasts! She will move all of a sudden, you don't need to help.

Babies don't need help with these things they happen on their own when they are ready. Please leave her be she will do it when she's reached that stage you could do more harm than good

Cut out the jumperoo. It develops extension but not the flexion/rotation movts required for rolling and crawling.

Kids vary. My son could sit up unaided from around 4.5 months but couldn't roll until gone 5. He crawled at 9 months and was walking by 10 months. Things don't always to in order.

Babies don't need help with these things they happen on their own when they are ready.

I’m not sure this is right - my DS is 8.5 months and still not sitting unsupported, so my health visitor has suggested practising by putting him in the tripod position to encourage sitting. It’s already making a big difference.

We were referred to a physio when my DS was about 6 months he was 8 weeks prem so he was tiny still. They showed me how to tuck his legs under him in a crawling position so he could gain strength and push up. He was crawling in a couple of weeks