Teaching bum shuffler to get down from sofa?

[wishIwasonholiday10]

I’ve seen some videos about how to teach a crawling baby to get down off things like the sofa safely by going on their tummy. My DD is a but shuffler and hates being on her tummy so this doesn’t work and we have had several near misses where she’s tried to but shuffle straight off the sofa or bed. Is there any way to teach her to get down off stuff safely? Obviously I’m also watching her more closely. How about stairs? We don’t have any yet but will be moving to a house with stairs soon. I guess we just wait for her to walk or should we try to teach her to bum shuffle down the stairs? She is 15 months already and will probably be a late walker as she’s not showing much signs of wanting to walk yet.

Yes you can definitely teach her how to get off the sofa or bed safely, I did it with both mine when they started crawling by talking through and turning them on their tummy and saying feet first every time they wanted off.

I see she doesn't like being on her tummy but the more you do it the more she might understand that's the way? I can't think it would be easy to get off on her bum everytime!

As for the stairs, I personally would put a stair gate up, especially the bottom as I assume you'll be downstairs most of the day and can shut whatever doors upstairs to keep her safe at night, I will continue to have mine up until the littlest (yet to be born) turns at least 2 😅

Being a bum shuffler doesn't mean she can't learn to turn onto her tummy to slide off a sofa safely, I would keep encouraging that. Plus they're only on their tummy for like a second doing it so it shouldn't matter that she doesn't generally like being on her front.

Milestones & Motherhood on instagram has good tips for teaching them to do this and also about stairs

Definitely stair gate

Oh and yes definitely get stair gates!

Thanks for the advice! I will keep trying. I have been trying to get her to go down on her tummy for several weeks with no luck yet. Definitely plan to get stair gates for the new house.