Meet Them On Their Level

Nine (Baby) Steps On How To Give Your Child The Absolute Best Start In Life - Baby Step #8

One of the reasons we often see little people trying to stand before they’re ready (in addition to the sheer boredom of being cooped up in a playpen) is because they’re down low and all the activity is up high.

If you’re not getting down on the floor or the garden lawn very much to play with your kids, you might want to have a look at your own musculoskeletal system to see how functional you are.

You can follow this simple test to see how you get on. And remember to check out Pete Egoscue’s books for a real in depth look at what is going on in your own body. In addition to the link, there’s also a recommended reading list on the right hand side of this page.

So, if you’re not getting down on the floor, why not? When you get down and spend time with the little one, she’ll get the message that it’s OK to be down there and that she’ll join the adult world of standing when she’s built the functions and is ready.

Once again, contraptions like high chairs are great for making sure she is safe while you turn your back, but they are restrictive in movement terms and they also give the message that up high is where all the action is, “So hurry up and join us”.

Now we know that that isn’t really the case, but in a child’s simplistic view of the world, it’s a pretty logical conclusion to come to.

Next time she’s in her playpen, she’ll try grabbing the side rail and pull herself up into a standing position.

Looks great… Until she realises that she doesn’t yet have the function in her hips and pelvis to hold her there. So how to get back down? “Let go and fall seems the best way.”

Sixty years later, as she lowers herself into her favourite armchair, she’ll still be using the, “aim bum over seat and drop into position” tactic. That will simply be blamed on getting old.

So, to encourage your little one to stand when she is ready and not before, get down on the floor with her as much as possible and show her that her world on all fours is very much OK.

And if getting down on the floor is a struggle for you, take a look at your own posture and get started on restoring those lost – but not forgotten – functions.

It’s the last in our series of “Nine (Baby) Steps On How To Give Your Child The Absolute Best Start In Life” tomorrow. We’ll be summing it up, reminding you of one last important step to giving your little person The Absolute Best Start In Life and letting you know where you can get more information on the same topic!

Until then…

*