Tummy Time Take 2

Well here we are again - the dreaded tummy time.

Kolt has started to hate tummy time SLIGHTLY less. By slightly I mean by a fraction. We’re splitting hairs here. He has gained some strength after we used some of the techniques from our previous tummy time post and I’m excited to share it with you!

Where We Were

Last time Kolt was just spending occasional time on his tummy and we were encouraging him to lift his head. I had admitted to not spending enough time focusing on tummy time development. We did daily exercises to strengthen his abdominal shelf to try to reduce reflux and spit up and this led to a strong core and legs which led him to just wanting to stand up.

New Goals

I ended that week hoping to focus on Kolt increasing his tolerable tummy time duration and to start reaching for items with one of his hands. I also wanted to start helping him develop the ability to sit independently. I also realized that crawling was not a realistic goal yet. Jumpin’ the gun a bit.

What We Did - Day 1

I began the next week by just increasing the frequency we practiced tummy time. Within just 4 days Kolter had increased his tolerance by a minute thirty seconds. Imagine if we had been focusing on this all along! He was actually enjoying some of the interactive tummy time before whining for relief from his tummy position.

Days 5-8

By day five I started placing his soother and other toys by his face to gain his attention. I would slowly move them around and teach him to focus on them. By days 6 and 7, I was actively holding and moving the soother or toys while he tracked them and moved his head from side to side. It took a few days for this movement to gain fluidity and show strength development in his neck muscles. Eventually, he was able to do this so well that I could start tummy time with this movement and then place the soother or toy next to him for him to attempt to reach.

Days 8+

After he had some successful days attempting to reach for the items we also started incorporating more standing time and independent sitting with assistance. We are still doing his assisted sit-ups too. While I was searching for some videos I came across this WEBSITE that caught my eye. I recall my baba telling me that she would always practice “falling” with her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren (she’s 95 this year, lives on her own, and has a HUGE family).

We have started to add in ‘falling’ with Kolter. So far we help him with an assisted sit-up, stand-up, and sit back down and then we let him fall back. He giggles and smiles and we are relieved! We don’t want him to be afraid to fall so that it scares him and deters him from continuing to try. We have seen this happen with some of our friends’ children. I’m not saying we have all the answers but we’re doing what we can to be know-it-alls, ya know?

Finally, since he loves standing so much we are increasing that time too. He has gained quite a bit of stability in the last week and we’re seriously impressed. He reminds us of a gopher or a meerkat just constantly standing there and staring at everything around him with eyes wide.

What’s Next

Next, we are going to work on more independent sitting even though we are 6 weeks away from that even being an early milestone. I don’t care - he wants to sit so badly so we’re doing it. If you haven’t heard of Lovevery, they are a company that specializes in baby development and they also have a baby toy mailing system that sends you developmentally appropriate toys for your baby to increase their levels of growth in all areas. You may see their ads on Instagram or Facebook often. They’re great but as an educator, I know where to look that stuff up so I refuse to pay for it. Just being honest. I have friends who subscribe and swear by it but when we compare what we do with our babies we’re essentially doing the exact same things but they have to wait for the next toy to begin the next phase.

ANYWAY, they have some great information about stages of development and I loved this breakdown of the stages of sitting.

Kolter is currently on stage 3, which is about 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule so if he decides not to pick up on it quickly - who cares. We have time. If he falls behind. Who cares. We do not.

Stay Tuned

I’m so proud of our little guy but at the same time, he’s growing way too fast for my liking. I am soaking up all the cuddles and praying he doesn’t grow any faster than I’m prepared for. This brings me to my next post. I know I have previously discussed ‘hand-spoiling’ and mental health but this is still a learning process for me and that’s what this blog is about, right? I have become increasingly interested in the concept of what counts as ‘spoiling’ your baby and what is just appropriate consoling and affection. So get ready for THAT can of worms.

Happy sitting.