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View Full Version : Did you "teach" your baby to roll over (or crawl, etc)?



ErinMC
10-02-2006, 01:19 PM
...or did you just let him/her do it on their own?

DS2 is 4.5 months, and just starting to roll. DS1 was really late with his rolling, crawling, walking, etc, and we just let him figure it out on his own - he eventually got there. So now DH thinks we should be showing DS2 what to do, moving his arms and rolling him over ourselves as an example, etc.

We already give him floor time and I put a few toys a bit out of his reach, so I think that's probably enough. What do you all think?

Erin

Mom to Chase Feb. 04
... and Logan! May 20, 2006

punkrockmama
10-02-2006, 01:29 PM
Well, we didn't "teach" Peyton how to roll over (I don't think you can?).

But, we did encourage him a little I guess. Like you when he was on the floor I would put things just out of his reach over to one side. He was a late crawler and loved diapers so what really got him moving was throwing a diaper across the room. He'd take off like a shot after it. :) It was so funny and cute to watch.

I think kids will get there when they get there with most things. Don't sweat it. Just keep enjoying playing with your DS. As I'm sure you know from your first, the time will go by fast and he'll be rolling then running before you know it!

megs4413
10-02-2006, 01:41 PM
we worked on it....we would roll DD back and forth to encourage rolling. we did the putting things out of reach thing as well....i think we "worked" on it and encouraged it more than we taught....we really worked on sitting up...we did the baby crunches and the bicycles with the legs to encourage abdominal strength....

pb&j
10-02-2006, 01:42 PM
DS was an early roller, so it didn't ever cross my mind that he needed to be taught. As for crawling, we tried, but nothing worked until it just clicked for him one day. He was on all fours, rocking back and forth, scooting around backward, etc for over a month before he actually crawled. I don't think any of our interventions made a bit of difference.


-Ry,
mom to Emma, stillborn 11/04/04
and Max, 01/05/06

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amp
10-02-2006, 02:13 PM
Nope, never intervened. They just learned it on their own. DD learned later than DS, but we never taught either of them.

Moneypenny
10-02-2006, 03:20 PM
DD was a late roller so we tried to teach her. Her ped gave us some wise advice one day and said, "She knows how. She just doesn't want to." Ever since then, if we see she's frustrated because she wants to do something but doesn't seem to know how, we'll give her a little guidance, but otherwise we just lay off.

Susan
mama to my cutie pie, Avery
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daisymommy
10-02-2006, 03:50 PM
Both kids just did it on their own :)

maestramommy
10-02-2006, 05:23 PM
I didn't teach DD to roll over. She just eventually did. As she did with all of her other motor milestones. My MIL is suggesting I teach her to walk by holding her hands and standing her on my feet while I walk, but I really don't see how that's going to help her. She pushes her ride on toy, and I think that's enough.

mudder17
10-02-2006, 05:47 PM
Yep, we just let Kaya hit her milestones as she was interested and able. We saw some friends do the holding their kids' hands while walking, but while Kaya tried that a couple times, she honestly was not that interested. She could also cruise (saw her doing it a couple times), but once the novelty wore off, she just continued crawling (extremely well). When she finally did walk at 14.5 months, she did it very well, so I think we've been wise to just let her learn at her own pace. For most of her "milestones", motor or otherwise, we've always been more successful letting her set her own schedule (with the exception of the sleep training we did at 18 weeks). This is not to say that we haven't stressed about maybe thinking we should be doing X, Y, or Z, but overall, we've realized that letting her set her own pace on things has accomplished things much better.

As a PP suggested, just enjoy the time you have with your DC as this time will pass way too quickly! :) Looks like you did just fine with your DS#1 and you will be just fine with DS#2 as well. :D



Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 30 months...

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Wife_and_mommy
10-02-2006, 08:17 PM
No. DD did gross motors on the early side. I had all the time in the world to sit and have tummy time with her and it showed.

DS rolled "early" but still won't crawl on all fours though he's done the military crawl since 5M. He didn't get nearly as much tummy time because I had DD to contend with. I still made it a point to do it though.



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MarisaSF
10-02-2006, 08:25 PM
I don't know how much you can "teach" them. We did a lot of encouraging, at least with the rolling, after she had figured out the skill on her own.

For example: if DD was on her belly and starting to lean one way, we would hold an interesting object above her and arc it over her back to encourage her to follow it. Soon enough she was rolling all around the room. We thought the constant rolling was pretty funny.

Wow... that seems like so long ago. <wistful> :)

Can you put DS2 on a bit of a ramp (ex: a folded towel or blanket) to give him a boost. You can even put him on a blanket and roll him in it. That said, all the encouraging in the world may not "teach" him until he's ready. Can't hurt to show him that he can roll and you will safely catch him though.

Good luck!

writermama
10-02-2006, 08:40 PM
Nope. Didn't teach or encourage anything. Tried to put off walking as long as possible, too. ;)

kozachka
10-03-2006, 04:34 AM
My mom encouraged DS cruising and had to work a bit on head control. Poor thing did not like tummy time as he's head has always been on the big side and kind of heavy.

JBaxter
10-03-2006, 07:09 AM
NO mine were all early on rolling ( all by 8 weeks) sitting- all sat for pictures at 4 1/2 months.
We did encourage Logan to crawl for 2 months he got on his hand and knees and rocked. He was 7 1/2 months. The other 2 were crawling at 6 months. Walking was the same we took Logans hands and helped him to walk and coaxed him to let go he did at 12 1/2 months. The other 2 just let go and ran at 10 months.
Honestly after my first I was content with them doing it on their own.

denna
10-03-2006, 11:35 AM
We havent 'taught' DS how to roll over or get into the crawling positioning, he just seemed to start doing it on his own. We do try to give him toys to reach for, etc.

I have known parents that by 8.5months were 'bribing' there DCs to crawl.

I think Logan is well on his way! DS didnt flip over and back until 5 months and now hes almost 6mohths and already practically crawling...

brittone2
10-03-2006, 12:14 PM
No, I didn't teach him (hard to keep those hands off sometimes as a PT though LOL). However, we did set up situations I guess that helped with overall development...lots of tummy time, and I did use a wedge with him during tummy time when he was little to make it easier for him to learn to lift his head, etc. So I guess I structured the environment to help him, but didn't necessarily go about purposefully teaching him, if that makes sense?

For a typically developing child, IMO there's no reason to "teach" specific skills. Lots of floor time, tummy time, etc. are great to enhance overall strength and development, but beyond that I wouldn't worry unless there were delays (at which point a professional would be more effective in teaching you to teach your DC).

ErinMC
10-03-2006, 01:56 PM
>Can you put DS2 on a bit of a ramp (ex: a folded towel or
>blanket) to give him a boost. You can even put him on a
>blanket and roll him in it. That said, all the encouraging in
>the world may not "teach" him until he's ready. Can't hurt to
>show him that he can roll and you will safely catch him
>though.

This is a great idea. Funny thing - I remember doing this with DS1 and completely forgot about it this time around. It's crazy what I don't remember. :-)

Erin

Mom to Chase Feb. 04
... and Logan! May 20, 2006

ErinMC
10-03-2006, 01:58 PM
I'm glad I'm on the right track, and that we don't need to be "teaching" him. We'll just keep up the floor/tummy time and let it happen. I'll show DH this thread tonight.

Erin

Mom to Chase Feb. 04
... and Logan! May 20, 2006

EllasMum
10-03-2006, 10:10 PM
Bit of a late reply on this one - just saw it! I did end up 'teaching' DD how to roll from front to back. At around 4.5 months she was regularly rolling back to front but at 8 months I was getting a bit concerned that she didn't seem to even try to roll front to back. My mom used to put her on her tummy on a blanket and then grab her leg and just sort of flip her over! DD thought it was HILARIOUS - she just loved it! It only took maybe a couple of times over 3 or 4 days before she was rolling front to back on her own. It was like she just needed to be shown and then she clued in what to do! Sometimes they do need a little guidance, as another poster aptly put it! :)

lizamann
10-04-2006, 09:34 AM
No teaching here. Just lots of playing and following her lead, but I didn't even do those reaching exercises.

I definitely have a huge "unschooling" streak in me and believe that kids will learn just about everything they need to learn (even academic subjects) if provided with an enriched environment and an attentive adult to help guide them when they're ready.

I didn't "teach" potty training either, so that can happen, too, on their own time when they're ready.