A MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

What can I do to make this experience more rewarding?

I guess all parents wonder if their baby is developing normally: if baby is thriving or running behind. Crawling is not the exception. As with everything else in a child's development, there are no rules—every baby will do his or her own thing, in their own time. But we can generally say that crawling starts at around 6 months, when the baby tries to move beyond sitting. For some babies, crawling doesn’t stop even after they start walking. Some never crawl, and that’s normal too; they’ll find a way to move around and explore. One thing is for sure: this period is fun, filled with amazement for baby and parents, and is the beginning of a new chapter in your baby’s development.

For us parents, the crawling phase is a magical one. All of a sudden our little one can do more than sit and roll, and learning experiences take on a whole new light. Now we start guiding instead of just showing (with the latter, we become followers, a few steps behind baby all the time). We believe crawling is more than a milestone, that it’s a beginning—the first step in a journey of lifelong exploration. In fact, crawling helps strengthen muscle that will enable baby to walk later on, and aids in brain and body development. It's our responsibility to make the best of the crawling time, by encouraging and supporting, and sending the message that moving is fun, thereby building the foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle.

Some toys are good aids in this: toys with wheels to push while crawling, for example. Also, we can try putting toys out of reach, a bit further each time to encourage movement. Once the baby masters crawling, it’s fun to ”chase” baby around—the idea is to encourage movement in every possible way. In encouraging movement, we should try to protect baby’s knees. Even though babies don't complain, bruising and peeling are good indicators that baby might be hurting, especially when crawling on hard floors. Don't allow hurt knees to come between a positive experience for you and your baby—let him or her crawl around as freely and safely as possible.

Babies In Motion™ is aiming to become the place for active families. Look for more tips and notes about introducing baby into an active lifestyle. From clothing to gear, we will be the site for active families.