Ready, steady, crawl!

In the May issue of living and loving, we discussed the benefits of crawling for toddlers and why it’s important for their growth and development. But what if your child is slow to crawl and you just can’t get him moving? Our resident Occupational Therapist, Samantha Toweel-Moore has a few suggestions:

• Provide opportunities for movement and make sure you don’t rush your baby into moving from crawling to walking. Let him enjoy the process.
• Encourage more tummy time by rolling your child onto his tummy and allowing him to feel comfortable in this position.
• Place eye-catching, musical mobile toys just out of his reach. Once he’s confident to reach for them, allow the toy to roll away, and he’ll move to grab it. Use a soft mat or carpet surface so that the toys don’t roll too far away, and so that your baby’s knees are protected.
• Place a few colourful items in a large tub for him to explore, and encourage him to crawl to it.

Not only is crawling great for your baby’s physical development, the action allows him to mature and gain independence while he explores his newfound world one step at a time.




crawling