Crawling Tips- 4 June 2009
By Bronwyn in 
I read about the following to help a frustrated baby (more like mother) to crawl! This is not to force the baby to crawl but to help strengthen muscles that he/she needs to crawl. All babies crawl at their own time and as I have come to know, is not necessarily between 6-8 months as most books suggest. It does take longer for some and shorter for other babes.
- Fold a towel length-ways to form a narrow strip. Place this on the ground and let your baby lie on its tummy in the middle of the towel strip with arms and legs on either side of the strip. Lift up each end of the towel so that your baby’s arms and legs are in the crawling position but you are supporting the bulk of the weight. Place a toy or something in front of your babe to make him/her want to move as you support his/her movement.
- Fold a towel length-ways and then roll if up to form a cylinder shape. Let baby lie on this so that he or she is lifted elbow’s length (the baby’s elbow) from the ground. Let your babe play like this to strengthen neck muscles.
- Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you and let your baby lie across your leg/s as this will position your baby in a crawling position. Sit in front of a mirror or have toys to attract the baby’s attention.
- Lots of praise and encouragement when movements are make on their own.
- Do not place objects directly in front of the baby but to the side. This will make them stretch and reach for them in a way that would lead them to moving into the crawling position.