- At about three to four months, babies will naturally try to move around by pushing up off the floor with their arms, kicking their legs, rocking back and forth and reaching for things. Developing your baby's arm strength is as simple as allowing your baby to have lots of supervised tummy time. Tummy time means putting your baby on his stomach in a safe place on the floor, perhaps on a blanket or in a carpeted area.
- Encourage movement by engaging your baby with toys, and most importantly, with you. Get down on the floor and encourage her to come towards you, or place an object of interest near her to encourage reaching and grabbing. It's important to remember not to frustrate your baby at this point, so make sure she can actually get to you or the toy so the game doesn't turn into an exercise in frustration. Also, be sure to give your baby lots of room to move around and give her freedom of movement by dressing her in loose-fitting comfortable clothes.
- Baby and MomLittle Boy with Mom image by kolesn from Fotolia.com
If your baby doesn't appear to be developing arm, back and neck strength during tummy time, or dislikes being on his tummy, consider providing a reflective surface for him to look into; this will often get babies moving. If tummy time on the floor isn't working, try putting baby tummy down on your lap instead. Above all, remember that every baby develops in his own time; have patience while your baby increases his coordination and strength.
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