Baby Lead Movement

[ladybirdflies]

THanks for the reply Yeddi, yes all children are different and develop at different rates. And from the sound and strength of your little one chances are he would have developed just as quick with the hands off approach. Sounds like your daughter was a little different as you said with low muscle tone. In the USA where there is a study being done, the children left to move freely did in fact reach miles stones a little later then others who where introduced to positions, yet the groups all reached the milestone around the same age, which I found interesting. If you are familiar with some of Steiner you may know that children learn from imitation, so all children will eventually take up their body. The muscles grow and develop perfectly for this happen. When they are placed in sitting or standing, the body has to catch up with this. No doubt all children love it.
And the question that I have only for my family is, is it good for them? There is a destiny and a reason why children are with the parents they are with, because that parent can bring them the best conditions for this life, I do believe in my experience, that allowing a child to come into their body out of their own freedom has beneficial affects, not only physically, but also their ability to learn and meet life.


Lee, apparently a chiropractor has released a handbook on the benefits of free movement, perhaps you might find one in your local practice. All body movement is related to how our children learn, reading writing maths etc, and often when a child is having learning difficulties they will practice not the maths/reading but physically take the child back through milestones to check for retained reflexes or missed milestones to see if that shifts how the child is learning.

[Yeddi]

THanks for the reply Yeddi, yes all children are different and develop at different rates. And from the sound and strength of your little one chances are he would have developed just as quick with the hands off approach. Sounds like your daughter was a little different as you said with low muscle tone. In the USA where there is a study being done, the children left to move freely did in fact reach miles stones a little later then others who where introduced to positions, yet the groups all reached the milestone around the same age, which I found interesting. If you are familiar with some of Steiner you may know that children learn from imitation, so all children will eventually take up their body. The muscles grow and develop perfectly for this happen. When they are placed in sitting or standing, the body has to catch up with this. No doubt all children love it.
And the question that I have only for my family is, is it good for them? There is a destiny and a reason why children are with the parents they are with, because that parent can bring them the best conditions for this life, I do believe in my experience, that allowing a child to come into their body out of their own freedom has beneficial affects, not only physically, but also their ability to learn and meet life.


Lee, apparently a chiropractor has released a handbook on the benefits of free movement, perhaps you might find one in your local practice. All body movement is related to how our children learn, reading writing maths etc, and often when a child is having learning difficulties they will practice not the maths/reading but physically take the child back through milestones to check for retained reflexes or missed milestones to see if that shifts how the child is learning.

Yes, we have done a lot of work with Steiner, particularly Extra Lesson. I know a lot of the improvements with this type of therapy usually first involve a lot of regression in areas they had been skipped in development, currently visible in my daughter at the moment going through some three year old phases although she's just about to turn 6. So I fully understand the not pushing behaviours that children are not ready for so they don't miss important steps that they'll have to make up for later.

The thing I'm struggling to understand is how not giving them tummy time works into all this, and is contradictory to the idea of free movement. In my mind, placing a child solely on their back is just as restrictive to their movement, allowing them to only move certain muscle groups, see certain points of view, and I don't see how putting them on their tummy is forcing certain muscles, ligaments etc to work out of order because for both back and tummy the main area a baby must learn to control is their head. I also see there being a difference between pushing a milestone a child isn't ready for and stabilising a child who is attempting that milestone. As with my DS's standing, it's not like I'm picking him up and putting him into that position, he pushes with his legs from a sitting position and puts himself into that position and holds it while I steady his core by lightly holding him. I just think there is a middle ground, that's all. Each to their own, but I don't think a baby's physicality or their ability to learn and meet life will be diminished in any way by giving bubba tummy time, but they can get a nice flat head that will throw their skull and spine out of alignment if they don't get it. My nephew is a perfect example, his head is like flat-flat and effects his bowel control.

[ladybirdflies]

Hey Yeddi, like i said it's not an argument for trying to get you to come and do the same thing. It's a moment that may awaken and speak to a mother or potential mother that gets them asking questions and perhaps may be inspired to do something like this. I work with several families oz wide and there are so many scenarios as you have pointed out. Take what you want from it, and continue to do the job you have been asked to do in raising your children. I could go on, but won't. Go well

[Yeddi]

I'm not trying to get into an argument, I'm just asking the question of how tummy time is contradictory to the idea of free-movement. I don't see how the question in itself is combative. I can find no information on this practise whatsoever, so it's not like I can defer to other sources to ask the questions.

Thanks Helle spot on.