My baby girl is so frustrated.... it's upsetting me!

My little girl is 9.5mths nearly 10mths now and she is generally a really happy bubbly little bub!!! So many people comment all the time how she's so happy and friendly and social to everyone!!! We're very proud parents.

On the other hand, while we're at home and DD is on her tummy learning to crawl, she's getting VERY frustrated because she still isn't crawling yet and I know she wants to but it's not coming together for her just yet.... I understand that all babies develop at their OWN pace and she will crawl when she's good and ready but it's soooo hard seeing her frustrated and cranky at herself because she can't do it really makes me feel helpless as her Mum because I can't really help her with that... it's something she needs to do herself. Just upsets me that I can't help her with it you know?

In the meantime she has heaps of fun scooting around on her tummy and rolling all over the place to get things but I know she wants to crawl, she just hasn't yet.... she is also very squirmish and wants to be put down alot more the last few weeks and when we put her down she then gets upset because she can't go anywhere yet poor bub.

I'm looking forward to her crawling soon, mainly so she isn't so frustrated and cranky with herself anymore. I know that DD has always been more of a communicator and social bub rather than focusing on her mobility... she can do alot of things that so many other babies her age aren't doing.... she learnt how to clap her hands, wave and high-five when she was only 7mths old!!! and if she see's a picture of a lion in her book she makes the 'grrrr' sound of the lion, its so clever of her... if we sing "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands" she claps her hands to the song she knows... she amazes us with how clever she is!! so while she's really proud of herself with those achievements, she's feeling upset with herself that she can't get anywhere.



I know it will happen for her soon and I'm here to support her with it all but until she crawls, I just get upset seeing her so frustrated. I think it's wonderful that I have a bub who isn't crawling yet so I don't have to chase her around yet hehehe but on the other hand, its hard for her you know? Thanks for listening.

to you and your little one. It sounds like in her mind she knows what she wants to do but her arms and legs just aren't there yet. I'd say once she's there she'll be hard to catch

As a parent it is very hard to sit back and watch because if your child is sad or frustrated all we want to do is help and make things better. But sometimes it's out of our control and we have to sit back and let them figure things out themselves.

Hope she gets the crawling figured out soon so she can go back to the happy bub you know she is

Im sure she will get there very soon, but it is hard to see them struggle when you cant help
In no time at all you will be thinking back to this time wishing she would just stay still for one minute!!

Awww Ren, Bella was just the same! She was a "late" crawler but got the hang of it really fast when she did start - but now she is practiacally walking instead! She will now rather walk around on the furnature and on her wlker on her own than crawl!

We used to help Bella by putting her in crawling position and then encorage her to move her ams and legs and the we would catch her if she would start to topple over. Unfortunatly it is something that they have to learn them selves but i found if I was on the floor with her she was less frustrated as I was keeping her occupied as well..

She will get there and when she does she will love it - but then they move on to being frustrated about then next big thing.

I hope she gets the hang of it fast and can get back to being happy happy all the time!

Kate

Yeah I find she's not so frustrated when I'm sitting on the floor or lying on the floor with her with her toys etc.... I know that all too soon, she'll have figured it out and then she'll be frustrated at the next stage she is trying to figure out... it's all part of being a kid, it's just hard watching them be frustrated isn't it.

I'm sure it will be exhausting having a little crawling bubba to chase after but it will be so much more fun for my DD....she won't need to be frustrated about it anymore!

She has really strong legs and can stand up on her activity table for ages at a time... so as soon as she masters this crawling stage, i'm sure she's going to master the rest pretty quick!!! Hmmm maybe she may not even crawl much anyway? You hear some babies that hardly crawl and go straight to walking I guess.... eeek

WOW, I remember feeling the same with my DS when he wouldn't crawl! The poor thing was SOOOO frustrated and I couldn't do a single thing. It's so tough!

He eventually started crawling around 10.5 months, and I remember it was on the grass! It must have been easier for him to grip or something. My Mum was there too and he loves her so much I think that was the extra motivation!

I remember I thought DS was going to still be lying on the floor like a blob on his 21st birthday asking me to bring him beers!!!!

I can be difficult seeing them so frustrated, DD is like it at the moment trying to learn how to walk, she was a very late crawler at 15 1/2 months, due to hypermobility (being too flexible). But if you want to make it a little less frustrating for her you can do is encourage some fun play movements we went through in our physio sessions with DD to help her learn to crawl.

That way she learns about being up in those positions, is having fun and you can be playing with her, releasing some of the frustration.

We would pop DD over our leg, knees one side and hands on the other popping toys infront of her, that way she is up in the crawling position learning about transferring weight to her hands, while not having to support her whole body.

Popping her knees underneath her, sliding a towel under her belly to support her, slighting lifteing her up so she is in a crawling position but not having to support her weight.

Also with her knees underneath and moving ove leg at a time and alternate arm, this is trickier as your really need tow of you to do it effectively.

But lots of play in thiese types of positions will help her develop her core muscles so that she will have the ability to crawl.

Or just wait it out and let her discover it in her own way. She will be off before you know it and exploring a whole new world and means you will have to rais the baby proofing levels

It is frustrating, I would suggest so that she does'nt get too frustrated that you change what she is doing when she gets agro, maybe put her in a jolly jumper, bring out the washing basket and sit her in it with lots of toys, sit and read a book for a while, give her a horse ride on your legs. Just break it up a bit.
Good luck in no time she will be off.

it just happens, Ren, it really does, you just have to wait for the day that it clicks into place. I've got the physical baby who is slow with the speech stuff and I'm desperate for the day that I get a ma-ma-ma sound or a da-da-da one would be great too! But watching her learn to crawl, one day she couldn't do it and the next day she's turned into a beautiful little catapillar!

I went through this with my DD too. She was so eager to move and very frustrated that she couldn't. I did come up with something that I reckon helped her to learn how to crawl:

I knew that before babies crawl they often start by getting up on their knees and rocking. So I held DD up on her knees, rocked her and said "weeeeeeeeeeeee". She laughed and smiled. I had created a fun game. We did this a couple of times a day over a few days. Then I noticed she would get up on her knees without me. Only briefly - but it was a start. Next I noticed that if I said "weeeeeeeeeee" she would automatically get up on her knees and rock. I realised that I had in fact taught her how to get up on her knees and she associated a word with an action. Then she realised she could inch forwards if she got up on her knees and finally started crawling.

Or perhaps it would have happened at that point anyway? Now my DD is very frustrated because she wants to walk and run but isn't quite there yet. I have no ideas on helping her to walk though, other than to support her while she tries.

She may not be crawling, but she sounds super advanced in other ways!

I think it's better to let them figure stuff out themselves. I know DS gets lazy if I help him with things and stops trying for himself - but maybe that's just him! He whines to get up on the couch and grunts and groans till I help him up. But the other day I came round the corner and he couldn't see me - little blighter was climbing up by himself!

Aw Ren, it does get frustrating for us mums doesn't it! You've done a great job so far by the sounds of things and I'm sure your little girl will be moving around before you know it!