My 6 month old seems to love hanging her head down below the rest of her body. So if she is laying across my lap she will scoot up so her head hangs down and if i let her will keep going so the top half of her body hangs down and then stay there. i worry about the blood rushing to her head. do other kids do this? is it ok?
i dont know for sure but its not good to let them do it for too long as the blood does rush to the brain n i heard that it can cause vessels in the eyes n nose (thats why sometimes they can get nose bleeds) stuff too burst from all the pressure of being upside down...
my ds does the same thing all the time i just try and get him to do something else like distract him or show him something i know will take him away from it
Both my girls LOVE hanging upside down, sometimes i leave the room and come back and A is laying on the couch with her head off watching TV upside down..
I try and make sure they don't do it for long periods of time, and try and distract Z when she likes throwing herself backwards and doing it.
DD likes looking at things upside down too, different perspective on the world I suppose! As long as she only does it for a very short period of time (say 10 seconds or so) and then is back upright again she should be ok. Once they get older they can probably handle being upside down for longer periods. I must say, it's quite amusing watching DD from the other way, her hair sticks out everywhere..lol
Yep, it's great for them. It's excellent for their spatial and body awareness, as long as you're holding them firmly and safely, and it's not for too long at a time. Make a game of it if you like, by letting her hang for a few moments, then pulling her back up again for a few moments, then letting her hang again.
Yep it's ok for the reasons Audax mentioned. They get you to flip them upside down for short periods of time at Gymbaroo for spatial/body awareness. They Gymbaroo instructor also said something about them having been upside down for ages in utero so they are used to it???
My DD (then 2) went through an upside-down crazy phase earlier this year. In particular hanging off the couch (herself) in all sorts of weird ways. I was mostly worried about her sliding/falling and injuring her neck. It was a bit of a hassle because I'd had surgery and couldn't always grab her. But the novelty wore off eventually.
Ooooh yeah, makes me feel dizzy thinking about doing stuff they do lol. It's a bit the same as when they shake their heads and keep going and going and going when I'd be spewing! Or the standing in the middle of the yard spinning around and around and around and around... well you get my drift. They just love the feelings of some of these things. It's all new to them and what feelings they get from doing them. I don't think there's any imminent or great danger otherwise TBH I don't think they'd keep doing it - like if it was "hurting" them being upside down they wouldn't keep it up.
And spinning! Spinning is awesome for children as their middle ears aren't fully developed so it helps them develop it and create better balance for later in life. I'm sure hanging upside down for hours on end may not be the best but clearly your daughter knows being upside is what she needs/wants and children are their best teachers so I'd let her go for it for a little while at least
Registered User
Is it ok for kids to hang upside down?
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks