I find there are two types of babies who sit. The ones who are ‘professional sitters’ as I like to call them, and the ones that figured out sitting balance around the same time they figured out how to get into sitting. The first group tends to be perfectly content to be sitting and doesn’t really need to go anywhere. They will sit all day long! The second group will generally get in and out of sitting to get to items they want.
(Yes I realize that not everyone fits into these two categories but they are generally pretty true)
If you have the second group, just let your little one continue to explore and move in and out of various positions.
If you have the first group, let’s work on helping them get out of sitting! This post talks about getting into sitting, so now it’s time to get them out!
Here are some tips:
Work on reaching outside their base of support. Now they are going to be smart so you are going to have to work hard. Make it something really motivating, otherwise you might get this response! If you can get them to reach far enough they will lose their balance and topple over. This is good! You want them to get unstable. The control comes with repeated practice. If they are having trouble doing this, you may have to help them ‘topple’ over or get onto their belly. Bring them to the toy, not the toy to them. They can already play with a toy in sitting, we want them to learn how to get out of sitting to get to a new position or a new toy. You can trick them into it by having them sit on a large pillow or more unstable surface so they have a harder time as they reach a little further and are more likely to topple. Also always have them reach towards the side or in front and to the side. Don’t do straight forward. We want them to learn weight shifting over one leg or the other. Which brings me to the next tip.
Side sitting is great to practice. It helps them learn the leg position and the weight shift for transitions. It is also a slightly more unstable sitting position so they will have to work their core harder. This is never a bad thing! Check out this post on side sitting!
Make sure all of their toys aren’t right within their reach. Get them used to having to work to get a toy or what they want!
Check out our YouTube videos on how to help your ‘professional sitter’.
If your little one is having trouble with sitting let us know, we have a 6 week gross motor program to address sitting!