How do I encourge sitting?

dont worry about it. once she is crawling on hands and knees she will push back to sitting, that is the natural order of development afterall.
my only advice would be to not encourage standing, if she cant do it herself (i.e pull up at furniture) she shouldnt really be doing it

I agree. Continue to lie her on her back on the floor and let her do her thing (rolling/crawling). It is a natural progression for babies to sit themselves after learning to crawl. It is much better for her development to let her learn to do this for herself when she's ready.

She will sit on her own when shes ready

With my kids ive always just sat them up against me to play or with some pillows around them, and then they just gradually did it themselves.

My child is so abnormal LOL he learnt to push up to sitting well before he learnt to crawl (about 3 months before).. but yup they will do it in their own time! As she crawls and pulls herself up she will be strengthening those important muscles that help her to sit

When DS showed signs of wanting to sit we propped him up with pillows around him for just a few mins at a time, that was around 4.5mths and by 5.5mths he was happily sitting unaided with very rare topples. He crawled at around 7mths. I always thought it was natural for them to sit first then crawl but do agree that once they are crawling that natural sit back action will happen.

Not to minimise your feelings or anything but these milestones that seem so important when they are little dont matter so much when they get to 18 / 24mths - the majority of kids will be physically doing the same things and you realise that doing it in their own time is the most important thing, what I mean is dont be worried by her not sitting when lots of her little friends are etc she will get there soon enough.

I know Kate, I thought they sat first too LOL... the bum shufflers sure do

melnel wrote: I know Kate, I thought they sat first too LOL... the bum shufflers sure do

only if you sit them, otherwise how would they get there?

not many people know that naturally they will crawl first, especially with plunket telling parents to sit babies from 6m.

I'm not sure about the sitting after crawling - DD1 sat before she crawled. And they can get there by themselves - roll onto tummy then push up and backwards so they are sitting. DD1 did this all the time.

I personally think a better way to tell if your baby is about to crawl is when then get on their hands and knees and rock back and forward - crawling forward won't be too far off then.

Kate and Mel I thought the same thing too. Jackson has been sitting for over 2 months and is only just starting to crawl now.

I agree with everyone too. Let her do it in her own time, she will when she's ready

Yeah I think it's different for all. Callum bum shuffled till he was 11.5m and could get to sitting on his own. Just wasn't interested in crawling.

But re th OP - I wouldn't worry about it or try "encourage" sitting as such. Your DD will figure it out soon enough :)