How do I encourge sitting?
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33289
Printed Date: 27 August 2025 at 4:53pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: How do I encourge sitting?
Posted By: millymollymandy
Subject: How do I encourge sitting?
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 3:21pm
|
DD is 9 months old, she's fantastic commando crawler and can stand if we hold her hands. She has no interest in sitting . she sits on your knee and chairs but old independently.
If we try to sit her she just pulls up into standing. Does anyone have any good tricks for encouraging sitting? |
Replies:
Posted By: MrsMc
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 7:06pm
|
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 |
Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 7:16pm
| Totally agree with MrsMc- she will get there in her own time! |
Posted By: Tigerish
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 7:31pm
|
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. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 7:49pm
|
You dont! If shes not doing it on her own, she isn't ready! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 8:04pm
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. ------------- |
Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 8:10pm
|
I used to sit with DD between my feet when I was on the couch, so she had support either side when we played. But she definitely learnt it on her own ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
|
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 8:16pm
|
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 -------------   
|
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 11:04pm
| Crawling is supposed to come before sitting??? The girls have been sitting for a few weeks, Jade has just started almost crawling today and Amber....well she's just not interested in crawling (except backwards)!!! And both prefer to stand up than anything else. |
Posted By: kiwikid
Date Posted: 07 May 2010 at 11:41pm
|
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. ------------- 
|
Posted By: LJsmum
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 2:12pm
|
don't worry, it's far more important from a developmental point of view that she is having heaps of floor time, crawling and pulling to stand than sitting.
babies only sit early because they are put in that position, by being propped up against couches, pillows e.t.c plus the order of development is rolling, / moving around the floor/crawling, sitting, pulling to stand, cruising, walking. it is hard though when everybody elses baby is sitting. there is a good book called move baby move that talks about natural development. -------------  
|
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 5:20pm
I know Kate, I thought they sat first too LOL... the bum shufflers sure do  -------------
|
Posted By: Tigerish
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 8:05pm
|
Oh I love the baby moves book! Its got some great advice about letting babies meet their milestones without intervention. We have followed this to some degree with DS. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: MrsMc
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 8:49pm
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. |
melnel wrote:Posted By: myonlineself
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 9:31pm
|
Is it bad to sit baby on your lap? Are you not meant to place baby in a sitting position? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 10:08pm
|
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. ------------- Two little girls under 2! 
|
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 10:21pm
Thats what my boy did too! Oh and bless him, he started rocking at 5 months but didnt actually crawl until 10 months LOL -------------
|
Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 08 May 2010 at 10:56pm
|
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 ------------- Our Angel July 08  Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
|
Posted By: millymollymandy
Date Posted: 09 May 2010 at 4:13pm
|
Hmm interesting... def a mix of crawl first and sit first in our antinatal group. I just find it fascinating that she will pull herself up to stand but doesn't want to sit. Note, careful use of encourage..i.e. once she's thinking about it letting her know its a good idea. I'm not too worried about it really and we are seeing heaps more time on hands and knees so not far off I think.
Its so cool watching her grow and change. |
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 10 May 2010 at 4:32pm
|
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 :) ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: Lizze
Date Posted: 10 May 2010 at 10:21pm
|
yeah at gymbaroo they really discourage sitting before crawling, crawling is so much more important and the sitting they will figure out soon enough ------------- 
|
Posted By: mamanee
Date Posted: 11 May 2010 at 10:32am
|
Sam never sat. He bypassed that, went straight to crawling, then standing then walking. If I put him on his bum he'd just topple over instantly and crawl away.
Jamie sits with a cushion and looks as though he will be a sit first kinda baby, but I've only tried him sitting up once or twice. I actually would prefer him to NOT move at all for a long time after having a baby like Sam. |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 11 May 2010 at 1:07pm
|
Someone told me that each person is like a puzzle. All the pieces are there. But just like any puzzle the order that the pieces come out will differ from puzzle to puzzle. And sometimes you need a bit of help to get the one piece in the right spot but eventually the whole puzzle will be completed.
Really I think there isnt so much worry about it. I think it is enough if bubs sit on top of you and eventually they will sit by themselves. Just put them enough on the floor to crawl ect and eventually bubs will just sit and not topple over. Only thing I sort of did is put bubs between your legs on the floor and have toys in front. But that wasnt as much to get him or her to sit as it was to keep them climbing on top of the couch ect. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 11 May 2010 at 2:00pm
.....can not even remember what order my children did it .... ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 12 May 2010 at 10:16am
Good question MOS...I have Liam sitting on my lap a lot, he won't lie down in cradle hold, he hates it. And now he wants to sit up in the pram. He is so nosy that he can't stand to not see what is going on...though he is very happy on the ground on his back... ------------- 
Oct 11
|