Tummy Time Never Gets Old- BLOG HOP REPOST
Most parents of very young children are aware that their child needs "Tummy Time." They usually make great attempts at getting their baby's tummy down on a mat and even will get down on the same level to increase the time their baby will remain happy. In my therapeutic experience, most parents do not realize that tummy time should continue to be encouraged well past the baby stage. If the child "hated" tummy time as a baby, parents usually do not see the point in making them do it as they get older. Children, however, continue to develop core strength and joint stability in this position, and it can often be a sign of immature gross motor skills when a child cannot maintain the position for extended periods of time. Here are a few images of what it may look like if a child is having difficulty staying on his/her tummy.
Image #1 Hips Abducted: Legs Are Spread Open, Toes Tucked Under
The child is widening the base of support and pushing off the floor with his toes. If he wasn't encouraged to stay in the position, he would have tried to sit up already.
Image #2 Hip/Knee Flexion: Legs are bent, Big Toe Hanging On (For Dear Life)
The child may still have primary reflexes that should have disappeared by this age. The child also may be relieving some of the weight on the torso spreading it to other stronger joints. If he wasn't encouraged to stay in the position, he would have completely given up and flexed both his hips and sat back on his heels.
Image #3 Internal Rotation: Legs Turned Inward
The child is trying to increase the surface area to spread the weight and take it off the torso. If he wasn't encouraged to stay in the position, he would have crossed his feet.
Image #4 After Shot: Legs Closer Together, More Relaxed
After completing a fine motor activity such as coloring, sorting objects, lacing string through holes, completing a puzzle, or just chatting while resting on his or her elbows, a child will build more strength gradually and the muscles will become used to the posture. It is encouraged to build up the time tolerance and provide less support and more verbal cueing as opposed to physical assistance to keep the ankles and legs close together.
So the moral of this photo story is that Tummy Time Never Gets Old. Encourage your children to work on the floor and you will see improvements in many areas including neck control, coordination, drawing skills, eye movement, and the list goes on from here to Neverland.
Have a playful day!
~Amy Baez, MOT, OTR/L
President & Founder of Playapy
Copyright 2012 Playapy, LLC
Tummy Time Therapy Blogger Blog Hop
Below you will find all the posts in the Tummy Time therapy blogger blog hop. So many great ideas and thoughts on tummy time from Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapists.
The Importance of Tummy Time for Babies - Golden Reflections Blog
Tummy Time & Baby's First Year - The Recycling OT
5 Awesome Toys for Tummy Time! - The Inspired Treehouse
Terrific Tummy Time Positions - Your Kids OT
Tips For Tummy Time From A Physical Therapist - Pink Oatmeal
Tummy Time : The Basics - Therapy Fun Zone
