GM.A.27 ON TUMMY, FULL BALANCE REACTIONS PRESENT

At this stage in a baby’s development, she has learned to balance lying on her tummy. If she is placed on a movable surface and tipped, she uses her head, trunk and limbs to prevent a fall.

This balance requires that the baby not only elongates her weight-bearing side, but also twists, so that the shoulder on the long side comes towards the hip on the opposite side. Experiment yourself, to feel the movements involved.

How to Assess

Materials: A surface which can be tilted, such as a large ball, a blanket or sheet held taut at each corner, a balance board or a waterbed.

Method: Place the child on her tummy on a surface which can be tilted, and tilt the surface to the side. Score plus if your child prevents herself from falling by ‘curving uphill’ with the ‘uphill’ arm and leg coming out to the side for added balance.

How to Teach

You have already been preparing your child for this activity by tipping her from side to side while sitting on your lap.

Use a variety of ways to tip your child, so that she does not associate the responses with one situation only. As well as the materials suggested under How to Assess above, you can make use of someone with a broad back – Dad, perhaps, or Grandpa. Have Dad on his hands and knees, and place your child on his back. Dad then gently tilts from one side to the other. Make sure that someone is nearby for safety.

Whatever materials you use, always move slowly and wait for your baby to attempt to correct herself by ‘curving uphill’.

Positioning, Carrying and Playing

Carry your child as described in GM.A.17, but supporting her down near her hips so that she has to correct her balance when you tilt her. If you encourage her to look around towards you, you are also building in that important component, rotation.

All the above exercises can be made into fun, ‘rough and tumble’ activities. It is important that your child experiences rough play, so that she learns to handle different movements without fear and is happy to experiment with new movements and positions.