GM.B.69 STANDS ALONE FOR 10 SECONDS

To balance without assistance, on 2 legs, in standing, is a necessary skill before achieving stable walking. It doesn’t always come before independent walking – some children take off before they can stand alone for 10 seconds – but it isn’t a stable walk: they have to go from one support to another and if they don’t reach a support they fall. So if your child takes off before she can stand, don’t overlook practice of this skill – it will be necessary for her to achieve this skill before she can gain proper control of her walking.

At this stage, your child will stand with her arms held in a ‘W’ at the shoulders for added stability. She also stands with her legs apart for stability.

How to Assess

Method: Stand your child in the middle of the floor. Or lean your child against the wall and then gently pull her forward, away from the wall. Or lean your child forward against the couch and encourage her to stand by herself. Score plus if your child stands unsupported for 10 seconds.

How to Teach

Here are 2 methods for teaching standing.

Method 1

Kneel behind your child while she is standing. Give her something to hold in her hands and hold her on either side of her hips. While she is standing, gently loosen your grip on her hips until you are just using one finger to support her. Watch her feet: as her balance moves slightly forward, her toes should grip into the floor to push her back to the midline; and if she tilts back slightly her toes should raise up to pull her back straight again. These foot movements are an important part of balancing in standing. She will use her foot muscles more as her standing balance improves.

Method 2

Another way to teach her to stand solo is to stand her facing away from you, against your legs, then gently push her forward (by bending your knees). If you feel she has control of her standing, very gently straighten your legs – leaving her no support. This can be practised a lot, as she will feel secure with you so close by.

You might well find that she spontaneously lets go while she is leaning up against a small table or couch, playing. It’s quite amusing to see the expression on the child’s face when she realises she is standing independently. It usually gives the child such as a shock that she immediately falls over.

If your child is still very wobbly at her hips, give her lots of standing practice, but do not expect her to stand alone just yet. Refer to the breadboard exercises on the introduction to this sequence and use them to improve your child’s balance while supporting her from the hips. Also refer to the wall-leaning exercises to help your child gain control of her hip and tummy muscles, which must work together for good hip control.