An Easy Way to Teach Your Baby to Crawl

Despite all the ongoing debates about the necessity of the crawling phase during the development of an infant, most of the parents have already realized that crawling is one of the most important skills that a baby needs to master. The majority of the toddlers can learn this type of movement without any parental help, however it is always useful for the parents to understand how to teach their babies to crawl.

To avoid a lot of unnecessary worries, it is important to know which age do babies usually start to crawl. Due to the recent statistics, 50 percent of the toddlers learn to crawl until being 7 months old, 75 percent until 10 months, and 90 percent until 11 months. So don't panic if your 6 months old baby do not crawl - just be patient.

In most cases the parents do not need to teach their baby to crawl as he will do it on his own. The most important key of self-learning is the adequate amount of floor time. This cannot be emphasized enough. How could a baby learn to crawl if there is not enough time for her to do so and she's not pushed to do so, because she's being carried around by the parents all the time. Let your baby practice crawling by putting on the floor surrounded by her favorite toys.

Apart from providing the needed floor time, there is also a very easy and fun way to teach your baby to crawl.

1. Choose a carpet that is firm yet comfortable and thick, and put it on the floor. This is important to prevent your baby from getting cold. Put your toddler on the carpet.


2. Gently position his elbows to be under his upper body in crawling position, making sure that your baby is leaning on them.


3. Create a 'roller' that will support him in the crawling. The easiest way is to make a 'sausage' by rolling up a blanket or a big towel.


4. Put this roller under your infant, not under his stomach but his upper body to keep it comfortable and safe.


5. The next step is to motivate him to crawl. You can do this by leaning on the floor in front of him, calling him towards you in a gentle voice. You can also put some of his favorite toys on the carpet the way that he could see but not reach them without crawling a bit.


6. It is a great feeling when you see your baby starting to crawl. However, when this happens, make sure not to frustrate him by cheering to noisily or clapping your hands. Simply say something sweet or caress him.

Using this method parents can easily teach their babies to crawl. It takes time and patience, but believe me, you can do this. Don't be upset if you cannot see the results at the first times, keep practicing day by day. If you see after the age of 11 months your baby still do not crawl, there might be other physiological or neurological problems in the background. It does not mean that you have to panic, but I would advice you to see a specialist just for sure.

Michael Dwenn has recently become the proud father of a wonderful baby boy. Apart from enjoying all the hours spent together, Michael also loves to learn new methods of teaching his baby to help his development. You can find more on this topic in his new blog:
http://www.teachbaby.org
http://www.teachbaby.org/teach-baby/how-to-teach-baby-to-sleep-on-his-own

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Dwenn

Pregnancy and Flying

If you get pregnant, or discover you are pregnant, after booking a holiday, you may well have some doubts about whether taking that holiday will be a safe decision to make. It is true that there are conflicting opinions about how safe it is to fly while pregnant, but you certainly shouldn't go looking to cancel a flight just because you are going to have a baby. In fact, a holiday may be just what you need at this stage, and it may well even be the best time to take a holiday, depending on how far along you are.

If you are into your third trimester, or will be by the time the holiday comes around, then it is bad news. Airlines are fully within their rights to refuse to carry you if they are concerned about the risk of premature labor, and there are complications that can arise from flying the further along you are in your pregnancy. These potential problems are more pronounced the more pregnant you are - and in your third trimester they will be an issue.

That said, if you are in your first two trimesters of pregnancy, there is no reason whatsoever that the airline should stop you from flying, or that you should put any restriction on yourself which prevents you from traveling. You may have heard of a risk from increased radiation caused by flying, but this risk is absolutely negligible for most flyers. What this means in practice is that if you are going to be flying a couple of times, it will not make any difference at all - although obviously different rules apply if you are flying regularly on business or for any other reason.

If you have a persistent concern about the wisdom of flying in your condition, then ask a doctor. This is a good idea for two reasons. Firstly, it will set your mind at rest as they will be able to inform you of any reason why you hypothetically might be prevented from flying, and explain why this will not apply to you if that is the case. Secondly, a doctor can give you a signed letter for presentation at the airport if the airline are at all concerned that there may be a risk arising from you flying.

Flying during your second trimester is, in a lot of ways, the optimum time for you to go. By this time you will be over most of the initial inconveniences for pregnant women - the morning sickness, for one - and you will be a lot more equipped to fly comfortably, safely and happily. You will also be in the position where flying later will be less convenient - the late stages of pregnancy or the early ones of motherhood make flying a bad idea or a pain - and will be just about ready for a holiday after the grisly early stages. There is absolutely no reason at this stage why you should not get on a plane - and you may even find that the airline staff are extra helpful.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Toni_K_Kelly