Balance

Photo: Zdeněk Macháček / Unsplash

Balance

One Thing for Babies

Babies first learn to control their balance in motion by rolling.
MILESTONE: Babies learn to roll between 4-6 months of age.

Photo: Jimmy Conover / Unsplash

Help your 4 to 6-month-old learn to roll with the blanket wrap.

1. Position baby at one end of the blanket with his head above the edge of the blanket
2. Slowly roll your baby wrapping him up as you go
3. The roll the other way to unwrap him out of the blanket

Photo by Yến Yến on Unsplash

If your baby is already crawling, he’s getting a lot of good experience with balance. Challenge him even more by having him crawl over pillows, folded up comforters, even sofa cushions. ​

One Thing for Toddlers

After toddlers learn to walk well, they challenge themselves. Doesn’t it seem like they carrying things wherever they go? And they’re constantly bending down and picking things up. These guys can really balance. If your toddler is bending and carrying, challenge her balance a little bit more:

1. Make a balance beam with a board or tape a line to the floor
2. Have her step on an off a pillow, cushion or folded up comforter
3. If your toddler is ready, you can practice walking up and down the bottom step of the stairs or on and off a step stool (with you nearby)

Photo: Hugues de BUYER-MIMEURE / Unsplash

One Thing for Preschoolers

Challenge your preschoolers balance by helping him:

1. Stand with his eyes closed and sing his favorite sone
2. Stand on one leg
3. Walk across the room on his tippy toes.
   
4. GAME: Place a bucket (container / basket / box) filled with items at one end of the room and an empty bucket at the other end of the room. Use a bord, the edge of a rug, or even a line of tape on the floor. Encourage your preschooler to walk on his tippy toes to the bucket. Pick out an item. Walk the line on the floor to the empty bucket and drop it in.
5. Obstacle course. Allow your child to design a balance obstacle course with squishy surfaces (pillows), balance beams, ramps and more! Be sure to check it out for safety before he begins the course and stand by if needed.

One Thing for Parents

There’s a lot to balance these days. What things in your life are balancing just right today? Which things are close to toppling over? Is anything out of balance?

Take some time to take a breath, to prioritize, and figure out how to get everything in balance for today. In order to give balance to our kids, we need to find some for ourselves. Take the time you need to take care of yourself so you’ll be better able to take care of you child / children.

Remember the most important thing isn’t the blanket wraps or the obstacle course. The most important thing is that you are there for your child.
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With love,
Angela