Acknowledgements - gapitc

Infants need to move! Once your child is crawling,“baby proof” an area in your home
where she can crawl around without bumping into things.
Check the floors! Babies put everything in their mouths, so move things that are not
safe for chewing!
Infants do not understand “no.” It is best to put unsafe things out of their reach. As
they get older, they will learn what they can and cannot touch.
Infants do no have a sense of height. They will crawl under furniture and sit up without
regard to bumping their heads. They will also pull up on furniture without regard to
what is above them. Choose and arrange furniture with this in mind.
Place your hands firmly against the soles of your baby’s feet so he can use them to
push off for crawling.
To encourage crawling for a baby with a visual impairment, play a musical toy a short
distance away. Encourage the baby to crawl to the sound.
To encourage crawling for a child with a hearing impairment, place a lighted toy a
short distance away. Make gestures to encourage the baby to crawl to the light.
Roll a ball slowly for your infant to “chase,” to practice crawling. Try this with a child
who seems unsure about starting to crawl.
When they are ready,infants will pull up on everything! Move objects that will fall over
if your child pulls up on them. Check furniture for sharp edges, too.
When your older infant is ready to walk with support, get a sturdy rolling toy he can
hold onto and push from a standing position. A sturdy child-sized shopping cart and
a sturdy doll stroller are two examples. Look for these at garage sales.
Find a place where your infant can play safely outside.
Talk to your child about everything she does. She will learn language while she’s
moving too!