Tummy Time

Is there anything that you can do that will make tummy time fun for babies? Our twosome HATE it. DH and I will get on the floor and try to play with them when they are on their tummies. Either they sit there and do nothing or scream bloody murder. They can lift themselves with their arms when they are on their tummies (laying on us or other people) but tummy time just makes them so mad, it seems like they refuse to do it!

Any suggestions?

 

have you tried putting them in a boppy with their arms hanging over the edge? maybe they don't like being flat on the floor?

 

Definetly try the boppy. Mine hated tummy time at first too but the more they did it the more they enjoyed it. Just try it for a few minutes each time and I think as they get stronger too, they will like it more.

 

The occupational therapist in the NICU suggested we start with just a minute or two at a time with each diaper change.

 

Mine STILL hate being on their tummies ... and they are 9 months old! My Ped says that my girls will probably not crawl and just go straight to walking. The only thing that would entertain them enough that I could put them on their tummies was the TV. When they were little, I would turn on Baby E and put them on the ottoman (w/me sitting right there in case of rolls) and they would do a bit of TT that way.

They seem to WANT to crawl. Hannah especially. She will flop on her tummy (from sitting) then just scoot herself backwards and get really mad! Who knows! Good luck! Oh, also they liked to watch ANYTHING spin ... so if you have a hard floor to put them on (I would put them on a blanket on the kitchen floor) and I took the rings from a toy that we have (normal kid toy ... the rod with different colored rings that start big and get smaller as you go up ... KWIM?) and I would spin those on the hard floor, like I was spinning a coin ... or if you have little balls you could spin ... mine would watch things spin on their tummies for a bit.

 

Nancy, I had tummy time haters here too! I used to put them with the boppy under their underarms OR just lay them on my chest, so we would be face to face. Who knew they'd want to look at me! And they are just fine now. Keep on trying with them, it doesn't have to be that they are flat on the floor, they'll still be working their upper body/arms while on the boppy or you. My two did still crawl eventhough they didn't do a TON of t.t.!

 

Do it for a few seconds at a time and work up to more. A mirror might entertain them! I didn't do a ton of tummy time and my kids have developed very well!! Nothing wrong or lacking - FWIW

 

We didn't do a lot of tummy time because they hated it. What worked best for me was laying them on my chest, then my face would entertain them. The other thing I suggest is putting some toys in front of the boppy and putting them on that, or even a small toy mirror (we have one that hangs on the side of the crib or it stands like a tent).

 

QUOTE(moski @ Apr 12 2008, 10:36 PM) [snapback]718792[/snapback]
We didn't do a lot of tummy time because they hated it. What worked best for me was laying them on my chest, then my face would entertain them. The other thing I suggest is putting some toys in front of the boppy and putting them on that, or even a small toy mirror (we have one that hangs on the side of the crib or it stands like a tent).


Ditto!

Meara did lots of tummy time, but Ana didn't because of reflux/spitting up. Ana actually rolled first (onto her tummy!), and both crawled and walked within a week of each other.

 

Another one that didn't do a lot of tummy time here. Like PPs my babies have been developmentally totally on target (even counting by actual and not adjusted age). I say, do it if you want but don't sweat it too much if they really hate it. I think tummy time is a relatively new invention anyway -- centuries of humans have done fine without it so I don't see why we have to start now

 

Mine hated it too so much they rolled over because of it! We didn't do the boppy as they were mad at that too! I heard from mommymeg that the pedi told her 5 minutes three times a day instead of 10-20 minutes at ONE time. I too did the chest thing (on me ) they liked it better and since they were looking at me, I did words and they would look at my mouth.

I also agree with pp, I don't remember my brothers doing it 16 years ago and they are just fine....do what you can but dont' stress about it.

 

Thank you all so much for your wise advice! I feel SO much better about it. It seems that ours do prefer being on both me and DH and looking at us. I am also going to try laying them on the couch and see if maybe being flat on the floor is their problem. Luke did roll over once and that was when he did TT on the couch. And, I know, I will not sweat it if we can only do a couple of minutes per day :icon_biggrin:

 

QUOTE(poppan @ Apr 13 2008, 12:56 AM) [snapback]718938[/snapback]
Another one that didn't do a lot of tummy time here. Like PPs my babies have been developmentally totally on target (even counting by actual and not adjusted age). I say, do it if you want but don't sweat it too much if they really hate it. I think tummy time is a relatively new invention anyway -- centuries of humans have done fine without it so I don't see why we have to start now


The reason that our parents didn't have to do tummy time with us is because we slept on our tummies!

Babies really need tummy time and my Ben is lagging developmentally because we didn't do enough with him. We are trying hard now to get him caught up to his brother. But....that being said, tummy time can be on you, Daddy, a boppy, etc. It doesn't have to be on the floor.

Cary