We had a great group at our recent FREE class on the Importance of Movement and Infant/Toddler Equipment to Promote Development at KinderVillage Music Studio in Cary this week! We spoke about the importance of movement in motor development and provided great information on play equipment that helps to promote your little one's development, as well as those things that might interfere with development. It was such a wonderful, interactive group with lots of questions about their specific needs that we were able to answer for them. We were so impressed with the staff of KinderVillage, and their interest in learning how they can help promote motor development more in their music and movement classes! Thanks to KinderVillage music studio for hosting us!
Babies On The MOVE at Baby + Co
We visited with the new mom's group at Baby + Co again this week. We love having the opportunity to share our knowledge on infant development with new parents, so they can feel confident in providing their tiny babies with opportunities to promote movement and motor development. Early movement helps form the foundation for their baby's motor skills and achievement of developmental milestones. Thanks to Baby + Co for providing us with the opportunity to come talk to the new moms!
Feature Baby: Sydney
This month we are featuring our adorable little friend Sydney! We first met Sydney in September when she was almost four months old. At that point, she was comfortable doing some tummy time, but we showed her parents Danielle and Matt ways to make it a little easier by getting her weight back off her chest a bit. We also showed them how to help her roll over and support her in sitting with good alignment. After their first Babies On The MOVE class, they signed up for a three-month series of classes. At her next class, we could see how much stronger Sydney was getting! She was doing really well on her tummy, propping on her arms and lifting them up off the floor. Not only could she lift her head really well on her tummy, but she was also lifting it really well when she was lying on her sides and when she was lying on her back! Her parents held her in sitting with great alignment, just as they had learned in class. At the class the following month, she was able to sit without them holding on to her, just being there for when she lost her balance! We taught her parents things to encourage when she was on her tummy to help her work towards crawling. In the last class of their three class series, Sydney was starting to move onto her tummy from sitting all by herself! She had good balance when her parents held her supported in standing, using techniques we taught them to keep her from going up on her toes. Sydney was also starting to move towards getting on her hands and knees by moving over the sides is sitting. By the time we saw Sydney next, she was crawling all over and pulling up to standing on furniture! We gave her parents ideas of things to help her be more stable on her feet and get her on her way to walking. We can't believe this sweet little girl is going to be walking all over the place in the next few months!
“Babies on the Move has been such a great experience for our family. Sydney is our first child and I’m sure as most first time parents we fly by the seat of our pants. Even with my ABA background and understanding of developmental milestones, I was in uncharted territory when it came to helping Sydney with her motor development. Rebecca and Rachel do such a great job, explaining and training the parents on how to help their children develop their mobility while having fun at the same time. Each month Sydney seemed to be emerging into the next motor milestone, and after going to class and working with Rebecca and Rachel she developed more confidence in her ability to meet those milestones. It was just incredible to see. They also helped my husband and I feel more confident and capable with our ability to help Sydney grow. We would recommend these classes to every parent, first time or veterans!”
Stability Versus Mobility
During this month’s BOTM classes, we had a great opportunity to see kiddos moving along with their motor skills (pun intended). As babies grow, they develop strength in their muscles and begin to explore new developmental positions. When they are learning a new skill, babies are simply focused on staying up – or having the stability to be in that position. For the newborn, this may mean that they lay on their back with their legs curled up and arms tucked in to their body, or even flat on the surface which can support them. As they get older and stronger, your baby starts to reach his arms out and kick his legs, playing with new-found mobility. When he begins to sit, he may keep his legs wide apart, giving him a larger base of support which makes him more stable in a sitting position. He may also keep his arms out to the sides to help him balance. While this position with his arms and legs out makes him more stable, it limits his ability to play and move out of this position. As your baby gets stronger, more confident, and has more practice in this new position, he starts to bring his legs closer together, use his hands to reach for toys both near and far, and allows himself to move his body in different directions. This transition from stability to mobility is important, and we see it happen in each position that a baby masters. For some babies, this step between stability and mobility can be tricky. It may be that he doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of moving, or is just unsure of how to get there. Some babies keep their legs out wide even after they have been practicing sitting for a while. They may need extra encouragement or help keeping their legs closer together to make moving over them easier. Once your baby learns that she can move from her sitting position, she starts to explore getting from sitting onto her tummy or even her hands and knees. As she gets onto hands and knees or up on her feet for standing, the process of moving from stability to mobility starts again. With each new position that your baby explores, she will first work to master the ability to just be in that position. Once she masters staying in the position, she is on to moving while in the position, and eventually on to the next position!
October Babies On The MOVE Baby Classes
October brought the beginning of a new series of classes at Babies On The MOVE. In our Master Mover classes, we talked about standing and getting into standing. It brought us to the conversation about shoe recommendations for little feet. We recommended babies be barefoot at home and talked about the type of shoes that are best for new walkers when they are outside. The Mini Mover classes brought lots of new little babes. We talked about what's important about playing on your back and side, as well as how to make tummy time more fun! There was an impressive showing of dads at the Sunday classes! We frequently have more of a mommy & me showing to class, but dads are of course always welcome and encouraged to come too (or instead)! Looking forward to our November classes which are right around the corner.
Babies On The MOVE speaks at Baby+Co new moms group
We had the pleasure of being the expert guest speaker at the new moms group meeting at Baby+Company in Cary, North Carolina this month. The moms were interested in learning more about their babies' motor development and the baby movement classes we offer. We love having the opportunity to talk with parents about their babies' motor development from the very beginning. We know that new parents have a lot to learn about life with baby. We want parents to feel comfortable and confident in providing their baby with opportunities to use their muscles in a variety of ways and progress through the developmental milestones. Thank you Baby+Co for providing us with this opportunity to connect with new moms and share our knowledge with them!
Why MOVE?
MOVE: Movement ~ Opportunity ~ Variety ~ Experience
During our baby’s first year of life we are constantly thinking about growth, development, and milestones. At Babies On The MOVE, we know that infant development can be a total unknown for new parents. Why is it really so important that our babies MOVE?
As parents, we want to encourage MOVEMENT in our babies. Helping your baby strengthen their muscles now will help them to learn to roll, sit, crawl, stand and walk in the coming months.
Babies have an innate drive to move. When we give them the OPPORTUNITY to spend time in different positions, we allow them to learn about their world from a new perspective.
For infants, VARIETY is the spice of life, just as it is for adults. Spending time on his back helps a baby to strengthen his muscles differently than he does when spending time on his tummy. Sitting up gives a new vantage point compared to being on your side, and standing opens a whole new world of possibilities for your infant.
Moving your infant through a variety of positions throughout the day not only keeps boredom at bay but it is also provides them with the EXPERIENCE they need to learn and master new skills.
Every developmental position provides your infant with opportunities to strengthen their muscles, get different sensory information, and see their world in a new way. Without all of these experiences, the path for motor development can be bumpy, with babies having difficulty mastering new skills. Our mommy and me motor development classes provide parents and babies with activities to encourage all infants to spend time in a variety of positions and strengthen their bodies for the future. So the next time you are playing with your baby, don’t forget to MOVE!
Feature Baby: Caleb
We at Babies On The MOVE decided that we need to showcase these beautiful babies that are attending our classes as they grow and develop into expert movers! We are delighted to introduce you all to Caleb, our first feature baby! Caleb and his mother, Erin, have been attending our classes since our very first class in March 2016 when he was almost 5 months old. At that first class, Erin shared with us that she did not have any experience with babies before becoming a mom. In our classes, we provide ideas, tips, and hands-on practice of ways to position and play with your baby to promote their motor development. Our goal is to increase parents' confidence with handling their baby in this way. After that first class, Erin and Caleb signed up for a 3-class series. On his first of three classes, Caleb was already starting to roll and move around on his tummy! At the second class, he was sitting and starting to get up on his hands and knees and pull himself up to standing! By the third class, he was crawling over things and cruising (taking steps holding on to furniture)! It never ceases to amaze me how fast babies grow and change! Here is a shot of Caleb on the move at one of our classes:
I asked Erin if she would be willing to share her experience with attending the Babies On The MOVE classes, and here is what she had to say:
"I was so excited to see in my local moms group that two physical therapists were offering a ‘Babies on the Move’ class. As a first time mom I had tons of questions about my babies mobility and fears that he wouldn’t hit milestones in development. Like most babies, my son hated tummy time. After going to the first class, I learned that there are different ways to incorporate tummy time besides the traditional laying your baby on a play mat and listening to them cry. I learned how important it is for a baby to build a strong core. I returned to the next class and my son was already starting to roll over. Rachel and Rebecca taught me how to help my son roll if he got stuck half way through. The next class my son was already starting to sit up so I learned how to place some of the larger toys I had that made noise on the floor so I could sit him in front of them and he could lean in and reach for things. I really think that this class changed things for my baby. He loved sitting and playing with his activity center and 2-3 weeks after this class he was literally on the move…he started to crawl. I feel like the 4 classes I attended put him ahead of the curve, at 9 months and 6 days he is standing and walking with very little assistance. I am so appreciative for everything I learned and highly recommend these classes."
Thank you so much for your kind words Erin! We absolutely love teaching these classes, and it is because of the amazing parents and their sweet little babies that we get to work with! Also big thanks for sharing more 'On the MOVE' pics of Caleb at home! We are so proud of you and your little mover!! Enjoy chasing him around ;)
Babies On The MOVE at Stroller Strides
We really enjoyed heading out to the Apex Community Park last month to join with Fit4Mom at a Stroller Strides class! We provided a free demonstration of our Babies On The MOVE baby movement classes to the class participants. It was a beautiful day at the park. We spread out some blankets in the shade, got the babies out of the strollers, and got down on the blankets to play! It's a great idea for parents to bring along a blanket on outings so you can get your baby out of their car seat or stroller and get them down on the ground to play and use their muscles! The babies were a range of ages, so participants were able to learn tricks for helping their little one progress to the next motor milestones from early tummy time experiences to standing and cruising! Thanks Fit4Mom for having us out to provide a free demonstration to your participants!