Prone can actually begin to be trained since a month old baby. But you still have to be wise in training children to learn to lie on their stomach as early as that. The reason is, even though this position is very good for stimulating your child's motor development and exercising his neck strength, the prone position is prone to increasing the risk of sudden infant syndrome if done carelessly. So, when is the best time to train children to learn prone, and how is it right?
Babies can lie on their own at 3-5 months of age
In general, babies can already lie on their stomach and turn themselves around at the age of 3-5 months. Even so, there is also a new baby who can lie on his stomach and roll when he is around 6-7 months, when his neck and arm muscles are considered strong enough. That is why, you do not need to worry if at the age of 3 months your baby may not be able to tilt or prone, because in addition to the development of each baby is not the same, it is also still within normal limits.
How do parents train children to learn to lie down?
Most babies may not linger in a prone position. Boredom is the reason why babies are often fussy when they are in a prone position for a long time. That is why, if you want to train a child to learn to lie on his stomach, you must be smart to find ways to attract his attention so that he is not easily bored or even fussy.
Here are some ways you can train children to learn to lie down.
1. Routinely do tummy time
In order to stimulate the baby to be able to learn on his stomach, you can do tummy time. Ideally give him about 5 minutes to be in that position. Do this method repeatedly as long as your baby is awake. Don't forget, put your little one in a comfortable and clean place. When the baby starts feeling uncomfortable and even crying, don't force it. Wait until the little one relaxes again. You can make your child's mood better by changing his position on his back or holding him.
2. Change position while breastfeeding
When breastfeeding, the baby will automatically follow where the location of the mother's nipples. You can put your baby right on your stomach while breastfeeding. This position will generally make the baby feel comfortable. Let the baby train himself to maintain balance. Besides you and your little one can stare at each other directly, this position will indirectly create a strong bond between you and your little one because you can interact with each other looking at each other.
3. Use toys that are attractive
Little one's mood is difficult to predict. Well, to overcome this you can use funny toys that attract his heart so as not to get bored quickly and be able to improve his mood. Put a brightly colored toy and have sounds in front of the baby and let him try to reach it. You can use a small ball to attract the baby's attention to be comfortable when in a prone position. The position of the stomach is very helpful for the baby to stimulate the ability to lift his body and move to take toys that are in front of him.
4. Use funny expressions
To make a baby interested in an activity, you do have to have a lot of sense. One of them is by demonstrating a funny facial expression in front of him. Imitating animal sounds is the right idea to attract the attention of your child. In fact, almost all children always like this game. Don't be surprised if your little one can laugh because of the facial expressions you display.
5. Don't get discouraged quickly
Training your child to learn on his stomach does require a special strategy so he doesn't get bored quickly. That's why, don't be discouraged to keep trying and looking for interesting ideas so that your baby is comfortable when you position him on his stomach, huh! Remember, your patience and perseverance will surely produce sweet results! Until later in time, your little one will give you a surprise to be able to lie on his stomach and roll over for the first time.