PARENTING TIP: LEARN SKILLS OF OBSERVATION
When guiding baby through motor skill development, it is important to learn to observe. There are many aspects of movement to pay attention to such as alignment, speed, strength, coordination, sequencing, and directionality. Right now I’d like to discuss the latter aspect: directionality. When you see baby moving around, look closely to see if she moves to the right and to the left. It does not have to be equal times to each side, but as the skill becomes well developed it should occur at times to both sides. When she begins to move ask yourself, “Ok…let’s see what she is going to do now.” Watch the body parts that move and the direction she moves. Does she lift her right side of the pelvis while on her tummy and roll to the left? Every time she rolls is it toward the same direction (i.e., toward her right side)?
MOTOR SKILL DIRECTIONALITY
Notice if baby is:
- rolling to the right side and to the left side?
- turning her body to the right side and to the left side to look at you?
- turning her head to the right and left while in tummy time?
- sitting in Z-sit with both knees to the right sometimes and to the left other times?
- belly crawling by bending up her right leg and left leg in an alternating pattern?
As you observe her day after day you develop a catalog of actions and patterns emerge. For example, sometimes a baby rolls almost always to one side. Seeing this habit will help you guide her toward becoming more skilled. We are more coordinated and comfortable in our bodies when we can perform movements to both sides. Using Stellar Caterpillar tips as they relate to skill development, a parent can guide baby to learn the skill toward the less favored direction. Gradually, you will see her move with more ease to both the right and left sides.