Standing/walking

persephonerose · August 2013

If your baby is already pulling up and trying to explore do you have ground rules?
For example, I prefer if D practices in the bonus room because it has carpet and very little furniture to bang his head on.

Do you put pillows behind LO when they are standing up?

Do you hover when they are trying to stand?

If LO falls do you rush to them right away?
Or are you the wait and see if they cry type?

If LO takes a spill do you call the doctor?
Are there certain cues you look for before calling the doctor? E.g. goose egg/bumps

rachael_c26 · August 2013

I guess I'm very laid back.

We ended up moving back in with my parents. They're house is absolutely NOT toddler worthy: there are stairs going up or down into ANY room you choose; some are flights, some are just step downs. There's tile and marble floors. There's a rock fireplace with a rock bench thingy in front of it.

I don't hover when Cu stands somewhere away from me. If he uses me to pull up on and stands, I obviously "have" him.

I keep an eye on him. And for the most part, he plays in the living room where the carpet is, but again, there's still tile, marble, and rock in here...

I don't put down pillows, extra cushion-ey blankets or anything like that.

We haven't had any issues or great falls where I had a concern to call the doctor.

FWIW, I think when he was getting used to standing, I was right there... maybe. But still, I was sitting on the floor, playing with him. So he was just in my reach if he fell. Now. I sit on the couch and let him play. So I'm a few steps away. There weren't ever many uncontrolled falls (like falling backwards). They always seem to be semi controlled where he falls on his butt. Or at least now.

shaunnna · August 2013

persephonerose said:
Do you put pillows behind LO when they are standing up?
Nope. I never have even thought about doing this actually.

Do you hover when they are trying to stand?

Nope.

If LO falls do you rush to them right away? Or are you the wait and see if they cry type?
I think at first I did, but probably after the first day or two I stopped. We're definitely more wait and see if he cries types... He figured out very quickly that he could kinda fall back slowly and land in his butt if he decided to go crawl somewhere else or something.

If LO takes a spill do you call the doctor? Are there certain cues you look for before calling the doctor? E.g. goose egg/bumps
We have never called the doctor after a fall. He's fallen off a step at the sitter's and he got a bruise on his cheek. He fell yesterday while cruising along the coffee table (which he does A LOT) and hit his upper gums on the edge of the table on his way down. It bled a little bit, but we kept an eye on it...

As far as ground rules goes, we only have board books he can play with on the bottom bookshelves that he can reach. We keep the coffee table cleared off. We have a pocket door for the kitchen, and then off the living room and front entry there is a hallway with doors to the bedrooms and bathroom. Those doors are ALWAYS kept closed.

90% of DS's day (awake) is exploring and pulling books off the shelves or taking toys out their bins. He likes to eat puffs while standing up at the coffee table. Sometimes he'll watch cartoons standing up next to the tv cabinet holding on with one hand.

It's a lot of fun when they are mobile. Do what you need to do to feel safe with LO exploring. They need to explore and discover everything. And it's pretty hilarious sometimes, too.

ETA: Formatting

persephonerose · August 2013

D does this thing where he just fling his arms in the air, letting go of whatever he is holding on to. I would expect him to fall backwards but most of them time he seems to fall to the side.

I try not to hover too much because I feel like he does need to learn what happens when he lets go. I wish he would fall more on his butt, but I guess that will come with time.

DH always puts pillows all around behind D when he is standing up. I use a impact foam exercise mat behind him if we are downstairs on the hardwood floors.

Most of the time if D falls, I wait to see if he will cry. If I don't panic he seems not to cry or is able to shake it off more. Anyone else noticed that?

shaunnna · August 2013

@persephonerose Yes, DS will not really care that he fell if we don't. He'll even sometimes make a little gasping noise because he hears FI do that when he falls.

lanea8712 · August 2013

No hovering or pillows here. He's roaming around and traveling so much it's kind of pointless to do that. Yesterday he went from the living room to the kitchen and back. (Next room) I wouldn't want him tripping on a pillow that is supposed to help protect him.

He is constantly trying to let go and walk now. He sees how long he can hold his balance with out falling too. He's pretty good about landing on his butt when he falls thankfully. I never act like he's hurt unless he cries. I say uh-oh, or you go boom sometimes. Which he try's to repeat.

I only move him from things when I'm at my moms, everything in her living room is sharp cornered and unforgiving if he would fall and hit it. I would let him go a little more at her house if she wouldn't get so nervous about it herself.

CurlyQ284 · August 2013

DS has free roam of the living and dining rooms. I don't hover and if he falls, I wait and see. I have 2 stepdaughters and I learned long ago that if you don't react, they are less likely to cry and they just move on.

atrinh11 · August 2013

I think we hovered a little at first. He has been pulling to standing for a while now, so we just let him do his thing. He usually stays within his play area that is a carpeted room that we have foam mats down on. We used to come right over if he fell down, but now we don't He is starting to fall a little more gracefully also. As long as he doesn't hit his head on something hard, we don't worry too much about him testing things out and falling sometimes.

Hummingbirdbaby3 · August 2013

He's pulling to stand and cruising. He's started letting go and one handing it. I just keep my eyes on him and don't let him do it next to any furniture if I can help it.