Sittiing up and Falling Over

Well, kids fall. And us moms watch and cringe but the kids pick themselves up and they are off again. When my kids were younger, I always put a nice thick comforter on the floor before letting them play. Let him explore things that are safe for him. My 4 yr old loved playing with an empty box and some blocks. He thought it was hilarious to dump everything out. And as he started walking, he had that lean forward gate kids can have and I swore he was going to trip as soon as he ran--my other kids too. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. My kids have all had a ton of bumps, bruises and scrapes that go along with being a kid. We cannot bubble wrap them (thought it would be nice sometimes).
Just be there in case he does get hurt so you can take care of it.

I did look at your other posts. You need to have confidence on your self. Don't let others put a whole bunch of doubt in what and how you are doing in your head. Everyone has an opinion and it is how you take that opinion that counts.

my kids spent a good amount of time on the floor playing with toys that light up. i have hardwood floors so i would put them on some play mats and layer a few blankets to cushion them from the bare floor. but at grandmas they just got carpet to sit on. and yes they go timber. they learn what to do and what not to do, they figure out how to stay upright, they figure out what to do when they fall over they figure out how to sit back up. ita all a part of growing up.

Based on your prior questions, you have plenty of experience with kids, I think. You have a child who's about 11 maybe, and you have a girl who was born in May 2014, so she's pushing 2. And you have a 9 month old boy. Is this baby vastly different from the other 2? We the others mobile at different ages? Did you give the others toys (soft or hard) or put pillows around them? What happened then? What worked, what didn't?

And who is arguing with you about this? Your husband? Friends, relatives? Why do you care, if you have so much experience already? What is happening that your confidence is eroded?

I guess I would say to trust your gut unless there is much more going on than what you have shared.

If Gabriel is sitting himself up, not you sitting him up, then he is doing what babies do. He's using his muscles, getting stronger, developing and exploring the way his body works. So yes, sit him in the floor. If you'd like, lay a quilt down on the floor to help if he bumps himself. No big deal. If you have a pack and play, that keeps him in one place while you go in and out of the room. That might help too.

Do you pad his environment with pillows and take away hard toys? Well, you could, but really, what are you going to do when he's two and running around? Are you going to demand that he stop running because he might get hurt?

The manufacturers have ages on their toys. Go by that. If it's a toy for a 3 year old, maybe that's the one you should be putting away.

I don't know who your argument is with, but if it's not your husband, then they need to mind their business. If it's your husband, then split the difference with him and put down a quilt.

Since you have an older child I am confused by your question. Of course all of this is normal, you know that. If someone (?) is giving you a hard time about your your parenting skills then tell them to bugger off. You don't need that in your life.

Yes they flop over.

I used several things for that stage - because it is a stage, and they will get the coordination, balance and muscles to stay upright soon - it's only for a month or so where they can sit, but topple.

I had a baby donut. It was this blow up thing that looked like an inner tube. The cover of it was washable and had little soft toys attached to it for baby to play in. On the flip side, I could turn it over and it was like this gentle soft hammock they would sleep in. It was excellent. I had to order it from somewhere but it's one of those things I hung on to because it was a lifesaver.

I used to put mine in their exer-saucer at that stage - when I wasn't there to keep them upright. That really helped mine learn balance and got their strength up (core strength).

I used my nursing pillow which was shaped like a firm U behind the baby. Mine didn't topple forward so much as backwards. And i"d lay blankets or something soft behind that or wedge it up against the couch so they couldn't go anywhere.

It's kind of makeshift at this point. But if he's really having hard time sitting up, wait a week or so and try again.

Good luck :)

Yes babies fall over. No don't surround him with pillows. Buy some foam floor tiles or put him on a rug. As long as the toys are baby toys he'll be fine so don't worry about only soft toys.

The thing to remember is that a baby's skull isn't fused so all the bumps and bruises (which heal with amazing speed) are ok. Remember that he'd falling maybe 12" when sitting on the floor. Just remember not to put him on a higher surface like the bed or a table unless you are right there the entire time. Falling from a height is bad.

Just because something is normal doesn't mean it's 'unpreventable'.
When Kiddo was at this stage, yes, I put some pillows around him. If you are seeing 'timber' falling over, don't assume it's just a learning experience! Protect their head!

Toys? Meh. I always hated the light-up ones and went for plain rattles or other simple items he could explore which were soft. Noise-toys are just one more additional noise. Babies don't usually need entertainment, they sometimes need distraction. A soft cloth book would be just helpful to explore at this age. "It lights up when I push it".... great if you are raising a chimp,but I wanted something my son could manipulate and really explore (usually, at this age, with their mouths).

By the way, I don't know if my opinion would ever settle an argument. I was a nanny and caregiver for years. Many people raised their child far differently than I did mine, and they all had their reasons. Instead of trying to settle an argument, can you agree to listen to each others points and then try to understand it from that person's perspective, even if you don't agree? I mean, I *hate* (with a passion) the invention called The Exersaucer. And I'll tell you that there are probably a great many moms who love them-- we all have our own personal reasons for our opinions.

An opinion, too, does not enter into the discussion however, when it comes to child *safety*, so yes, protect their heads!