Gross motor development
A young infant stands up with caregiver support while facing the caregiver.
None
Be Prepared: This activity is intended for an infant who can hold his/her head steadily (typically about three months of age). Select a time of day when an infant is alert.
[Begin the activity by holding the infant on your lap facing you. Hold both of your hands around the infant’s torso. Engage the infant in an exchange of looking and vocalizations. Example: “Hi, Andrew! You are sitting up on my lap.” Pause for the infant to respond with eye contact, sound, and/or a movement.]
I am going to help you stand up.
[Lift the infant to an upright position with continual support. Hold the infant so he/she is facing you. While you hold the infant and support most of his/her weight, help the infant feel some body weight with his/her hips, legs, and feet. Example: “Andrew, your feet are on the floor. You are standing up on your feet. I am going to keep holding on to you.”
Very gradually allow a little more of the infant’s weight to shift from your supporting hold to the infant’s legs, hips, and feet. Continue to hold the infant with your hands securely around the torso.
Continue to describe how the infant is bearing weight on his/her feet and legs. Example: “You are pushing down with your hips, feet, and legs. This is terrific, Andrew!”
If the infant’s knees buckle or there are other signs of getting tired, increase your support by lifting the infant slightly.]
Are you ready to sit down?
[Watch the infant carefully to determine how long he/she wishes to remain in an upright position before sitting. Begin with 10 seconds of upright weight bearing.
Some infants will enjoy standing upright for longer periods. As an infant gains experience, the activity may increase to 30 seconds.]
[Lift and turn the infant to a supported sitting position on your lap. The infant’s back will be fully braced by sitting against you. Hold the infant around the torso with two hands
If the infant is excited or slightly stressed by the experience, help him/her get calm by rocking slightly and speaking in a quiet voice. Example: “That was exciting for you. Now we can get calm.” You also may wish to quietly hum a familiar song.]
[With the infant seated on your lap with good support, describe his/her actions. Recognize the infant’s efforts. Example: “Andrew, you worked hard to stand on your feet.”]
Some infants may wobble a little when they first begin to bear weight on their legs and feet. The sensation of feeling the floor and bearing some body weight may cause a moment of uneasiness for some infants. Reassure the infant by smiling and talking. This is one reason for the infant to face you during the activity. Another reason is for you to fully see the infant’s facial reactions. You may notice individual developmental differences in infants of the same age. The supported upright position becomes more enjoyable to infants as they gain strength in the torso, hips, legs, and feet. Some infants may begin to bounce as they bear weight on their legs and feet.
Week by week, infants generally increase the amount of weight they bear in an upright position. You will be able to feel the infant holding his/her weight a little more each week. Never let go of an infant during the activity. Once the infant has developed the skill to stand independently you will see him/her pull to a standing position.
Extra support
Enrichment
Gross motor development
A young infant stands up with caregiver support while facing away from the caregiver.
None
Be Prepared: This option is for an infant who has had several weeks of practice standing up with firm caregiver support.
After several weeks of standing practice with caregiver support, infants are generally ready to bear more weight while standing up and are sufficiently comfortable with supported standing to look away from the caregiver. This enables the infant to look around the room while standing with caregiver support. This is an exciting experience for most infants.
Sit on the floor near an infant and explain you are going to help him/her stand up. Lift the infant into a standing position on a rug or carpet, with your hands on his/her torso and the infant facing away from you. With your firm grip, the infant may bear some or all weight on hips, legs, and feet while watching friends and others. Talk softly about what the infant is seeing. Keep your hands on the infant’s torso at all times.
A predetermined time for standing up is not recommended, although no more than one minute of standing is a useful guideline. Watch carefully for the infant’s signs of wanting to stop standing or to change position. Help the infant to sit down or get into a hands-and-knees crawling position if he/she wishes.
At this age, there is no need to coax an infant to stand. Some infants may enjoy the sensation of bending hips and knees. Your close observation of the infant is your best guide for when to change or stop the activity. If the infant is smiling and clearly enjoying the standing position, continue for up to one minute. An infant may bend at the knees when he/she needs a break from bearing weight on legs. Let the infant set the pace for the activity. Provide a break of a minute or longer from standing.
Extra support
Enrichment
Gross motor development
An older infant stands up with the support of a caregiver and appropriate furniture.
Be Prepared: This option is for an infant who can readily stand up with firm caregiver support and is ready to hold onto a piece of furniture while standing or partially standing.
Carry the infant to a cube chair or another appropriate, stable piece of furniture. Place the infant on the floor and then sit or kneel on the floor yourself. Lift the infant into an upright position so his/her tummy is touching the cube chair. Provide most of the infant’s support by holding securely around the torso. When you feel the infant begin to support more of his/her weight, decrease the amount of weight you are supporting. Keep both hands firmly on the infant’s torso at all times.
Some infants may hold on to the edge of the cube for support. Some infants may enjoy patting the low surface to make a drum-type sound.
When the infant develops an ability to pull up to stand at the cube, arrange a few small toys on the surface. An infant who bears 19 percent of his/her weight will enjoy manipulating and or banging the toys on the low tabletop cube with one hand. Sit very close to prevent the infant from falling.
You will observe differences in development of standing and walking. As infants master crawling, they often begin to raise up to a kneeling position to examine play materials. Support each infant’s existing skill and be aware of what is likely to come next. Some infants are content to crawl and explore areas of the classroom they can reach. Other infants may develop the strength, and also have a desire, to pull up to standing position sooner. Placing infants in seats they can move with their feet is not recommended.
Learning to stand is very exciting for infants. Offer infants quiet play opportunities on the floor following lively periods of play. Guiding an infant into quiet play is one strategy for supporting Self-Regulation. At this age, the infant depends upon you and other caregivers to support and guide calming down after excitement.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: 20 books including cloth books, Peek-a-Boo Forest by Lamaze, and Baby’s First Book by Baby Einstein; cube chairs; animal figures; tape; nonbreakable mirror; baby dolls
Arrange spaces for infants to move freely by placing interesting play materials for infants to see. Infants who have begun to roll over may roll to obtain a toy. Use cube chairs or other low surfaces for an arrangement of animal figures. Infants who are pulling themselves to stand will be delighted to find familiar items on a surface they reach.
Materials Needed: colored, nonskid place mats—1 per child
As a supplement to your support for infants to stand up, offer toddlers and preschool-age children an informal gathering that includes putting our bodies in different positions. Give each child a colored, nonskid place mat. Invite children to stand on a place mat for fun pretending. Possibilities include: pretending to be tall like a tree, putting one foot in front of the other to pretend we are riding a skateboard, getting on all fours like an elephant, and putting one foot on either side of the mat to pretend we are batting a ball.
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