I've seen a lot of posts lately on tummy time. Most posts go something like this: "My son/daughter hates tummy time so we don't do it often. What do I do?" Someone even said, "I
don't dare leave him on his tummy or he'll get upset"
I know our parenting styles are all different, but most kids don't come out of the womb loving tummy time!! They love to be held. My little guy loves to be attached to my breast constantly--not to eat, just to feel secure. I do make sure I hold him and cuddle him and even wear him so he knows he's loved, but in the end children MUST be put down sometimes so they can develop!!
If you want your child to do tummy time--go for it and don't feel bad!!
Shoot for 10x/day of 2 minutes each at first. Get on the floor, too. Lay down so he can look into your eyes. Try to put him on his tummy when he's sleepy so he won't protest too much. Try it when he's wide awake and in a good mood. See if you can find a time when he's happy on the floor.
However, he might cry a little bit--and that's okay (with me).
We truly think tummy time is important. Our 2 month old cries for a minute after being put on the floor, but then he stops. And he's reaping the benefits from it--he can roll over bell to back and he can crawl several feet on plain carpet, even more on the crawling track. He's already getting up on his hands and knees and rocking in preparation for creeping!!! And he's just barely 2 months old.
I know we all parent differently, but it's amazing to me that people say "I know it's good for him, but I don't do it because he cries.."
What about when he's 2 and he cries because he doesn't want to brush his teeth? What about when he's 4 and he cries because he doesn't want to go to sleep at night?
Please don't feel like a bad parent when your child cries for a few minutes.
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