Questions on Doman's Physical Program

[jaluitgirl]

Hi Everyone,

First question - does anyone have a crawling track you'd like to sell?

Second question - my daughter is 9 weeks old. We've been putting her on her tummy since she was born and she was ok with it the first month but this second month she just cries until we pick her up - which we try to wait to do.  Additionally, We've been putting her on a blanket so I guess she can't really crawl that way (needs a smooth surface ) but she has rolled over a few times on her own, has turned herself to the left or the right and has scooted backwards - so I guess some progress despite the constant crying. We try to make it fun but she just cries and cries. I know Doman says do everything with joy or don't do it.  Is there something about the second month - you'd think she'd be used to tummy time by now since we started at birth?

Third Question - the first level with the hands gripping.... . The first time she gripped my thumbs and let me pull her up gently. Since then she automatically lets go of my thumbs once I get them into her grip and she fusses. I know the book said that one of the goals is for her to hang on for 10 seconds but also for them to learn to let go. So since she seems to know how to let go - does that mean she has finished this stage? But the next stage is for them to hold on with all of their own weight. So how do I get her to hold on when she keeps releasing her grip?

Fourth Question - She doesn't seem to like the balance activities much. She seems to startle easy and acts like she is afraid to fall even though she has never fallen.  I know Doman says go slow - I guess I need to go really slow?

Actually my daughter is so different from my son. He never slept and cried all the time but he was also very alert and tried to communicate with us from the start and before 8 weeks was smiling. My daughter sleeps all the time and is barely awake 2 -4 hours a day. She doesn't cry much unless we try to physically stimulate her.  She doesn't get much physical stimulation because she wants to sleep all the time and she seems to be disturbed by any physical stimulation. She isn't smiling yet but she does try to "talk" when you ask her a question.  Actually she is trying to "talk" more and more these days.

Any Doman parents with some help on the physical program - I'd appreciate.

Kristina

[nhockaday]

I'm sure there are other parents who have done the physical program who can answer?

[Plarka]

I guess I don't have anything helpful to say, but wanted to reply anyway.  My daughter is 5 months and seems like she might be liking less time on her tummy than she used to.  We also put her on her tummy on the floor from 1 day old.  Now, she seems to like to be held and shown out the window and stuff.  I worry she'll stop liking tummy time at all as she gets older, as you said your lo is.  But variety is good I figure, and as long as she's on her tummy a little bit, that's better than nothing.  She'll be better off than the back only babies.  I figure as they are getting older, they want to do different things and not just lie on their tummies staring at things.... I find for my children, Doman's suggested frequencies and durations are too much.  (Like the brachiation ladder with my 2 year old, she got burnt out and won't do it anymore!)

Grasp: I think I replied to another post where you mentioned this.  My daughter has never let me pick her up holding my fingers.  She lets go as soon as I pull.  Interesting what you said about being at the next stage maybe....  But my daughter has never done the first stage at all! I don't know what that means.  Mine doesn't mind the balance activities.  I guess you could just do it very slowly and for only a few seconds, and like being on her tummy, it's better than nothing.  (Although I'm never sure what those balance activities are supposed to really be accomplishing!)

[jaluitgirl]

Thanks Plarka,

I think I read in the book that the balance activities help develop that part of the brain so that later when they do different types of sports they have that added advantage.

Yes, my daughter hasn't really done the grasping at all either but I see she can open and close her hands at will. 

Don't know about the tummy time her protesting is getting louder and louder and now she won't even do 1 minute.  UGH.  For me the tummy time is really the most important because that cross pattern crawling is directly linked with reading.  But my son didn't really do much tummy time either but he started reading on his own at 18 months before I ever knew about YBCR Or Doman so I guess I don't have to stress too much.  The Joyousness Doman talks about is key I believe.

[[email protected]]

I have a crawling track to sell -- I live in the Atlanta area.  It is in great shape, five feet long, built by a man in Texas who I think was used a lot by the people on an old forum I used (childbrain.org).  It is very sturdy and nicely padded.  I am new to this forum, I assume you can reply to me directly if you are interested?  Thanks.

[ShenLi]

We started the physical program with my second son late (I completely missed it with my first son).  I think there is a huge disadvantage to that because babies gain a lot of weight in the early months.  That makes it hard for them to move their weight.  To help him overcome this, I took him swimming.  I have a neck float.  I just put him into the water and let him move his arms and legs around.  Swimming is good because it removes the weight disadvantage and it helps your baby exercise to get stronger.  As they get stronger, you'll find they can move more on land and that makes the whole game more interesting.

The other thing I did with my son which Doman doesn't actually say anything about is that I would help him.  When you put your baby on her tummy you'll notice she swings her arms and legs a lot.  I would put my hands against his feet so that he would have something to kick off to help him move.  He seemed to like the "assistance" and tolerated tummy time more when I helped him as opposed to when I left him on his own to move.

I never got around the whole grasp reflex thing either because I could never get him to hang on to my thumbs. He would just let go.  That said, I remember being able to brachiate when I was very young and my parents didn't do the Doman physical program with me as a baby, so perhaps all is not lost.  Just keep trying.

I think there is some element of individual personality in this.  Like, I would try to help my older son brachiate by holding him up to the monkey bars and even though I was supporting his entire weight, he would scream for me to put him back on the ground.  He's a real scaredy cat - afraid of heights, afraid of deep water.  And this was all before he'd ever fallen or even had his head under water.  So I'm guessing it's just a character thing.  Now that he's older, he's starting to experiment more - climbing things, jumping from a step, etc.  Offer the opportunity to your child but adhere to her comfort level. 

My two boys are completely different as well.  My younger son likes to sleep a lot.  In fact, once when I put him on his tummy, he fell asleep.  Now that he's older, I entice him to crawl by putting his favourite toys in front of him.  You can also try putting a mirror in front of your daughter - I've heard that can help.

[jaluitgirl]

Thank you for sharing ShenLi.  I live in a remote part of Alaska and we don't even have a doctor in our village.  The nearest Dr. is 400 miles away.  I plan on taking Olivia mid-May for her first check up since Feb.  She was 7 lbs when she was born and now she's 3 months old and only weighs 9.5 lbs.  She sleeps so much more than my son ever did and is gaining weight very slowly - although we do have petite people on both sides of the family.  Anyhow, she isn't very strong because she spends so much time sleeping.  She's lucky to get about 15 minutes of tummy time a day.  And I still can't get her to grasp my thumbs.  She seems startled when I do any balance activities.  Etc.   So I'm starting to feel worried.  However, I have started Doman Math and Little Reader.  She really is interested in the Doman Math and Little Math - not so much the Little Reader.  Anyhow, I'm curious to see what the Dr. will say about her weight gain and her physical abilities.

[realgirrrl]

I was just at the Doman institute 2 days ago and Gwenn said to put the on the tummy an it the become frantic, pick them up, comfort them and put them right back down.  Some crying is normal because they are straining.

[ShenLi]

Yes, in Doman's book "How to Teach Your Baby to be Physically Superb" he said the same thing.  Babies cry because they are trying to get oxygen into their system which they need to help them move.  But he also added that parents need to do what they feel comfortable with because at the end of the day, babies sense what their parents are feeling and if their parents are not comfortable, the babies won't be either.

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