Ideas to encourage sitting

[lizzie27]

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to encourage babies to sit. My 6 1/2 month old DD is capable of sitting but she doesn't like it. If I sit her between my legs, she can balance and is fine, but if I try and sit her on her own on the floor she just pushes herself backwards. I have tried propping her up but she just slides down. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

Lizzie

Mum to Evie

[thitz]

My dd loved her playnest for a long time.  It's a big inner tube you blow up with air and it props them up so they don't have much choice but to sit.  We would put toys all around her and she pick them up and play with them.

[Mom2X&F&V]

Mine is doing the same and she is the exact same age. She prefers being on her activity center rather than sitting up. I use the feeding cushion and put toys around, but she still pushes back. Any ideas please? If I put her in her booster seat she still pushes back! I was recommended the Bumbo seat too, but we do not have it in here. Any ideas?

[cwolff]

I have the Bumbo seat too, and DD pushes back in that.  BTW, you can order it directly online, which is what I did.  Anyway, we see a physical therapist for an unrelated issue, and she told us that when babies lose their balance while sitting, that is when they arch and push back.  It's a process, learning to feel steady and safe sitting up.  To us, it doesn't look like they are losing their balance, but their little muscles are just developing and they have to practice in order to feel comfortable.  I have a boppy too, and I will sit her on the floor between my legs and curl the boppy around her middle.  She will play for a little bit, before pushing back.  Then I remove the boppy and try to encourage her to pick toys up from the floor in front of her.  I figure when she's really ready to do it, she will, but for now we're just practicing.