Becoming a parent brings a lot of experiences like a first smile, yawn, and the first bathing of your newborn. The new parents are often excited about the time when their infant would be able to sit up.

Curiously they wait for the time when their kid will be able to sit up with his limp legs stretched out. He will be ready to explore new and exciting things in the world. Parents must know how to teach a baby to sit up so that they can help their baby explore ideas amazingly.

Ways on How to Help and Teach a Baby to Sit Up

Teaching your baby to sit up gives him a new and a wonderful perspective of life. Your baby will develop back, tummy, legs, and neck muscle and will then become strong enough to sit up without support.

He won’t fall over too and know where to put legs in order to sit comfortably.

The approximate age for a baby to start sitting up is almost four months. Once the baby starts lifting his head a little, he can have a look around the world and enjoy the beauty.

Gradually, he will be able to prop up in a sitting position. He will now use his arms to maintain a proper balance. Even a slight touch or soft breeze can make his trip over.

If you are excited to see your babysitting up and anxiously want to know the methods to teach your baby to start sitting up on his own, you can try some of the given tips to help your baby in achieving his important milestone of physical development.

• Reach and Grab

The tummy time is much important in making your baby learn about rolling, moving, and sitting up. Give your baby incentive to reach and grab.

This way, your little one will get great help in moving from a lying position. Babies will use their hands to reach and grab the stuff, and this will improve their strength and muscle development.

• Pad and Prod

When your baby starts rocking back and forth on his tummy, support her in a sitting position by padding that area with pillows.

Your baby will learn about the placement of arms in a tripod situation while being in a sitting position.

You need to give him support and stay close to him. Due to this, by eight months of age, she will be able to sit without leaning forward.

• Pull and Practice

Lye on your baby’s back and build up her strength by pulling her hands towards a sitting position. This will teach your baby about moving from a lying position to an upright sitting position.

Build core strength in your baby by holding his arms with feet on the floor.

• Sights and Sitting

Move your baby in front of the mirror and then practice him to sit up. Also, encourage him by placing an object at a higher angle. This way, your baby will move to a sitting position on his own.

• Play Time

Make your baby lie on his back and hand over him a toy. He will start playing with it and roll over too. Sit your baby on your lap and then shift the support from the upper body area to the lower one.

Sit your baby in a box or a laundry basket and help him balance his body.

• Let Him Enjoy Tummy Time

Allowing your baby to have enough tummy time; can be beneficial in teaching him to sit up.

You can place a mat or some soft blanket on a flat and smooth surface and put your baby on it with your belly down.

In the beginning, you should keep this time limit as less as five minutes, gradually increasing to half an hour.

This increase in tummy time should be on the day to day basis when your baby is three to four months old.

You should not become impatient in teaching him to sit up.

You can teach him by placing some of his favorite toys just a little beyond his reach, motivating him to raise the head and try reaching out his arms for grabbing the toys.

According to doctors, this practice helps in building his core muscles required for holding up his head and to sit up.

• Hold his Hands

Once your baby has started holding his head up, you can help him by holding his hands and slightly pull him up to a sitting posture.

This will help him feel this new motion of sitting up. But you must be cautious so that your baby does not topple over or get hurt.

• Hold Up Your Baby

Babies’ muscles get strengthened by being held up or supported to sit.

You can help your baby with the help of some supporting pillow. If you are breastfeeding him, you can sit down on the floor, keeping him between the legs.

One thing you should remember that you do not prop the baby up for long if they have not yet developed the physical ability to do so.

You should avoid propping up your babies in strollers or baby cars; as they hinder the baby to roll, wiggle, or reaching out like he can do it on the floor mat.

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• Use Sitting up Toys

There are various toys available in the market to help and encourage your baby to sit up.

The specialists suggest taking your babies to such play centers that provide support to three to four-month-old babies to begin playing upright.

There are other attractions for babies like sounds and lights for keeping them engaged in pulling toys.

There are some seats available for keeping babies upright and having mealtime.

To keep the babies interested and motivated in sitting upright, you can also give them a try to play with colorful toys, cubes, and activity balls.

Also, Read Educational Games for Toddlers

Other Important Milestones

This age is a fascinating age for the baby, achieving new milestones.

Not only that, he can sit upright, but he can also roll over from one place to another like a tiny worm.

When you hold his hand for standing up, he can shift his weight to his legs and keep moving things around.

At this stage, these milestones are not only limited to motor skills.

Now your baby can look around and notice the moving things.

He can even understand and respond when you call his name. Babies at this stage can also understand if you tell them to stop from something by a single ‘no.’

This may not always be the case that your baby follows your instructions and does not do what he feels like. At this stage, you can find your baby babbling and be making more sounds for expressing joy and anger.

At this stage, babies not only try exploring things with their hands as well as with their mouths. They love exploring things that are away from them.

They also enjoy viewing themselves in the mirror. Parents can help them in having fun by making different faces to them. You can also enjoy amazing indoor activities with your kiddo.

When Does a Baby Start Sitting Up?

Usually, infants start sitting when they are almost six months old. But for sitting independently, they need to reach the age of eight to nine months.

You can be curious to know which stage would mark just the beginning of lying; it is when your infant starts raising his head when the baby can hold his head so that it does not wobble, and he can look around.

You should know that on the next stage, he will start sitting up.

• You need to help your child to sit up when he is four to six months old.
• Help him by holding him up, letting him sit in the lap, in the carrycot, or against one or more pillows.
• Your baby will sit up on his own when he is between six to nine months of age.

Three to Four Months of Age

In the beginning, you will have to help him by providing support to sit and later by moving away from your hands to let him sit on his own.

Even if your baby can sit on his own, you should stay close to him to avoid him tripping over. As it is a new skill for babies, they are likely to lose balance quite easily.

The neck and head muscle of your baby strength at this age. Firstly he will learn to raise his head while lying on his tummy. Next, he will know about propping himself up on his arms.

Five to Six Months of Age

Your baby will know to sit up with support and also hold his head and back in a straight position.

He will be able to sit in a tripod position. At this time, you need to be near your baby to offer him the much-needed support. Also, surround him with pillows so he may not hurt if he falls down.

Seven to Eight Months of Age

At seven to eight months of age, your baby will be able to sit without any support. His hands will be free. Now he will learn and explore new stuff.

How to Teach Baby to Sit Up On His Own From Lying Down?

Before sitting up on his own, an infant needs to hold his head and to roll over.

A baby gains strength and better coordination by moving back and front.

Every baby perceives the world from his new perspective, and mastering the sitting skill gives him a sense of achievement.

Even if the baby has just started sitting on his own, feel comfortable being supported by you or some pillows around.

At the beginning of sitting independently, managing the balance is not easy.

You can expect him to wobble and depending on you for support.

As it is a new stage for the baby, he may get tired and may not be able to sit upright for long. Most of the babies, while sitting up, cannot concentrate on other activities like learning, grabbing, or reaching for something. At this beginning stage to sit, you can see your babysitting with his hands on the floor to maintain the balance.

Once these babies gain the muscular strength to maintain balance, they can start sitting confidently.

This muscular strength and endurance come at the age of nine months.

Check out How To Get Your Baby Moving?

If Your Baby Does Not Sit up?

It is natural for babies to reach different developmental stages at their own pace.

Specialists tell that it should not be a matter of concern if some other baby has started sitting up before yours.

Consult a Pediatrician

It is suggested to consult some pediatrician if your baby has not started controlling his head when he is seven months old or has not learned to sit without support at the age of nine months.

Most probably, there can be some delay in the development of the baby.

Still, it is good to check if there is something that is not natural and needs to be taken care of.

Things to Keep in Mind

Baby Seats and Swings

Avoid making your baby sit in baby seats or the swings for a longer period.

Confined Areas

Don’t make your baby sit in confined areas, as this will hinder his development and growth. Allow him to move his body freely and learn new skills.

Prevent Forcing the Baby

Be a good mom, and don’t force your baby if he isn’t ready for a certain development milestone.

Make the House Childproof

Once your baby has learned to sit without any support, it is time for the parents to make the house; childproof. Soon they can find him crawling and pulling up for standing.

He can explore anything from the house and check it with his mouth.

These stages can be attained in a better manner after the baby has mastered the skill to sit confidently.

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Summary

The little ones are great rollers and sitters.
It is an exciting time when the baby can sit up on his own; now, he can start to crawl, pull up, and be able to walk eventually.

An infant can start moving any moment before you even realize it.

But the stage to sit up is significant before that. The approximate age for infants to sit up varies like other developmental stages.

When a baby starts sitting up on his own, it marks a new beginning for him. Being a mother, you are excited to view every moment of your child’s development.

You can even be curious to help him in reaching every milestone of growth.

You should know how to teach a baby to sit up so that you can help your infant learn and improve motor skills.