Comments on: Teach Your Child To Be Physically Superb

By: Alenka

Alenka — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:08:32 +0000

Thank you. I guess I can take this peculiar comment for a compliment.

By: Alenka

Alenka — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:54:26 +0000

Those questions deserve a separate article! You can find it here: Baby’s Physical Development: crawling, creeping and brachiating.

By: Gabrielle

Gabrielle — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:20:30 +0000

hi all, so glad to see this discussion. We’ve just built a crawling track for our 4 month old as he isn’t progressing as well as his brother did. (he won’t/can’t straighten his arms, he’s quite content to lie on his tummy resting on his elbows and kick his legs.) we followed the dimensions in the doman book but his legs aren’t touching the sides of the track for him to kick off – i thought that was the whole point of the track?
also did anyone put up a monkey bar in the house? we’re renting so can’t screw anything into the door frames, what did anyone else do? thanks so much

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:54:35 +0000

Thanks for your reply! I guess I might try those neck brace activities then. It’s just so amazing your baby crawled and walked so early! I am absolutely amazed!

By: Alenka

Alenka — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:30:29 +0000

We did all the exercises that required a neck brace. I didn’t sew the proper brace for neither of my children: I just rolled a receiving blanket into a very tight roll and secured it with a regular rubber band for hair. My older one didn’t mind it and we were doing all our exercises “properly”. At least most of the time. We stopped pretty much when he started walking… The only exercise we continued doing regularly were the rotation. Except I was using a rotating office chair for that – my head definitely was getting dizzy a lot quicker then his.

My little one was really against the idea of a neck brace. So we proceeded with exercises more cautiously… without it. I was extra cautious, extra careful, extra observant. Initially he really loved hanging upside down and swinging from side to side, while I am holding his legs, but now he isn’t into all of those exercises any more: he is too busy walking around and exploring. So I don’t push it.

Choice board: I created a choice board. I’ll post it a little later for you to print out together with “initial activities” excel file. Eventually I gave up on it. My baby did use it initially and it felt great, but I was hoping I’ll be able to use it when he is the most upset, crying for unknown reason. At that moments he had no patience for the choice board. Eventually I stopped using it only because we are constantly on the move around the house after my older one, so dragging it with me wasn’t prudent. Just like with my older one, I am concentrating on sign language.

Honestly, with my second baby, I am concentrating on being able to achieve SOMETHING every day… sometimes it is hanging – he can go for 20-25 seconds if he wants to. I keep trying showing him his reading and math materials. I keep showing him his favorite – xylophone. The rest of the time – he is walking, walking, walking restlessly or “working” with the Montessori toys that we’ve got for him. I am not even measuring how much he is walking. I just use Montessori principle: “Babies who can walk, shouldn’t be carried, they should walk!” Unless we are badly in a rush or he is too tired, he is always walking: by himself, or holding my hand if I don’t have the time to stop every two seconds and retrieve every rock, twig, acorn from his mouth.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:05:59 +0000

I have so many questions! Here are 2 more for right now!
1. Did you do the motor opportnity program balance activities which require the neck brace?

2. I saw that you used the choice board, would you recommend making and using one?

My baby is due in under 3 months so I’m trying to make as much stuff now as possible!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:58:16 +0000

Is there a different place I should be looking for the spreadsheet? I dont know where it will be posted to.

By: Alenka

Alenka — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:41:50 +0000

I also found those definitions confusing. In this case I was using the word “crawling” in Doman terms: the baby was on his belly, pushing forward with his arms and legs. Funny thing is, once he became really good at it, he abandoned all attempts for cross pattern (left arm and right leg – opposite leg and arm move one by one). He looked like he is swimming: rowing and pushing with his hands both hands at the same time, then bending just one leg to push and quickly kicking with another. It was so funny and cute! He was still moving like that at 5 and 6 months, 10-20 feet at a time, very rapidly. It was totally hilarious. I guess he was so comfortable with this movement, that he wasn’t rushing to get on all fourths. Once he did, he tried creeping on straight legs, like a monkey, with his bottom high above his head. My older one used to crawl like that in this “standing legs” pattern. But my younger one was doing it one sidedly as well: one leg was bended, like in normal baby creeping, and one was standing straight… So it was even more funny. I don’t even know how to account these types of creeping/crawling/movement on Doman’s evaluation profiles, so we just enjoyed it without trying to evaluate or judge it.

I’ll post excel spreadsheet with a checklist later tonight.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:05:02 +0000

Alenka, in the link you gave me to what you did with your baby, I think it said something about you having an Excel spreadsheet checklist you could send or post? Do you still have that?