Learning to sit with the baby will get a new perspective on the world and a little more independence. The back and neck muscles will gradually become strong enough to hold it upright. The child then realizes where to put the legs to sit comfortably. You can help your baby to sit by gently easing your legs apart to form a V-shape. This will help to give the balance and stability the child needs to sit without toppling over to one side. Once a child can sit happily on his/her own and play, it’s just a matter of time until the child moves on to crawling, standing, and walking.
When will the baby be able to sit up by herself?
The baby will start to learn to sit at about the same time as the child managing to roll over and hold her head up. The muscles the child gradually developed from birth, is finally become strong enough to sit between four months and seven months. By the time baby is eight months old, he should be able to sit well without support. Nearly all babies can sit on their own by the time they are nine months old.
How will the baby learn to sit up?
- Three months to four months
The baby’s neck and head muscles are strengthening rapidly. From this time onwards, the child will learn to raise and hold the head up while the baby lying on her tummy. Next, the child figures out how to prop her/his self-up on his arms and hold their chest off the floor, like a mini-push-up.
- Five months to six months
The baby will be able to sit well with support, holding their head up and the back straight. The baby may be able to sit for a moment without your help. Just make sure you stay nearby to provide support or surround yourself with pillows to cushion a possible fall. Soon the child works out how to keep her balance while seated, by leaning forward on one or both arms.
- Seven months to eight months
The baby may be able to sit unsupported with the back straight. This will free hands for exploring, and learn how to turn when sitting to reach for a toy.
At this point, the child may even be able to get into a sitting position by lying on their tummy by pushing up on their arms. By the time the child is eight months old, she /he is likely to be sitting well without support.
How can I encourage my baby to sit up?
You can help your baby learn to sit by encouraging playing with lying on their tummy as much as possible. Try to get to look up, by using colorful and noisy toys, or by pulling funny faces and making sounds. Encouraging looking up will help strengthen the head, shoulder, neck, and back muscles. Strengthening these muscles will help to develop the head control the child needs for sitting up. Once your baby can sit fairly well, put toys and other fun objects just out of her reach. They will hold attention as the child learns to balance with arms. As always, and especially when the child just learning to sit, be sure to stay close to your baby in case of falls.
