Is tummy time only for my newborn?

Tummy Time! We’ve probably all heard of it but what actually is it and how do I go about doing it?

Tummy time is when we place an infant on their stomach for a short period of time, whilst supervising them and they’re awake. It helps to strengthen and develop the muscles they need for future motor skills. You can start to introduce tummy time once your baby’s umbilical cord has come off.

Now, this is the bit that most parents forget about. Once your child can sit up we begin to present activities in ways that only encourage them to sit up or sit at their high chair and eventually at the table. We forget that actually, it’s so important to carry on doing tummy time even once they can sit up! Why I hear you ask? Well, quite simply because it continues to develop your child’s core stability. Your child’s core stability is paramount in them effectively being able to use and develop gross motor skills, fine motor skills, stability and balance. These are the pre-requisite skills required for children to be able to go on to learn to read and write. Children need plenty of opportunities to continue to build up their core strength for future learning goals and tummy time is perfect for this.