When your infant can sit up by themselves and rolls contentedly from side to side, they may be ready to learn how to sit up. In order to teach them how to shift their weight, which muscles to use, and how to sequence the steps, we start by practicing the movements with them. You may only begin the exercise for them as they get stronger and require less of your assistance.

Teaching your baby how to sit up is an amazing milestone in their first year. There are many things you can do to support them along the way, and it’s a significant step forward in their physical development. As with many of the mental and physical leaps your baby will go through in the first year, they respond best when you make it fun.

Thus, try to keep enjoyment at the forefront of all that you do when encouraging your baby to learn a new skill, such as sitting up unassisted. If you try any of these things with your baby and they don’t seem to enjoy it, stop and try again the next day or try something else.

You can use the activities and advice in this post to help your baby learn to sit up by themselves.

Stages of Sitting Up

The first developmental stage for a baby is not sitting up. First, the baby needs to gain upper body strength and the ability to hold their head up without support.

Before learning to sit up without help, a baby will reach the following milestones:

• 2 months: A newborn can briefly hold their head up and look around.
• 4 months: Without assistance, they can maintain head stability.
• 6 months: With some assistance, they can sit upright.

A baby may begin sitting up with some help by 4–6 monthsTrusted Source of age, and at 6 months, they may not need assistance. A baby should be capable of sitting independently by the time they are nine months old.

But it’s important to remember that every baby develops at a different pace. Some babies develop this particular skill earlier or later than average.

Ways That Help Baby to Sit Up

Tummy Time

The infant is encouraged to lift their head to look around during this time of supervised playtime while lying on their belly. As a result, they strengthen their necks and upper bodies, two essential skills for learning to sit unsupported.

In the first few weeks of life, tummy time can start for a few minutes every day. However, at first, a baby might not seem to enjoy it much. They get better at having fun over time, and play sessions can go on for longer.

Tummy time doesn’t have to last for a long time; even five minutes here and there throughout the day will give your baby a chance to practice lifting their head.

Sit Up With the Help

A parent or other adult may try putting a baby on their lap once they can hold their head still, which usually happens at around 4 months of age. Then, try slowly rocking back and forth, encouraging the baby to keep their upper body aligned with their lower body.

The baby may still have an occasional head wobble, so hold the baby close and be ready to provide any necessary head support.

Use a Jumparoo

From about three to four months old, your baby can begin to use a jumper or jumparoo. It’s best to hold off until they have some neck strength and can support their head well.

The baby learns how much fun being upright can be thanks to the jumparoo, which is fantastic! You really don’t need to spend a fortune on this kind of toy because there are so many jumpers available. Although it’s not a necessary toy, I discovered that both of my children adored their jumper.

If you are preparing dinner, for example, the jumper is also ideal. Since your baby can’t escape, you can leave them to play in a corner while you take care of other businesses.

Try a Sit up Toy

There are a ton of incredible baby seats available with toys and numerous features to keep their interest. This will make sitting-up practice fun for your baby!

I adore these sit up toys, which have some fantastic features to keep your baby entertained! Furthermore, they are very portable, so if you are visiting someone else, you can leave them in the garden or transport them to the house of a relative by placing them in the car. Why not try a cardboard box if you don’t want any more toys in your home, whether it’s due to space or price?

You can fill it with toys, and in reality, every child prefers a large box to a pricey toy anyway!

Place the Toy Vertically Out of Your Baby’s Reach

The best toys are those that require your baby to hold their head up so they can look at them. The toys should have buttons so that your child must reach up to press them in order to play.

When you put them in a sitting position next to these toys, they will notice that using both hands to play with the toy is much easier than trying to reach it with their tummies.

Have Your Baby Sit Between Your Legs

When your infant can sit up with some assistance from you, try putting them between your legs, either facing outwards or toward you. Sing nursery rhymes with them or let them play with some toys while you hold them up.

You could try a sensory box containing things such as:

• Pine cones
• Ribbon
• Feathers
• Rattles
• Bells

Sit Baby Up Like a Tripod

Your baby’s first attempts at sitting without your help are likely to involve their arms for balance. The tripod sit is what we’re referring to here. In order to balance themselves, your baby will lean forward and lean on their arms with their legs in front of them or out to the sides.

You should put your baby back in this position as frequently as you can so they can practice even if they still have a few wobbles. To get them to reach up for the toys, try dropping a few toys from the ceiling.

Final Thoughts

By the time they are 4–6 months old, babies can sit unassisted, and by 9 months, they can sit unassisted. It’s important to remember that these are only estimates and that every baby develops at a unique rate.

As babies develop the strength and skills necessary to sit up straight, parents and other caregivers can physically support the child. Don’t forget to set aside some time each day to sit your baby up and show them how much fun it is to view the world from a different perspective!

Anyone worried about their child’s development should speak with their pediatrician about it. It is best to inform your doctor if your baby isn’t sitting up straight at six months.