How to Teach Your Baby to Go Down Stairs Safely
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I’m big on trying to teach our babies to navigate the hard stuff, rather than just doing it for them. And going down stairs is no exception. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Once your baby is easily bearing weight when standing at a support surface, you can start practicing this! After a couch snuggle sesh or lying with them in bed on a lazy morning, roll them to their tummy and allow them to slide themselves down (see below). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It’s even more powerful if you pair it with a consistent verbal cue like “on your tummy, down down down” or “feet first, on your tummy” (although I think this one can be confusing because we don’t want them going feet first on their back). This not only helps to build connections in multiple parts of the brain but it also allows you to coach them on doing it independently while you hold your breath from a few feet away as they’re about to bail off the couch. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So rather than always carrying them down the steps, start laying a foundation now and try this out! You’ll be so glad you built this confidence in them for a skill that transfers to getting down from playground equipment, high surfaces, your bed, etc too!
As you can see above, I give him the opportunity to see what he will do. Then I say “Not safe! On your tummy! Down, down down!” and I rotate him from his trunk onto his belly. But be aware, this can take months to stick, so always provide supervision and take heart that the foundation you’re laying WILL pay off!
While you’re in the waiting, you can shop for stair safety essentials here from my Amazon Storefront! You can also find more tips for teaching this skill on my YouTube playlist. And remember, it takes some time to stick, friend, but eventually you’ll be able to say, “Turn around, on your tummy” or “Feet first, on your tummy” or even just “Not safe!” and they will know exactly what to do :) Keep practicing!
✨What about y’all? Is your baby bailing off couches yet?! I wasn’t ready for this whole boy mom situation when we went through it, you guys✨
Is your baby now a toddler? Check out my insights on going down stairs on their feet and how to support this new skill!
