Sitting On Their Own: “Look Mom, No Hands!”
Your baby is now loving being able to sit and can keep herself upright while being propped up, either with her hands or on something else! What’s next? Helping her sit all on her own.
Your little one will be able to sit independently when he can stay in a secure, balanced seated position without the support of a pillow, person, or his own hands. He’ll need to go through all the steps to get there, but if he does, he’ll be strong enough to manage this on his own.
Typically, this will start to happen for babies at six to seven months old, though they will likely only be able to manage it for a few seconds or a couple of minutes. They won’t be able to transition into this position on their own, so they’ll need help getting situated. Importantly, at this stage, babies are not yet strong or stable enough in this position to safely sit unattended or to engage in active play in this position.
At around eight to nine months old, most babies will be able to sit with enough stability to enjoy playing in a seated position. And at ten to eleven months old, they can usually transition into a seated position on their own.
Sitting will look different at each of these stages. A six-month-old baby will sit in a ring-sitting position, with hips symmetrically flexed, legs turned outward, knees bent, and feet together This position provides a large base of support. He will be able to sit upright using his strong spinal muscles and will be able to hold his head in midline, in the middle of his body.
As he gets older and stronger, he’ll be able to reach in all directions, grab toys, and bring them back in close to play. He’ll start with one hand while she gets more confident and stable, and after no time, she’ll be saying. “Look, Mom! No hands!”
Once that happens, he’ll start being able to reach farther and farther. Eventually, he will be able to sit in all sitting positions, not only in ring-sitting. He’ll be able to sit with his legs out long, in side-sit, and even on a bench with his feet dangling. He will also be able to “catch” himself with his hand on the ground when he begins to lose his balance. This is called a protective reaction and it’s a built-in reflex we all have! However, it may take a little time, a few weeble-wobbles, and some practice to really strengthen this reflex.
This final step will probably be the most fun for your little one: sitting while playing! Not only can she look around and see the world differently now, if she’s made it to this stage, she can also play differently.
Once she’s able to sit independently, you can encourage her to play in that position. There are plenty of options here. You can start by holding a single toy in front of her, seeing if she’ll engage. You can also work with her to reach for a toy in front of her and to the side, improving her balance while seated. She’ll continue to practice and develop this balance as she grows.
Wondering what kind of toys will encourage this kind of practice? Check out our curated list.
It’s exciting to watch your baby progress to sitting on her own, but we all need a little direct, practical guidance sometimes to get us to our goals. We’ve pulled together some activities to make the practice simpler and more fun:
To work on your baby’s protective reactions, which is her ability to “catch” herself with their hands, simply hold her waist while she’s sitting and gently tip her slightly to one side until her hand hits the surface! You can also place her hand on the surface to show her how it works. Then bring her back to the middle and repeat. You can sing a fun song or make funny faces to keep her intrigued and feeling safe. This is also fun to practice with her sitting on a yoga or stability ball!
To build up your baby’s security and skill with “bench-sitting,” where his feet will be dangling, you can use a block or cube to get him into a comfortable seated position that promotes spinal extension but allows him to use his feet on the floor to balance. At the start, your baby’s hips may still be rotated out in a slight ring-sitting position with his feet together. This was the case for our friend, Nordin, who was having a lot of difficulties sitting in a good upright position while reaching when in a typical ring-sitting position. His parents used a block to help him get into a good sitting position and progress with the skill. Find two options that work well for Nordin, and might work for your baby too, on our curated list of sitting toys and tools.
Hold your baby in that bench-sitting position with his legs dangling on the edge of a bench, couch, or chair. Not having his legs in ring-sitting will help him to engage his trunk muscles to balance! You can also simulate this bench-sitting over your knees, facing away from you, perhaps facing a friend, looking at a sibling, or checking himself out in a mirror! To help your baby keep from tipping over but continue to encourage her to practice balancing on her own, hold onto her at her hips instead of her arms or shoulders. Holding onto her arms or hands can promote unnatural posturing and is also a risk for dislocation or subluxation of the shoulder or elbow, should your baby pull in the opposite direction.
To encourage spinal extension and head lifting, use our favorite suction toys on a surface in front of your baby. Place her sitting an arms-length away, or safe distance to prevent face-plants, from your fridge or full-length mirror and suction the FatBrain Squigz or the Sassy Teethe and Twirl [LINKS] at about shoulder height. This will encourage your baby to reach out to engage and work on their core strength and stability.
Assisting with the use of a small wedge, like this one on our list of sitting tools, may also help guide your baby into a comfortable upright posture. However, if you notice your baby is having a significantly difficult time extending through their spine and head, it’s important to consult your pediatrician or local physical therapist.
Jessica is an experienced physical therapist passionate about early development, gross motor play, and improving daily function for those with neurological diagnoses. She earned her undergraduate degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University and her doctorate in physical therapy from Daemen College. Practicing for nearly seven years, Jessica has worked with children and families in hospital, outpatient, early intervention, school-based, and private clinical settings.
Jessica lives in northern Michigan, where she spends as much time as possible outside. She’s mom to five-month-old Declan and aunt to two energetic toddlers, two-year-old Tallulah and three-year-old Grayson.
