What do you do with crawlers?!

[mumofone]

I was wondering what people do when they mind babies who are crawling? I'm thinking they can't crawl freely around all the house so would need to be gated off/fenced off/sectioned off or something to help keep them safe in a specific area. Do you just use stair gates or play pens or something similar?

[moggy]

I have them crawling round whole downstairs (stair gate on stairs, close cloakroom and porch doors). I risk assess everything- look at everything they can reach.
I keep baskets of things they can have (board books, wooden blocks etc) on bottom shelves for them to access. Other stuff gets moved to higher shelves.
We have a dining table and booster seats/stokke chairs for older children to do crafts and puzzles up high, so out of the way of the crawler. We also use crawler's nap time for doing stuff like Brio on the floor that a crawler would wreak.

They don't crawl for long and before you know it they are walking and on to the next stage. I have had about 5 crawlers over recent years and has worked out fine- I love that stage!

I keep our house pretty clear, minimal and tidy of 'stuff' which I find is best for everyone.

I would not want to limit a crawler's space- they need to explore, to be able to follow me or other children around, crawl under the table, pull themselves up on the sofa, try to reach up to the piano... all this stuff is good.

[mumofone]

What about the inevitable knocking of the head on furniture or door frames moggy, dyou ever find this?

[cupcake22]

Over the last 16 years that I have be child minding the majority of my children have arrived as babies so they have all been through the crawling stage. Never had any problems with them knocking into door frames or furniture. The rooms that I don't want them to go into I shut the doors & just watch them closely when they are on the move.


Cupcake22

[moggy]

What about the inevitable knocking of the head on furniture or door frames moggy, dyou ever find this?

They bump into stuff at all stages, they stumble, they knock themselves on things, they go under the dining table and stand up and hit their heads (I have an 18mth old learning about this at the moment) but that is how they learn. OK, the 18mth old cries, we have a cuddle and she's fine again, maybe the next time she remembers to duck... that is real learning and I do not believe I am putting her in any danger.

If you keep them in a playpen, or fenced off in a soft squishy area, how will they learn what corners are, how tall their heads are, what edges feel like?

I never wrap kids in cottonwool- I think that would actually be more dangerous for them long term because of they don't learn this stuff while they are little and while they bounce back quite well, they are at risk of bigger injuries later if they don't learn spacial awareness and awareness of their own bodies.

Obviously I avoid the big risks- stair gate is on, I put gate on patio door too with crawlers or little toddlers about. I do not have big climbing equipment or big steps or drops in garden but if I did I would be keeping little ones away. And I supervise.

[tulip0803]

I have a crawler who is pulling to stand and walking along furniture - will walk very soon. He crawls all over the downstairs with supervision, I am always there. Like the others said my house is as safe as possible I have a stair gate on the stairs and can shut kitchen/lobby door. I have toys that he can access on low shelves that are suitable and I put things on the sofas to get him to stand and cruise.

He hasn't crawled into any doors etc but he has crawled very fast and "stumbled" and bumped his head on the floor. Like Moggy said it is all learning for them - I love but at the same time dread the newly walking stage as they are unstable but I wouldn't dream of restricting them as they need space to learn how to do it properly, I just watch them closely.

[natlou82]

I look after 2 LOs that have just come through the crawling stage, one is now a confident walker and the other a new walker. I let both children have full access to downstairs, like others I risk assessed and had no problems. I will do the same again now they are walking but obviously be more aware of things at a higher level. When I have the older children and they want to play lego or similar they sit at the high table.

[bunyip]

I agree with previous posts (how did I know the excellent Moggy's would include the word "cottonwool" ? :D )

Tbh, little ones learn best the simplest aspects of what we refer to as "risk management" by hurting themselves just a wee bit without doing any serious or permanent damage.

Rule One of Life: 5hit happens.

Rule Two: It's what you're gonna do about it that counts.

Worth learning as early as possible. :thumbsup:

[clareelizabeth1]

I let them run free I have risk assed and decided they need risks or they won't learn. I always think that it's more dangerous to not let them do or touch anything till they can walk steady as then they have to suddenly learn their limitations all at once and that's how things go wrong.