Go backwards

Going backwards is an important thing for a baby to learn, especially in our house.  We have 3 one step downs where a baby has to learn to navigate if they want to go where ever they want to go.  And trust me – they want to go where they want to go.  So, with Alex we taught him to go backwards (not a unique concept, but a new one for us being new parents).  He learned the hard way a few times, just like him.  He didn’t see/care/understand that there was a stair coming up and just went off of it front ways.  Sara, on the other hand, carefully puts her hand to where the edge is and tries to figure it out, but stays there at the top of the stairs. 

 

So, now we’ve now taught it to Sara. 

 

It doesn’t really take that long, it just takes some phrase that you say each time they are doing it and some physical teaching of the skill.  We would say “go backwards” (in the baby talk tone that parents always have) to Sara and help her put her swing her legs around and then down the stairs first.  You do this a couple of times and your done for the day.  You just repeat every so often and before you know it – you can see the look in their eye when you say “go backwards” and they try to get their legs around to get in the position.   At first, you see the understanding, but not being able to physically do it.  Then, before you know it – they understand and can do it on their own.

 

Sara can now get anywhere she wants to go and she is so proud of herself that she claps when she’s at the bottom, and gets us to clap with her since she’s so cute!