Crawling- Rules or..????? NOW STANDING

[GoddessDigi]

Okay, so now that Luna is crawling, I'm a bit confused on how to proceed.

We have tile flooring down here in the basement, and wooden upstairs. My MIL doesn't want me letting her crawl down here, because what if she rolls over and hits her head? (Which she loves to do, so yeah, it's not just a possibility.)
So, do I just let her do it? Because how else will she get to crawl around and learn to walk and all that? Or do I maybe need to lie a blanket down on the floor? But she won't crawl on the bed, cause I think she can't get a good grip going. =/

So how do/did you let your kids crawl around?

[Grey]

We used interlocking rubber mats.

[GoddessDigi]

Oohh! I saw those at the Liquidation Electronics place I got my laptop fan at.
But they were expensive. ._.
$25 for a set of 4...=/

[monkeyincowtown]

I was going to suggest the mats too, they have them at WM very cheap right now, they also have them at costco cheaper, but the ones there are just grey not the multi coloured one. You could also try an area rug.

[IRefuseToPayFullPrice]

These are nice but the recommended age is 3-6 years so....
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index....efProd=4029934

[Midnightly]

walmart has the mats cheap at the moment.. but if your worried why not just put a soft warm fuzzy hat on her and if she rolls.. it will help cushion the fall..

when toodles started crawling i just let her go at it (though she crawled for all of a month then started walking) when she started walking i had the same fear you do (tile floor in my kitchen) i ended up putting up a baby gate to keep her in the livingroom (which was not just baby proof but toodles proof!) and that worked great until she was tall enough to climb over it (but by then she was very stable on her feet)

if you think your worrying now at crawling wait till she starts learning to walk lol ohh the fears of falling and hitting her head are huge! (and being knocked over while out in public or any play area)

[Natalka]

Well, you don't need sheets of bubble wrap!

Just let her crawl on tile, laminate, wood floor - whatever! With a pair of pants on (with double knees if it makes you feel better), she'll be protected enough. Babies have done this for centuries!
It's MOST important that you do serious babyproofing though at this stage, if you haven't already - get down on your hands and knees and crawl around yourself (yes, it seems silly, but works) just to see what shouldn't be there (cords, what's on shelves, etc.).

Crawling is a cool developmental stage - my son couldn't go fast enough using his knees, so he tended to 'crabwalk' just using his hands and feet - it was so funny!

[nadiabreckon]

I say let her crawl wherever she pleases! She's gonna get bumps and bruises no matter what, so you might as well let her explore the way babies were intended to...on their hands and knees!

If you don't want her to crawl on the hard flooring, then I would suggest blocking it off with a baby gate...DS was able to go anywhere he pleased (and all military housing has hardwood floors), and it was fine.

[Melody113]

Get the MIL to buy the mats or let her crawl where she wants. She's a baby not an EGG

[Melody113]

These are nice but the recommended age is 3-6 years so....
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index....efProd=4029934

The age is more likely as she won't get the benifts from the ABC's or the 123's

Quote off the site"These factors are also considered in labeling a product with a 'best age range.' While many children may enjoy products at different stages of their development, this rating is our suggestion for an age range which will best enjoy the product. Please use these ratings as guidelines, and use sensitivity when purchasing products based on the individuals that you are shopping for. Based on your own experience with a product, feel free to also offer reviews and feedback on the website for other customers to learn from."

[blackpup]

My bf was anal about my queen's safety when she first started to *crawl*. In my opinion, we all learn from our experiences. I felt that if her highness hit her head and had a booboo, she would learn from it and move on. I made sure she was not in a situation where she could seriously harm herself, but knocking and bumping is all part of growing up.

My queen did not crawl at all, she hopped everywhere on her knees, it was so funny. She was bruised black and blue from doing this, I guess she did not mind it at all.

Enjoy this time, I know they are all special moments, but this time was really precious

[blackpup]

btw, my z has those mats on clearance right now, maybe yours has them too. I bought some anti-skid carpets meant for the tub at the $ store. They work fine too.

[Zonny]

We had some of those mats (I bought some awhile back at Atlantic Superstore for about $10 recently, for exercising on the floor), but of course a crawling baby isn't going to stay in one spot and you can hardly carpet your whole house with them. My whole house is hardwood floors, and my kid has lived up to this point. Sure they fall and bonk themselves, but you can't just not let them crawl.

Z

[GoddessDigi]

Yeah, there's not a single carpeted area in the house.
And last night I tried lying a blanket on the floor for her..she crawled everywhere but on the blanket, sheesh.

[vibrantflame]

Get her a helmet! lol seriously if she is anything like my children. Unless you are concerned that she could seriously injure herself, I wouldn't worry too much. As others said, bumps and bruises are part of life at that age, and no matter how much you try to protect them, it is inevitable that they will find a way to injure themselves...

If you are considering buying foam mats, keep in mind that unless you cover the entire floor with them, they're only good while your child decides to stay on them. For me, that was about two weeks and then they were off