As a peds PT and mom, I totally get why the big milestones like rolling, sitting, crawling and walking are often the main focus for so many of us. Seeing our babies conquer the world, explore their independence, and the first time they roll, sit, crawl, walk - it truly is SO exciting! BUT…I’ve found both with my own children AND with the families I serve as a therapist, when the focus is on milestones, sometimes it becomes more about what they AREN’T doing instead of noticing all the amazing little things they ARE doing that lay the foundation for the big milestone to occur…. and those are what I love to refer to as MINISTONES.

Working with families, I realized firsthand that MY excitement about a child’s ministones became exciting for their family/caregivers & in turn, the child! & it took a bit to ‘click’ for me that I was noticing those ministones more because I’m trained to do just that - I’m trained to focus on & help with all those ‘bricks’ that lay the foundation that allows the big milestones to happen. So my hope is to share exactly that with all of you!

For me, ministones are the foundation for the big milestones - the foundation for mobility, independence, exploration - whatever that may look like for an individual. And again…more than anything, they’re a celebration & shift in focus from what a child may not be doing yet, to all they ARE doing right this moment. And that’s pretty dang cool if you ask me!!

So I introduce to you, The Milestones & Motherhood Ministones Guide! I truly hope it helps you enjoy your little ones & savor all those exciting moments as they learn and grow.

And if you’re unsure or struggling with how to set the environment up to encourage age appropriate exploration, how to play purposefully with your little one in a way that also targets development, or how to engage your child in play a meaningful way that also encourages mini AND milestones, Check out my available masterclasses (tummy time, roll/sit, crawl & walking) for TONS of tips, tricks, play activities, information & more!

A NOTE BEFORE YOU START

If your baby was premature, typically their actual age is “corrected for” against how premature they were. For example: A full term pregnancy is 40 weeks. A baby born at 36 weeks is 4 weeks early. For the first two years of life, most medical professionals will ‘correct’ for those 4 weeks that your child was supposed to be in utero. So, their actual age may be 3 months, but their corrected age is 2 months. In this case, my suggestion would be to work on activities listed for a 2-month-old to start. This correction is usually made until your child is two years of age.

Rolling Ministones

Let’s talk rolling ministones! How do you know rolling might on the horizon?! Rolling belly to back often occurs around 3-5 months, and begins as an accidental roll because the weight of their head causes them to topple over. So- some signs that rolling may be coming soon (these don’t all HAVE to happen either!)

BELLY TO BACK ROLLING

Pressing up on hands when on belly
Lifting head high and looking around
Attempting to free one hand and play with a toy on belly

Between 4-6 months, back to belly rolling often emerges as the front muscles engage more, but 6 months is more of the average ((don’t panic if your baby does the opposite order- it can be common & is usually totally ok!)).

BACK TO BELLY ROLLING

Grabbing feet
Rolling to side & back
Playing in sidelying
Hands to midline for toys or to mouth (the middle of their body)

If you’re not seeing any of these signs that rolling is coming by 8 months, I’d mention it to your pediatrician and see about a PT eval- but remember that development is truly a range! Don’t forget to cherish those ministones when you can- because again…..without them, there’d be no big milestones to celebrate! Let the good times roll!

Sitting Ministones

First, sitting often begins around 6 months of age (6-7 is average, & if by 8 months you’re not seeing progress towards it, while it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a concern, it’s worth just mentioning to your pediatrician to see if a PT eval is warranted). BUT, there are also plenty of babies who are on the move very early, and may subsequently sit on that later side! This is often because they are SO motivated to move that they can’t be bothered to sit for too long, and that’s okay too! Let’s talk about how to know if your little one is close to independent sitting, & fine motor development in sit!

These are the big things I love to see when possible before starting sitting…..

Pressing up high during tummy time, demonstrating solid head control in all positions, meaning you don’t need to still support their head even when holding them!
Rolling both ways (belly to back to belly)
Head up, chin off chest & low back straight when placed in prop sitting (hands on floor in front of them like shown)

What you’ll notice first is your little one propped forward, which turns into balancing in sitting. Progressing to holding an object with BOTH hands at once, to holding a small toy in each hand simultaneously, to banging those two toys together, to crossing midline & passing the toy between hands! These fine motor progressions occur simultaneously with/lead into protective extension as well - forward, to the side, and eventually backwards.

SITTING PROGRESSIONS

Prop sit with hands in front for support
Begins bringing hands off the floor from prop sit
Holds one toy with both hands
Holds a small toy in each hand simultaneously
Begins banging two toys together
Begins passing toys between hands, cross midline & exploring more trunk rotation and movement in sitting

And we DEFINITELY want to try our best to be sure they are rolling both ways prior to practicing sitting.

Once sit practice starts, CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE FLOOR TIME, because ALL the next milestones towards crawling, getting in/out sit, getting into standing, etc come from that floor time!

Crawling Ministones

Y’all know by now I love mini “inch”stones- the little things that add up to equal the big milestones we typically anticipate. I might even love ministones more than I love full blown milestones, because they are things we often take for granted or don’t realize are SO special, and so exciting on the road to the milestone. So, let’s talk about crawling ministones!

CRAWLING

Pivoting on their belly (often begins around 4-5 months)

The rest often come after pivoting on the belly & can vary on when they present…

Rocking on hands and knees
Bear position (on hands and feet with booty in the air)
A few creeps on hands & knees before dropping to the floor again

Pushing backwards on their belly
Planking
Inching forward on the belly
Army crawling may or may not happen

Typically, crawling on hands and knees is expected between 8-10 months. Some are earlier and some may be a touch later, but if you’re not seeing these strong signs that crawling is coming soon around 10 months, I would just mention it to your pediatrician.

And don’t forget, crawling masterclass has lots of tips to encourage these ministones and work towards the big crawling milestone!

Walking Ministones

WALKING PROGRESSIONS

Pull to stand with hand support usually begins soon after crawling (often 9-10 months)
Cruising along furniture with hand support
Letting go with one hand while standing
Letting go with both hands while standing
Transitioning in/out of standing
Transitioning between two close by objects (brief periods of letting go)
Taking steps while holding an object

Some others you might see:

Transitioning in/out of standing

Independent walking is expected between 12-18 months from a textbook standpoint. BUT as a pedatrics PT, I’m much more comfortable with 16 months. If you’re not seeing some of these strong ministones that indicate walking is coming by 16 months, OR your little seems to be “stuck” for more than a month or two on one of these ministones- don’t be afraid to push for a PT Eval!

My walking class, which has this and so, so much more laid out to set the environment up and play purposefully to support your little one through these stages!

Jumping Ministones

Generally speaking, jumping with clearance of both feet is expected around 24 months of age. Some littles will be earlier, some will be slightly later- and as with anything, development is a range and that is usually totally okay!

BUT, there are also plenty of babies who are on the move very early, and may subsequently sit on that later side! This is often because they are SO motivated to move that they can’t be bothered to sit for too long, and that’s okay too! Let’s talk about how to know if your little one is close to independent sitting, & fine motor development in sit!

JUMPING PROGRESSIONS

Bouncing in standing (on a soft or hard surface) when jumping is modeled (knees bending only)
Bouncing in standing and rising onto toes- which preps the calf muscles for the big contractions needed to jump successfully
Bouncing in standing and lifting one foot while rising on toes
Leaping forward when jumping is modeled
Leaping OFF something like a step when modeled

And then - full blown jumping! It will start as jumping straight up, clearing both feet, and then progress to things like jumping forward, jumping to the sides/backward, jumping over an obstacle, and jumping off of something (like a step).

Now you know the motor ministones, but how about some ideas on how to encourage them!?

For purposeful play ideas & set ups to encourage gross motor development in your little one in an easy to navigate, reference & implement, be sure to check out the Complete Bundle of masterclasses I have available. These take you through ALL of the big gross motor milestones through walking, with simple activities to encourage each one, as well as A LOT of other developmental information to help you understand and support your little ones motor development!

I truly hope that this information has served as a source of education, empowerment, and easing your parent heart as you navigate all the excitement that comes from watching our babies grow. Please know that you have all of the tools built right in to be an incredible parent, and you were made your sweet baby’s parent for a reason. You’ve got this, and I am here for you, every step of the way!

Hope this helps!

Want More?

For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.

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The Milestones & Motherhood Ministones Guide