How To Get Your Cruiser To Stand Independently

“My baby has been cruising for what feels like months and I think has the strength to stand independently, but just won’t. Any tips?”

ANSWER- I’m going to answer this assuming that progress IS still happening and that this child is still falling within “average expectations” for motor skills – just as a caveat! BUT – many times upright skills are the first times we really see a child’s personality coming into play.

For example, if a child trends on the more cautious side, they may look for/crave more support from furniture, push walkers, your hands, etc. These may be the kids that drop right down to crawl instead of attempting to transition in standing between two objects, as compared to children who trend on the more “fearless” side, who may do things like diving between furniture, trying to take a step or two without much concern about falling, etc.

In these cases, I find that environment set up can be your absolute best friend! I try not to offer support from hands whenever possible, mostly because that can turn into them using more support than they need, and/or relying on or seeking out more than they need – so things like setting up two chairs very close to each other and just letting them explore toys in upright moving between them while holding on with both hands, giving them something to hold like a wooden ladle while you hold the other side, even both holding onto a hula hoop can be a really awesome option!

Ultimately, giving them opportunities to freely explore within their comfort zone in standing can be the catalyst for more confidence in standing and strengthening opportunities to work towards independent steps.

Hope that 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.

Was this helpful? Save it for later!

KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.