Before you start

For getting up from sitting, the position of the child is really important. It should have about a 90° angle in the knees and hips. If it is sitting lower, place some books under the sitting bones. The feet need to stand in a good position (wear shoes if the floor is slippery. If your child is wearing orthoses or special shoes, they would be helpful). This lesson can be practiced on a sofa, so the child can lean its hands on the seat. Help with tightly packed pillows and blanket so the child can lean back, or feel something on the side. Sitting on a small box or stool against the wall would also work. Surfaces and pillows should not be too soft.

You don`t have to do it all at once

These lessons are complex and might be too much for one day. Then again, I don`t know where your child is in its movement development. Adapt the time you spend at movement instructions to your needs. If your child basically knows how to do the movement, but does not do them with ease, please spend some time on the "easier" parts of the lesson anyway. This will make the movement fluent and beautiful. If you do all parts of the lesson, this should take about 45 minutes. If your child is afraid, this lesson is closely related to "Rocking forward" in week 4 day 3.

Remember

• Put the child in a good and secure sitting position. And take time to sit in a comfortable position yourself! The child can lean on a backrest or folded blanket.
• Gently lift the legs in the hips. You can do slight rotations. This is quite easy for most children, so do not spend too much time there.
• Now lift the legs higher and move legs and pelvis together. You can hold the child from behind (as low as possible, on the pelvis/sacrum, not the lower spine) and gently help it come forward.
• Help the child to put the hands on the knees (if possible). Open the and close the legs and "rock" the back a little bit.
• Bang the feet on the ground. You can make this quite funny and use it as a break.
• Put one foot to standing. Pull the knee over the foot, and press down toward the floor. You want the child to feel the skeleton, not the muscles working here. (If the foot is not in a standing position, you might put something under the heels for now, or wear orthoses.)
• Gently push the knee into the hip. Your hand is under the kneecap. Remember, no sudden movements.
• Hold the child`s upper body, if it is already sitting well by itself, you might guide the head. Gently move it forward and back, bending and straightening the spine.
• Put the hands on the seat (or have the child lying over a roller) and lift the sitting bones.

This lesson will be continued tomorrow.