Twisting

Before twisting movements, it is always a very good idea to bend first. You can either lift the head or the pelvis to "warm-up". If your child cannot bend (yet), work on bending and come back to this lesson later.

This lesson is about rolling, twisting the back, and putting the feet to standing. Assess your child first - what stage would you like to work on? You don`t have to do everything today.

The most important part is not to have any moment where the child is doing very sudden movements or losing control. The slower you go, the more joints can get involved in the movement.

Remember

• Put the child lying on the back, if possible lift the knees. Place your hand under the pelvis/sacrum and move it a bit right and left. You are creating a moment of instability - great for movement, but it might seem dangerous to the child. If it is laughing or playing, you are right on!
• Move a toy right and left over the head, to let the child track the movement. Notice: which side is easier?
• Move back to the pelvis: Which side is easier here?
• Now we want the child to understand rolling is not dangerous. Lift the knees to the torso, grab it with the child`s hands (a very secure position), and roll in the easy direction. The knees can be bent here! If your child is not used to this movement, you can do it very slowly, this might even be enough.
• If your child is already rolling on its own, you don`t need to do this part of the lesson - or do it fast and funny. Yupppieeee - BAM.
• In the next step, the child has to organize the head and torso himself. Hold the legs from under the knees, and gently roll the child to the easier side. Go very slowly in the beginning, to involve more and more parts of the body into the movement. The muscles around the ribcage and thoracic spine have to relax. Be sure to do it so slowly that you don`t see any sudden startling reactions (Moro reflex). The goal is to have no moment of losing control or falling. If another person can help you with moving a toy, that would be helpful. You can give the child more information by doing soft sounds (the child iiiuuuu bum.)
• Lift the legs for rolling. When the child is lying on the side, gently help him to stretch the legs long - it should roll back by itself without effort.
• Take one knee, and rotate the other in the direction you are going

Put one leg to standing and help the other with rotation. Notice how the child has to open the hip of the standing foot while putting weight on it - that is the main part of this movement. It is difficult. Go slow. This is a very advanced twist and a preparation for standing and putting weight on the feet.