Wow, she was only 2 1/2 months when you took this picture? My son HATES tummy time and pretty much refuses to do anything but lie there and cry, he doesn't try to put weight on his arms like she is in this picture, he just "swims" and screams. How did you help her get to this point? P.S. I have the same Gymini!

My son hated tummy time as well, so our solution was to just not bother with it. What is the point? Our pediatrician confessed that they really don't *know* whether it does any good or not, it is more of a 'chicken soup' kind of thing. You know, "it can't hoit". Well, we decided that the screaming of our child during tummy time was a good omen we shouldn't do it, maybe. So, we never did, we just left him on his back or sitting up, which he did quite early.

Now he is 9 months old and we can't keep him off his tummy. He flops onto his belly in the night, too, and if we place him on his back he grumps and flops right back over. When he was ready for 'tummy time' he got there himself. Nobody was more surprised than I, but now, for the last 3 weeks or so, if you leave him alone for more than 5 minutes he will roll onto his tummy, and stay there at considerable length.

So my advice is to ask your doctor or pediatrician, get them to tell you what will happen if you never do 'tummy time' and ask where the evidence is that proves it makes any difference to the kid's development.

I know several other Mommies who secretly confide that they never did tummy time either, and their children all crawled, and then stood, and then walked, when they were ready. Some babies will push up with their arms at 2 months and smile at the stuffed toy, and others will scream until they are 9 months old. Don't worry! Your baby has his own individual timetable and he will get there when he is ready.

Thanks so much! I hate putting him through that torment but I was afraid that he would never learn to hold himself up or roll over (which he still can't do at 16 weeks). Now I will only put him on his tummy when he's in a good mood and when he starts screaming, pick him up. I think all of the "experts" who write books do more damage than good because there really isn't a normal timetable for all children, just what is normal for them. Thanks again!

I don't think parents worried as much about children's development as much as they do today. I don't really know, I mean I"m sure they worried but it seems to me (and I'm a nobody remember) that now a days you hear so much about "you should do this to help your baby do that" I really think kids just automatically do things when they're own bodies say its time. I guess its not a bad idea to try to speed up the process but all parents should remember not to force anything. It's not like if a kid sits up on his own its all because a parent did lots of tummy time with him. Know what I mean?

I think its like parent peer pressure, some parent's beat themselves up if they're child is not progressing as fast as the neighbors. Don't worry. be happy doo doot doo doodoododdoo yea.

Just relax let the kids grow up at their own pace. It will happen.

Amen Nina! Kids will do what they can do when the time is right. They aren't robots you can program, eventually the program breaks down.

I agree with you all, I was just worried I was the only one who thought this way! I guess I was just worried because now that we put babies on their backs to sleep, they wouldn't learn the neck control as quickly so we had to intervene by tummy time. But, I'm quickly realizing that there are other ways to gain neck control: my son can sit in his walker and saucer at 4 months and hold his head up fine, it's just the lying on the tummy and rolling over that we're still working on, and I know that he'll do it when he's ready. Thanks for all of your advice, I feel better now about not forcing him to do something he hates!

I love her expression in this picture.

I'm 13 and this picture really made me smile!