Comments on: Break-Dancing Baby: Self-Expression In Motion

By: Megan Sullivan

Megan Sullivan — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 14:24:14 +0000

Such sweet moves! I love that she’s doing her own combo of crawling, rolling, spinning, bear-walking. There’s so much going on there! Thank you for sharing.

By: janet

janet — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 23:06:22 +0000

In reply to Michelle. Interesting, Michelle! Thank you for your feedback!

By: Lisette

Lisette — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 22:19:26 +0000

My son does similar things! He is 13 months old, on the verge of walking, but still very into his ground play. He’s a speed crawler, twirling on the floor between sprints and has been know to create his own version of crop circles by spinning ing place on his bottom… This is often followed by joyous clapping on his part. It is such a joy to watch him explore his body and it’s great abilities! Thank you for sharing this video!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 22:10:02 +0000

I have been a Kindermusik educator for 30 years and it seems to me what Siena might be doing is stimulating her own vestibular system — the system responsible for balance and coordination — that gives a shot of calming serotonin to the brain. Or she might just be doing it to experience the rush of dizziness. You see this quite often in toddlers, where they spin and spin and then stop and feel the dizzy sensation. Whatever it is, it is a cool video! Thanks for sharing.

By: janet

janet — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:25:04 +0000

In reply to Juliette.

Darn about the photo! I have seen a few other infants do that over the years…it’s extraordinary! But then the phase passes… Are you keeping a journal? That’s another good way to save the memories.

By: Juliette

Juliette — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:51:36 +0000

Our son went through a phase of doing the splits at about ten months – whenever he sat down he would often do it by going into the splits. It got lots of comments from people who saw it! I never got a photo or video unfortunately though.

By: Christina Kessler

Christina Kessler — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:31:11 +0000

This video is awesome. Yay free play!

Babies are very aware of the their surroundings and capabilities when given the chance to experiment. I see this with the child I nanny for. If he is on soft carpet or the mat in his play area he throws himself around, rolling, pouncing, face-diving into pillows, etc. If he is on wood floor or some other hard surface he moves with more care. He even falls differently if he knows there is a mattress or pillow behind him instead of a hard floor (he doesn’t worry about protecting his head).

By: janet

janet — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:47:24 +0000

In reply to kristin @ petal and thorn. Kristin, no, thank you! Siena is inspiring parents and educators across the web thanks to you trusting me. And you should be very proud of the way you and Joe are raising her. When we focus on teaching, directing or playing with children rather than observing and appreciating what they do naturally, we can miss so much joy. Please feel free to send me more snippets! :) Kristin, I just discovered your beautiful site...so thanks for that, too!

By: kristin @ petal and thorn

kristin @ petal and thorn — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:19:05 +0000

Wow, I’m having a proud mama moment seeing Siena up on your blog! She inspires me every day with her persistence, innovation, and wonder. I could make a full length film with all the amazing snippets we’ve been lucky to catch. Babies just blow my mind! Your blog has been a huge encouragement to me when I get stares and comments from people saying “you let her crawl down there? but it’s so dirty!” 🙂 Thanks Janet!

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:30:11 +0000

Hi Janet,
I’m so happy to see this video. My daughter spun similarly at around 10.5 months, but only for one evening! She was so focused and into it, clearly enjoying herself that I assumed we would see more of it, but that was it! Luckily, her dad and I were together with her and we were both able to enjoy it and have the memory. It’s beautiful to see Sienna, and be reminded of that. Thank you too for the reminder to appreciate all those unique transitional movements and positions. (I still miss how she used to lounge on her side and play, carefully balancing on one pointed toe as she pivoted to reach for a desired object). It’s just amazing how beautifully a child moves when allowed to move freely and how gracefully and uniquely each develops.

Also, I am happy to have this opportunity to thank you in writing for this blog! I discovered it about eight months ago, when my daughter was around 4 months old after I happened across an article on Magda on the internet and was so intrigued and relieved and excited by what I read that I devoured everything about RIE that I could get my hands on. I still do. I have followed your blog since and also spent glorious hours reading the archives. Its just so great to find information that makes such sense, makes being a parent easier and more fun and creates/allows a truly authentic relationship with your child.
Thank you, Janet.
All best, Julie