Awake on the belly, asleep on the back
Sleep on the back. Play on the belly. You can hold both rules in one afternoon.
Tummy time, on the Raising Children picture guide, is the baby awake on their front with weight through the forearms. It builds head, neck and upper body. It is meant to happen often, not as a Sunday special.
Start soon after birth. In the first weeks the dose is small, 1 to 2 minutes. You build toward 10 to 15 minutes, several times a day.
A furious 30 second attempt still counts. You try again later. You do not force a workout.
The reason to bother, besides strength, is the shape of the head. Safe sleep is on the back, and a lot of back-lying with the head in one spot can leave a flat patch. Awake time on the belly is how you push back at that without breaking the sleep rule.
If you only remember one line, remember both halves. Asleep, back. Awake and watched, belly.
Make it less boring or they will hate you and the mat. Safe objects close, moved side to side so they turn and lift. You on the floor, not on the couch commenting.
Turn a board book or a magazine where they can see. A mirror that will not shatter. Talk and sing.
A hand on the back. Outdoors on a blanket is allowed if you are actually there and the ground is safe.
If the floor is a protest, move the floor. Rolled towel, your lap, your chest. Chest is a good one for a dad who feels useless at feeds. They are on you, you are on the couch or the floor, you are watching, it still counts.
Supervise. The page is blunt because a baby who is getting stronger is a baby who can reach something you forgot. Cords, plastic, a pet bowl, a sibling's marble. Clear it before you start, not after they grab.
The switch back is immediate when they are done or drowsy. You do not leave them face down because they finally went quiet. Quiet might be sleep.
Sleep is the back, firm and clear. Pick them up, settle, put them down the safe way.
You can own this slot every day. Two minutes after a nappy. Two minutes before the bath.
She rests. The baby lifts their head a fraction more than last week. That small gain is the point.
Source: Raising Children Network