The Touchdown Method

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The Touchdown Method- Corpus Christi Moms BlogMy daughter is 6 months old and soon will be mobile!!!!!!!!!!! As I started baby proofing the house in preparation for this event, I thought back to when my older two boys were crawling and then walking, and I remembered the blessed Touchdown Method. So let me explain.

When you have a new crawler and walker, they face plant, fall, tumbles, roll, bonk their heads, have knots forever in the middle of their foreheads (at least mine did) all earned with mastering their skill

How do you handle tumbles? Do you do the dreaded no-no gasp?! Rush to their aid? Scoop them up? Search them frantically for injuries? Or do you stay silent, assess the problem, and react accordingly?  

I try my best to assess, not gasp (which can be difficult.) Once it is established that there are no injuries, which only takes a second, I raise my arms and yell “touchdown” with a huge smile on my face. I clap my hands and cheer for the babe as he gets up. Usually, that can coax a smile or two and then, the crawling or walking begins again. 

This method is used in many ways to try and help children develop resilience. If we can teach them how to pick themselves up, brush it off, and begin again, they CAN MASTER THE WORLD. TOUCHDOWN!  

I truly believe that confidence and resilience start at the beginning steps and will dictate their level of resilience in adulthood.

My hope for my 3 children is that I can teach them that they can do anything as long as they work hard and try, and if they fall, get up and begin again.

I will always support and love them, assess, and be there to pick them up when they are in need of it at any age.

I will never see failure in perseverance no matter how many times they stumble.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Love this! We do the same thing for the more part. Call her “Safe!”, tough, get up and “wipe it off” (wiping her hands together).

  2. Oh my gosh, I am obsessed with this! I will definitely try it soon as BG is just now starting to crawl. Thanks, Amy!

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