GliderCENTRAL

Teaching a Glider....

Posted By: Skylerpax

Teaching a Glider.... - 08/20/11 04:52 AM

to Glide! I have my babies and the refuse to glide at all. I've been doing some bathroom time until I get enough money saved up for a sansbug tent and they go crazy running around, except Bolt he just likes to cuddle up instead of play. Both of my little ones will run to the top of the shower curtain and I can tell they want to jump over to me but at the very last moment they lean back and start running around again. Is there a specific way to teach my little ones to do as nature intended them to and glide to their hearts content?
Posted By: Sherri

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/20/11 06:00 AM

Have you tried setting them on the doorframe of the bathroom, or maybe the shower curtain rod? Places like that are a good way to start. I would recommend standing close to where you set them and as they get more confident in their gliding you can keep stepping back a little further for them to glide to you.
Posted By: DCMuffin

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/20/11 01:39 PM

Sherri has given you good advice....you can put them in a higher spot. Once there, put your hand up to them so they can step onto your hand. Place them back in that spot. This time, put your hand a couple of inches away so they have to stretch to you but can still reach you. Do this a few more times. Each time, move your hand a bit further away - let them "jump" to your hand, even if it's just 8 or 10 inches away. As they become comfortable, knowing that you will be there to "catch" them, they may become more comfortable, also, in gliding. But keep in mind that not all gliders will glide. Some just don't like it. Others aren't very good at it. LOL I have one girl who loves to make short glides - I call them glides because she opens ALL the way up to "fly" but in reality, is really only jumping to me about 2 or 3 feet away. She's never been good at it, nor does she have much interest in it. Then I have others that are nuts and every chance they get, find a high spot and will glide across the room. Give it time... smile
Posted By: Meg_n_Von

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/20/11 07:57 PM

Before my gliders would just glide to me, I would set them on the shower curtain and they would glide right down to me. Have a treat on hand after they glider to you might help as well... wink
Posted By: BreezySam

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/22/11 01:41 PM

A coat rack is also good to use! smile
Posted By: Dani_D

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/24/11 04:09 PM

All of these are great suggestions! I also have a baby that does not glide. I laugh at her and tell her she thinks shes a groundhog! Shed rather burrow through the comforter/sheets on my bed than glide. She will do a short "jump" every so often, but its very clumsy looking! lol
Posted By: lilangels

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/24/11 05:09 PM

The tent will help a bunch if you have things for them to climb up high and they can glide to you. I wish I would have known you needed a tent skyler I would have sent you one for just the extra postage with your set but I sold it last wekeend at a garage sale for $5. I kept thinking I should have asked everyone on here 1st if anyone needed one, but my ultimate goal at the garage sale was just to get as much junk out of my house as soon as possible smile
Posted By: Dwiizie

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/24/11 06:08 PM

My gliders are pretty good at gliding, I do have one that does the "full spread" for a little hop, I have one that FLIES, and I have one that TRIES (usually splatting lol, but she's getting her coordination down) I liked DCMUFFINs advice to start with jumping to your hand and slowly moving away. I started doing this to keep them from jumping on my face, I'd offer a hand to them instead, then they'd run down my arm, and back up to wherever they were before. Jumping to my hand, running and realizing my shoulder was a good "landing pad", and repeating really helped them learn, and now they glide to my shoulder for their glides, rather than face splatting me, which is VERY nice. Posie will glide when I pat my shoulder now. I didn't really DO anything to teach it to them, I just let them explore and do what they do, and was suprised when Posie would land on my shoulder when I patted it (I mean, thats what I WANTED her to do, but I didn't expect her to actually do it) but she did, and after several times, I think she either wants to know why I'm flopping my hand on myself so she goes to investigate, or shes actually learning that the patting motion is me asking her to come visit me. I'm really not sure. And, just an added note, Posie used to tunnel down under the fleece and in my shirt when we started doing tent time, she wanted nothing to do with anything in there. I have found that she is more light sensitive than the others, and only seems to glide when there is only a night light on. If I have the dim, but still bigger light on for my own vision, she goes back to snuggle and tunnel mode. Maybe its too bright in your bathroom?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Teaching a Glider.... - 08/24/11 07:57 PM

Tent time made a huge difference for me in getting them to glide. Walmart has some cheap tents. That's what I got to get things started and they have loops on the ceiling to hang toys from. You don't have to get an expensive one. You can always upgrade later.
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