3. How often should I do the Wee Exercise program?

When can I start? Caregivers should provide an infant with structured opportunities for planned physical activity daily. Wee Exercise is not a regimented program but rather it offers caregivers a selection of activities to do with baby in each skill/motor development category. You may choose to do the entire program or pick a few activities and exercises that your baby likes best. Follow your baby's cues.

You can start doing the Wee Exercise program with a newborn. The series begins with simple activities from the first few weeks of life. Although some of the initial exercises may look simple, for a newborn most movement is hard work as he moves against gravity, strengthens his muscles and learns how to pull himself upright to interact with his environment. Child's play has a developmental purpose. We take for granted that we can move our head, but for a newborn baby this is a vital new skill to master. The activities for newborns work on head control, promote tummy time and teach body awareness through sensory input like the fuzzy rug activity.

4. Will Wee Exercise help my baby reach his developmental milestones quicker?

Wee Exercise is not a regimented program that trains babies to be super athletes. The goal of Wee Exercise is to encourage baby's own natural development at his own pace. It's not about pressuring your infant to sit, crawl or walk before your best friend's baby. Wee Exercise takes advantage of a crucial window of opportunity for motor development that begins at birth and continues to age five. Research shows that the human brain grows in size, develops complexity and makes synaptic connections as a function of the quality and quantity of sensory experience. Wee Exercise is about giving parents a tool to interact positively and constructively with their child and establish a healthy habit of physical activity early on. This is especially important in light of today's rising rate of obesity in children. Early habits bring lifelong results.

5. How can early movement in infants build better learners?

Neuroscience researches have found that physical development is directly linked to intelligence. In Wee Exercise we say
"Fit from the Start to be Smart" because early movement builds better learners. Babies and toddlers don't learn by thinking about things; they learn through their senses and by physically interacting or playing with things. Young children learn best using all of their sense and actively exploring their environment.

In other words, movement is the door to learning because it awakens and activates our mental capacity. Babies must move in order to think, create and learn. As parents and caregivers, it's our responsibility as their developmental coaches to create sensory enriched environments that stimulate brain growth and physical activity. Babies need freedom to explore their environments with few restrictions. Psychologists refer to the first two years of life as the sensory-motor period. Wee Exercise seeks to take advantage of that phenomenal brain growth through sensory motor activities.

6. Is Wee Exercise backed by medical or scientific research?

Wee Exercise is backed by a body of research by child development experts; scientists and medical experts who conclude babies need to move in order to learn. There's a growing number of child development experts alarmed by the degree to which babies are held captive these days. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education shares this concern and found that babies need exercise in order to learn and move more skillfully. In February of 2002, NASPE released this first ever physical activity guidelines for infants. The report stated that "Confining babies and young children to strollers, play pens, car and infant seats for hours at a time may delay development such as rolling over, crawling, walking, and even cognitive development." To read more about those guidelines, click here.

7. Can anyone do these exercises, or do they have to be specially trained?

Anyone can do the activities in Wee Exercise with baby; not only mom and dad, but also grandparents, and even childcare providers. No special training is necessary. Wee Exercise is a combination of common sense, medical research and fun rolled into one easy to follow program.

8. Why is Tummy Time so important to my infant's development?

Babies need plenty of Tummy Time to keep their heads and shoulders strong. By about three weeks of age, a baby can lift his head when on his tummy. By four months of age, a baby can push up on his forearms from the tummy position and hold his head steady. Tummy Time is vital to strengthening baby's

neck muscles. Pediatricians will tell you that babies need a daily dose of Tummy Time but most babies don't like being on their stomachs and scream and protest. In each Wee Exercise video there is a segment dedicated to Tummy Time with several fun activities you can do with baby to encourage baby to stay in that position and play.

9. Why should I encourage my infant to crawl?

Is it okay for him to skip the crawling stage and go straight to walking? All babies need to spend time on their stomachs creeping and crawling to strengthen their backs and legs. It's better for your child to crawl first then walk because crawling activates both hemispheres of the brain needed to reaching skills. Research shows that crawling is not only linked to reading skills but that children who miss the crawling stage may exhibit learning difficulties later on. Why? Because crawling is a cross-lateral movement that activates the development of neural pathways between the baby's two brain hemispheres. In other words, crawling gets both sides of the body working and activates eye teaming, a crucial skill for learning to read. With equal stimulation, the sense more fully access the environment and both sides of the body can move in a more integrated way for more efficient action.

10. Wee Exercise takes an infant up to age one, but what can I do with my toddler to promote physical activity and continue to build on healthy habits established with the videos?

The NAPSE guidelines say toddlers should accumulate at least 30 minutes of daily structured physical activity. It's important to allow toddlers to explore every aspect of movement and balance in their environment whether it's walking on a curb, climbing or jumping. Encourage your toddler's natural drive to move, climb, run and jump. Blow bubbles together and chase after them. Throw a ball together. Practice balance walking on a curb. Those activities will work on a toddler's large muscles. For fine motor skills, try arts and crafts activities. Paint, color, cut paper, glue and mold clay together. Set up an art activity center in your home where your child can access supplies and is free to create daily. To help with cognitive development, also encourage imaginative play with toys that mirror household objects such as play phones, cooking utensils, a toolbox etc.

Although most toddlers love watching their favorite cartoons, videos and educational TV programs, try to limit TV time. Experts caution that when children watch excessive amounts of television, they habituate to a learning state that lacks physical involvement, emotional and sensory involvement.