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Writer's pictureDr. Emily Stefan, PT, DPT

A PT’s Most Important Advice

This is it- my biggest piece of advice to all new moms. You may be surprised. I find myself saying this to approximately 75% of new moms. What is it?



“Put your baby on the floor!”


What?! That’s it? Yes!


Mamas, society and the media leads us to believe that our child should be “in something” for their entire infancy. So we buy and/or register for all of these fancy containers to occupy our child. We put them in the Dock-A-Tot. Once they start fussing, we move them to the Bumbo. After that, let’s try the jumper and to finish out the day, we put them in the swing. We think that the floor is the most uncomfor table place for our child, when in all reality it is the BEST place we could put them!


Now I know what you’re thinking- “Emily, my baby is just not happy sometimes and we NEED the swing!” Okay! I get it! Sometimes you need a minute of peace and quiet or the chance to have a snack or fold laundry. Use that swing. But let’s start prioritizing floor time as much as we can. My advice is to aim for 15 minutes in “containers” per day.


I know what else you’re thinking- “Emily, my floor is never clean” or “there is too much pet hair” or “my floor is all hardwood or tile”. Okay! I go into lots of houses with very hard floors and unsafe spaces for babies. One of my favorite parts about this job is that I can physically be involved in making this space safe for them. Let me help YOU make a safe space! Here is what will be beneficial to buy if we prioritize floor time:

✔️A play mat, pack and play, or blanket

✔️A gate, super yard, or other type of safety gate to keep baby in and pet hair or other dangers out


That’s it, mama! Your baby just needs a safe space and some baby safe toys. Let’s take the complexity out of our schedules.


Favorite Play Mats



These puzzles mats are affordable and spark creativity. They have walls, so you could make your own ball pit, but these walls won’t keep your child in the area if they are mobile. You can also use the pieces to make cube puzzles and other fun things as they grow!


These ones are awesome because you can take them with you, you can use both sides, and they are easy to wipe down! If your child likes to pull puzzle pieces apart from the one above, this may be for you!



This one comes in different, adorable patterns and is nice because it’s made of cloth. You can keep toys in it, and when your child is done playing use the drawstring and it turns into a bag to hold your toys! You can put this in the washing machine which makes it very appealing!

Favorite Gates and Superyards


This is a fan favorite! Either section off a safe space in your home or create a circular play yard out of this large gate. It is an awesome way to create safe space!




A solid choice that also looks so cute in a playroom! Pair a cute mat from above and you’re set!




Did you know the pack and play encourages unrestricted play and counts as floor time? Plus it’s portable!


What have been your favorite items to create a safe space at home?

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