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Pediatric physical therapist shares truth behind 'lime method' of teaching babies to walk

Here's why it actually works.

Photo credit: Canva

Pediatrician Olivia Reyes explains why using limes can help babies learn to walk.

If you’re a parent looking for hacks to help your toddler learn to walk, you've likely come across the advice to give them a couple of limes. Other moms and dads seem to swear by this viral trend, especially as an alternative to any fancy, expensive gadgets.

But how exactly does this trick work? In a now-viral video, developmental physical therapist Olivia Reyes, aka “The baby PT” on TikTok, explains.

Stitched to a video of a baby boy holding two of the aforementioned fruits while effortlessly striding across the room, Reyes says, “This lime trick works and has really nothing to do with the limes and more so, everything to do with his ability to stand.”

“In order to walk, we have to be able to stand by ourselves, independently like he is doing here, for at least 10 seconds,” she continued. And in this instance, the lime not only offers just enough "counterbalance" to help make that happen, they also give little ones something easy to focus on. It also helps that mom is nearby to help boost confidence.

The adage of “you’ve gotta crawl before you walk” should really be “you’ve gotta stand before you walk,” it seems, which is why in an interview with TODAY, Reyes also touted the benefit of doing standing exercises.


@thebabypt

#duet with @wendysanchoa #lemonmyth The lime myth makes a lot of sense when your baby can stand already! Love to see it! #MomsofTikTok


“Because standing is the first time babies balance their entire body weight in a vertical position — before then, they crawl and roll ... horizontally, which distributes their weight over the body.”

That said, Ryese encourages parents not to panic if the baby only gets a few steps in before reverting back to crawling. “That’s a developmentally appropriate stage,” she told TODAY.

All in all, limes just happen to be the perfect size for baby hands to grab hold of and keep their hands busy, and have an eye-catching color, but certainly other items could do the trick. Case and point below:

And this brings up another good point. While learning to walk-independently, babies will be tempted to reach out to their parents for support. And in turn, parents will want to help their little one along. This can be very enjoyable, but according to some pediatricians, not the best way to actually teach walking.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

As for standing exercises, Reyes has some very simple examples in this video, involving furniture and toys.


@thebabypt

How to help your baby walk? Make sure they can stand for at least 10 seconds! Heres some standing tips to get your baby confident with standing and walking! #momsoftiktok #firsttimemom #newmomsoftiktok

No matter what strategy you go with, teaching a baby to walk requires creating a safe environment, providing just the right amount of support, and encouraging exploration. This way babies can gain more confidence—arguably an ingredient far more important to their development than lemons.

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Pediatrician shares hilarious video of dads reading instructions from their wives on kids' symptoms

"We give them fist bumps. Dad, we've got this!"

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
a man holding a baby in his arms

This time of year, the pediatrician is a parent's best friend. Moms and dads are making *frequent* trips with their sick kids. So when the usual 'parent on duty' (which according to Pew Research Center, is more commonly mom) delegates the trip to dad, it can lead to an amazing feat of teamwork–thanks to meticulous and thorough instructions and notes she prepares for her spouse on their kid's symptoms meant to be shared with the doctor. Dr. Greg GulbransenGreg Gulbransen, DO, a pediatrician in Oyster Bay, Long Island, shared a hilarious compilation video on Instagram featuring the dads that come to his office strapped with lists, notes and details from their wives to get the best care for their sick kiddos.

"Dear Mothers, have you ever wondered what your husbands look like when they arrive at the pediatrician’s office with your instructions? They read your lists like legal documents, terrified of making mistakes. True confession; SO AM I🤪," Dr. Gulbransen writes in the video's caption.

The video begins with with Dad #1 reading from his phone exact notes from his wife. "Woke up in the middle of the night. Felt warm. Had a headache and stuffy, runny nose." Dad #2 enters the chat: "So he started not feeling well on the 8th. Diagnosed with Mono on the 15th. He had a high fever and sore throat." In another clip, Dad #3 is holding his sick daughter while reading from his phone: "Past couple days has had a fever, congestion, a bad cough and a rattle in her chest." Dad #4 follows suit: "Please tell them that he went to school complaining of small tummy ache." And Dad #5 explains, "She told me 2 o'clock he had a fever...can we still go to Florida?!" And Dad #6 ends the clip with a zinger: "My wife sent me in with a list. If you like I can just send it to you and you can read it," as Dr. Gulbransen jokes, "Just give me this thing", as the dad hands his phone to him.

Dad lifeSick Get Well Soon GIF by All Better Giphy

The interactions are praised by Dr. Gulbransen, who focuses on encouraging the dads who come into his office for stepping up and stepping in to help their families–even if it's with assistance. "So this is particularly true on the weekends when dads do the chores," Dr. Gulbransen explains. "We want them to be happy, so we give them fist bumps and 'Dad, we've got this!' We run all sorts of tests, give them prescriptions. They leave happy, and at the end of the day it's an honor to be a part of the whole thing and it's a privilege to be taking care of your children. So let's hope all we have ahead of us is good health and happiness!"

#1 dadCelebrate Fathers Day GIF by Adventure CommunistGiphy

And Dr. Gulbransen's video garnered an emphatic response from wives. "I have even sent my husband with a list of instructions for when he goes to the doctor for himself! #SooooTrueeeee," one wrote. Another added, "So accurate 😂 Good on these dads!" And another wrote, "lol this is sooo accurate! And if you ask a question that’s not on the list ie:’would you like your child to get cuz vaccine while you’re here?’ Blank stare from dad. Along pause. Then, ‘let me call my wife.’ 😂😂😂" Another viewer noted, "Then mom calls the clinic to clarify after care instructions lol."

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Popular pediatrician on TikTok warns parents never to trust their dog around kids

"I know that you love your pets and that you trust your pets, but never trust your pet."

@thepedipals/TikTok

yes, even this adorable little face could cause severe damage.

We love our fur babies. Even after we transition from purely pet parents to full blown baby parents (for those of us that do, anyway) we still see our cats and dogs as pure and precious creatures in need of our attention and care. Cause they are. Duh.

In some cases that means sharing the same activities, wearing matching outfits…heck, it wouldn’t be out of this world to see a baby sharing a stroller with a dog from time to time.

But sometimes, love and trust are two different things. And when it comes to our pets being around children, some experts recommend not placing your faith in the paws of your beloved pets.

Pediatrician Dr. Sami, of the popular Pedi Pals on TikTok, recently warned parents that “you can never be too careful around dogs” when they’re with small children, “no matter how much you love them, no matter how gentle they've been.”

In the clip, she explains that when her kids were very young, they were always kept separate from the dogs until they were old enough to interact safely with them—to know to not come between them and their food, to know when they’re irritated, etc., etc.

And while Dr. Sami admitted that her dogs have never shown aggression, it doesn't mean that their instincts wouldn’t kick in at an inopportune moment. Hence why she always used a partition for her kids or when her kid’s friends came over, and why she encourages parents to ask other parents to keep pets separated during visits.

“I know that you love your pets and that you trust your pets, but never trust your pet,” she says, all while cuddling with an adorable puppy named Daisy.

@thepedipals

The worst cosmetically damaging dog bite I saw was actually done by a chihuaha. Of course larger dogs can even unalive people. So if you love your dog and kids, stop playing into the fairy tales of the internet- and be cautious, vigilant and smart. Im sure someone will say they didn't like me whispering and for that, I pre-emptively apologize.

♬ original sound - The PediPals (Pediatric Pals)

Dr. Sami also points out that those all-too-common videos on social media showing dogs and babies cuddling in harmony is not a reality.

“Anytime I see these like videos on TikTok of people that have like their baby sleeping with their husky, I'm like, ‘Dear God, this animal can't talk, okay?’” she says, adding, “you just don't know what's going on in their brain and they might be okay with everything 99.9% of the time, but then the one time they're not, their instinct is to bite and their instinct is to go for the face. They rarely ever bite extremities. It's always the face.”

“And if I had a nickel for every single one of my patients that has been bitten by a dog and required stitches, I'd be rich. It's way, way, way too common in the pediatric world. Just be careful,” she concludes.

Judging by the comments to her video, D.r Smai is not the only person with this viewpoint. Several parents and even fellow doctors chimed in to agree.

One parent wrote, “My son is two and I JUST started allowing them to walk around each other under VERY careful supervision bcuz my son started to understand my dog’s boundaries. But I never trust ANY dog or ANY toddler 🤣”

Another added, “People always wonder why I’m so cautious with my sweet dog, it’s because she’s still a DOG and toddlers are crazy!!!”

Meanwhile, a doctor shared, Most of the dog attacks we see in the pediatric ER are from the family dog that they thought would ‘never do that.’ 🥺.”

Dr. Sami’s opinion is also shared by The American Academy of Pediatrics’, which states that parents should “never leave dogs and children alone together.”

And as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reiterates on its website, “any dog can bite: big or small, male or female, young or old. Even the cuddliest, fuzziest, sweetest pet can bite if provoked. Remember, it is not a dog's breed that determines whether it will bite, but rather the dog's individual history and behavior.”

Furthermore, the AVMA states that children are the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured. In addition, most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.

When it comes to dog bite prevention, the AMVA has a few basic guidelines, including but not limited to:

  • Teach kids how to respect animals: that it’s not okay to pull their ears or tails, tease them, how to approach dogs calmly, just as a few examples
  • Break your house into zones: one for the kids, the other for the furry kids. Note that there’s a difference between zoning, like using a partition, and imprisoning your pet.
  • Always, always, always supervise interactions between pets and young children.
  • Avoid the assumption that because a stranger’s dog has been friendly in the past, that it will be in the future. This, of course, goes for the family dog as well.

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Pediatrician goes viral after sharing the 'secret' milestones parents might be missing

These things might not be on the traditional checklist, but they are baby benchmarks nonetheless.

@ThePediPals/TikTok

There are many, many milestones in a baby's development

There are some chapters in a baby’s development that all parents know to anticipate—taking those first steps, saying that first word, doing their first backflip (okay maybe not that last one, but you get it).

However, as pediatrician Dr. Sami explains in a now-viral TikTok, there are also some common, yet not-so-publicized “secret” milestones that many parents might be experiencing without even realizing it.

Rather than adding potential stress, she hopes that this list might help parents recognize that there are plenty of benchmarks worth taking note of and celebrating…and to also not agonize over fitting into a finite timeline.

“So you have kids…which means that you’ve gone and looked at what milestones they ‘should’ be reaching…we’ve all done it,” she says, listing apps and the internet as primary sources of research.

“But I’m gonna tell you some secret milestones…cause what happens when I'm in clinic is that I'm talking to a lot of parents and I'm like, ‘Oh she’s probably doing this by now right?’ And then they’re like 'How'd you know?’”

Profuse hiccuping is listed first, which Dr. Sami asserts is “totally normal,” followed by “screaming bloody murder for everything,” whether they’re “hungry, wet, bored,” and everywhere in between. “It’s always just like one setting, and it's like, ‘I’m dying,'” she quips. Okay, so this one is much louder than hiccuping, obviously. But still normal.

Dr. Sami continues, “Four months is that stage where they’re super cute and smiling all the time, but they also grab your hair and won’t let go. And you’re literally bald because of it because they just pull all your hair out.”

Then, somewhere between 6 to 9 months, things get a little “weird,” apparently. “They start to shake their head all the time or maybe they start to stick their tongue out a little bit,” she notes. Though at this stage parents might wonder if these behaviors are normal or not, Dr. Sami reassures that, yes, they’re not only normal—”they're a milestone.”


Next, at around 12 to 15 months old is actually when the milestone of temper tantrums begins, not age 2, as most people believe. Then, at around 15 to 18 months, “they all totally try to kill themselves every day,” she jokes. “That’s totally a milestone.”

Dr. Sami breaks then breaks down milestones for toddlers all the way up to early teens, which are as follows:

Toddlers

Becoming picky eaters and “selfish, unreasonable terrorists.”

4 to 6 years old

Talking non-stop and asking “Why?”…to the point where as a parent you might reconsider wanting them to be able to talk in the first place.

9 to 11 years old

Developing anxiety toward death and mortality. While this is normal, Dr. Sami does recommend talking to your pediatrician about it so that it’s easier to navigate.

Teens

Having a different circadian rhythm, like wanting to stay up later at night and waking up later in the day. And, as a result of the school system not matching this new rhythm, being tired all the time.
@thepedipals

♬ original sound - The PediPals

Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Sami notes that not every milestone will be checked off at the same time for every kid, if at all.

“You know how milestones work. They kind of all go and develop at their own rate. Then some of ‘em kind of skip over milestones. That’s OK,” she states.

She also suggests that rather than sharing with other parents (or strangers on the internet) what milestones kids have and haven’t hit, which can elicit unnecessary worry, parents should simply tell their pediatrician, who can more likely be the one to address any real concerns anyway.

Bottom line—almost everything in a child’s development is a milestone in its own right. Even the weird and obscure ones. Odds are that as long as your pediatrician has given their thumbs up, you can simply ride that wild and crazy wave that is raising a tiny human.

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