Babies And Children:

Babies And Children usually enjoy being massaged as much as adults, but will often only keep still for a short space of time.The strokes you have learned can be used on babies and children - just adapt them to allow for their size and the fact that their little bodies will not have built up the same chronic tensions that adults can suffer from.Just explore and discover what your child likes best.

Front Of The Body:

Massage Steps:

1. Starting with the child on their back, gently stroke their face, starting in the middle of the forehead and working out to the temples.
2. Stroke across the cheeks from nose to the ears and then from the cheeks down to the chin.Gently stroke across the eyebrows, and back around under the eye.Make gentle circles around the temples.
3. Stroke up the front of the body and out along the arms.
4. Make clockwise circles around the navel using both hands.Do gentle wringing strokes across the abdomen and up the body.
5. Lift arms one at a time and stroke the length of the arm from shoulder to the hand.Use one hand to squeeze the arm, starting from the shoulder and moving down the arm.
6. Massage the hand and squeeze and rotate each of the fingers in turn.
7. Repeat for the other arm.Gently drain up the leg.Wring or squeeze up the leg.
8. Stroke down the leg using a light, feathering stroke.

Back Of The Body:
Massage Steps:

1. Turn the child on their front and gently stroke their back.Stroke up and over the back and along the arms.
2. Gently knead the child's shoulders.
3. Make a gentle wringing stroke up over the body.If your child is a baby, massage their rear using a gentle kneading or pinching strokes.
4. Smooth down the spine using alternating hands, starting at the base of the neck and working down to the base of the spine.Use gliding strokes down the legs.Bend the knee up and work on the foot.
5. Work around the anklebone with your fingertips.Sandwich foot between heels of hand and massage, moving both hands in a circular motion.
6. Gently squeeze the heel with one hand and massage up the sole of the child's foot using the thumbs of your other hand.
7. Massage the toes, gently squeezing, rotating and pulling each one in turn.Sandwich the foot between your hands and hold it firmly for a few seconds.Turn the baby over.
8. Stroke from one foot up the leg, across the sacrum(base of the spine), and back down the other leg.Use light strokes down the body, starting from the top of head right down to the feet.

Massage Caution:

Be very gentle when working with babies and children.Do not pursue the session if the child begins to fidget.

Massage Tip:

As a general rule, the strokes you use will need to be much lighter on children.The younger the child, the smaller and more delicate the strokes will need to be.If the child you are working on is very young, then you can sit on the floor and massage him or her on your lap.Otherwise spread a towel on the floor or any safe, raised surface.