Walkers and jolly Jumper..

[JeSsIkA]

i know that MCHN dont reccommend walkers?

is it just bc they cause accidents.. like falling down stairs and touching hot surfaces such as oven..???

or do they cause damage to developing babies legs etc...

i have a walker from my daughter..... she hardly used it coz MCHn said not to.

but my DS drives me crazy with wanting to be on his feet, so i thought the wlker and jolly jumper would be good for him...

also when can you put them in a jolly jumper???

[SilverStarfish]

I don't like babywalkers. I think they are dangerous (too much mobility too soon) but that is only my opinion.

My DD too loves being held up in her feet too! She'd be happy if I jsut stood her on my lap all day. She has a jolly jumper and LOVES it. Boing boing boing! She's been in it from about 3.5 months. So long as bubba can hold her/his head up well, they are ok to use.

[Grizabella]

CHN tend to discourage walkers because some parents use them as a baby sitter. That can lead to the muscles in their legs to develop wrong, and can lead to babies trying to walk on their tippy toes. As long as you don't use one for extended periods of time, or unsupervised, they are ok. Bit like anything really, only use them in moderation.

[Niki]

ds has a walker but i watch him the entire time...not that he moves in it much he just want to chew on the toys :laughing: he absolutely loves his jolley jumper

[MamaSage]

In 2004 baby walkers were made prohibited in Canada. The sale or import of new or secondhand ones. That certainly says something doesn't it? ;)

[Ana Gram]

One thing to be wary of with a jolly jumper is poo. DD did a poo while bouncing away and bounced the poo all the way down her leg.

[MamaSage]

Oh Yuck Chelle! :laughing: My mental image of that is classic!

[Poopa]

One thing to be wary of with a jolly jumper is poo. DD did a poo while bouncing away and bounced the poo all the way down her leg.

Lol that happened to us too.

[Tam-I-Am]

i got a handout on this at my first mum's group. Here's what it says:


Babies walk when they are ready - when all postural responses and reactions have developed sufficiently to allow walking in a cooridated and safe manner. Babies acheive this trhough rolling, sitting, crawling and pulling to stand, losing and regaining balance and cruising sideways along walls and furniture. This is all a normal part of development.

NORMAL ACTIVITIES ARE NOT POSSIBLE IN A BABY WALKER because the child is restricted. A child who becomes used to a walker becomes very frustrated when he is 'grounded', as normal movement does not come easily.

Putting a baby in a walker upsets his normal developmental sequence, it keeps a baby upright too long and often too early in its life. This intereferes with the normal muscle development, which is necessary for coordianation. Even the slow developer is much better to make progress walking without an mechanical aide.

In a walker, the child may learn an abnormal walking pattern, ie makies progress by walking with toes pointed in and downwards. This leads to inwadly rotated limbs and children who toe walk. These abnormalities can be long, hard and costly to correct.

When a baby is learning a new activity she/he works and rests, works and rests etc. the baby seldom keeps any activity going for longer than a few minutes. In a walker she/he is unable to take frequent little rests that are neceassary. In a walker they are unable to change positions, turn, and roll or rest their back muscles.

Babies in walkers can't always reach and feel objects so they are denied hand grasp activities

In a word, walkers are bad news - don't waste your money!

The best thing you can do is get rid of the walker

BUT if your baby is used to the walker and demading to go in it:

-Remove the walker out of the baby's sight;
-Remove one wheel so that it doesn't move well;
-Put soem grease and sand in the wheels so it won't move well - the baby will stop making demands if the walker is too hard to push
-Take all the wheels off and let the baby walk on the outside and use it as a push along toy
-Find some other interesting toy/activity for baby to do, ie use distraction techniques

Remember its all up to you! Because the baby needs you to put him or her in the device.

BTW I don't necessarily agree with all of this, its just what the handout said!

[MamaSage]

Good handout. Good info. :thumbsup:

[nkenward]

Hi there,

My son used a walker from about 4 months old. He loved being in it - it was adjustable so his feet touched the ground, and he had a seat built in so he was fully supported. He loved it and just get bouncing up and down. I never put him in for any longer than 15-20 mins at a time.

He is now 9.5 months, has been crawling since 8 months and isn't really interested in being in it as much - but loves to pull himself up and stand on the outside. He is trying to move himself around on his feet and he is definitely not on his toes. I know this is beside the point - but I found it a great 'toilet' - whenever I needed to go out and he was due for a poo - it worked wonders!!!

In my mother's group - we all go to various MCHN I was told not to have a walker but a jolly jumper - another was told not to have a jolly jumper but a walker!!

I think it is up to the individual and how they believe their child will be. Connor loved the walker and it hasn't hindered his development at all.