Baby walkers

[Vistravi]

I was given by my health vistior a couple of days ago a fact sheet from capt(child accident prevention trust) about baby walkers.

I personally believe that all children learn to walk in their own time. I think the natural approach is best. This goes for shoes as well. My son only wears shoes when it is a cold day and we are going out. I believe that keeping it natural helps their development and allows them to develop in their own pace. For this reason alone i was not going to get a baby walker for my boy.

But i was quite surprised about how many accidents the factsheet report happens when a child is in a baby walker. 2,350 babies taken to hospital after being injured in a baby walker. Falls, posionings, burns and scalds are all types of injuries reported. But after this section on injuries there is a paragraph about how a baby walker delays the child's normal development and hinders walking.

What do you think? Right or wrong?

[Alice in Blunderland]

All my kids loved their baby walker. :)

Would it not be a case of lack of parental supervision that has attributed to the amount of accidents rather than the walker itself. :confused

[ShelleyCowie]

All my kids loved their baby walker. :)

Would it not be a case of lack of parental supervision that has attributed to the amount of accidents rather than the walker itself. :confused

Your right there, supervision is key! Athrun loved his. And i did call it the "shin killer" because he would love crashing into you :lol:

Once he learned to get out of it, i put it away. He was never allowed in the kitchen when he was in it either.

And i believe it actually helped him. He had bad hips, the baby walker helped keep his legs moving for a couple of hours a day so they never locked up.

[shamrock2007]

Used a baby walker for my daughter, she was terrible for going on her tip toes & ended up going to physio so no never used it for our son & wouldn't recommend them, better to just let them learn to move on there own

[purplelady]

all three of mine had one and nane had any accidents xxxxxxxx

[Vistravi]

Used a baby walker for my daughter, she was terrible for going on her tip toes & ended up going to physio so no never used it for our son & wouldn't recommend them, better to just let them learn to move on there own

There was a little lass barely 2 years old still wearing pre walker shoes in the nursery i worked at. Her toes were actually curled! Her mum inisisted she'd wear them but i always took them of when she came in to give her toes a chance. Its one of the reasons i believe children should be going about in their socks/bare feet as much as possible. Their feet is just as vulnerable as their heads.

[Vistravi]

Your right there, supervision is key! Athrun loved his. And i did call it the "shin killer" because he would love crashing into you :lol:

Once he learned to get out of it, i put it away. He was never allowed in the kitchen when he was in it either.

And i believe it actually helped him. He had bad hips, the baby walker helped keep his legs moving for a couple of hours a day so they never locked up.

My brother Ryan had one and used it til he was 2. Because of the problems he has with his legs and his hips he didn't walk till he was 2 or there abouts. It really helped to strengthen his legs. I think they do help a child that has difficulties with their hips and legs.

[debsj01]

we never used a baby walker for our 2 kids, they loved being able to potter about and play with their toys - our daughter was walking on her own at 9 months and our son at 10 months. When they had worked how to get around on their own they were delighted with themselves it was great!

[kriklah]

all 5 of mine loved the walker and the only bruises to be had were on my ankles!! it certainly didnt hinder their walking....

Kenny walked at 13 months
Jennifer on her 1st birthday
Cameron at 9 and a half months!!!!!
Jean at 13 months
Thomas a week before his first birthday

[Dadie]

I didnt have a babywalker for Lauren and used the door bouncer for her.
But she would pull Iona back and let her go in the door bouncer:eek:
So I relented and got Iona a babywalker ... Lauren would park Iona under the kitchen table.. but Iona was too little for her feet to touch the floor in the walker anyway, so, I just used it as somewhere to put her in when she was fed up on the floor for a wee while!
Used to use it in the bathroom to put her in while I had a shower!
Euan uses the walker as a somewhere to play and not as a walker as such.
Havent tried the door bouncer as with 2 sisters he may end up swinging.
Think it all depends on how you use the walkers and for how long the bairns are in.

I love the soft slipper like leather pram shoes for prewalkers rather than "proper" shoes as they let little toes and feet move!
And they are hard for the child to pull off as well.
It was hard getting my girls shoes when they started walking as the shops up here didnt do their size!
Iona was walking for 6months and all I could get in Wick and Thurso was crawlers for her so we went to Inverness to first footers just to get her shoes!
Dont think I will have that problem with Euan though!

[alanabain]

There was a little lass barely 2 years old still wearing pre walker shoes in the nursery i worked at. Her toes were actually curled! Her mum inisisted she'd wear them but i always took them of when she came in to give her toes a chance. Its one of the reasons i believe children should be going about in their socks/bare feet as much as possible. Their feet is just as vulnerable as their heads.

That is the parent is at fault and the irresponsibility of not getting feet measured properly and frequently. Shoes that are designed to aid walking do help, it prevents them from slipping and lets them go outdoors aswell.

And it was only last week that you said that you would get your son measured soon and he is only a few months.

[squidge]

I never used a baby walker for any of my five. They all walked well.
No 1 at 53 weeks
No 2 at 51 weeks
No 3 at 9 months
No 4 at 51 weeks
No 5 at 53 weeks.

I never liked them. My nephew took ages to walk cos he was used to walking on his tippy toes from being in a walker. Babies don't need shoes tip they are walking outside. We just got fianna some for a wedding we were at yesterday as she is walking well now.

[Vistravi]

That is the parent is at fault and the irresponsibility of not getting feet measured properly and frequently. Shoes that are designed to aid walking do help, it prevents them from slipping and lets them go outdoors aswell.

And it was only last week that you said that you would get your son measured soon and he is only a few months.

Soon is whenever he is walking. Just now i have a couple of pre walker shoes that keep his feet warm when its cold. He mostly wears socks or nothing on his feet. When he actually needs shoes it will be interesting to see if he will have the problem i had as a child when it came to shoes. I hope not but tim will tell. ;)

Aye it was defintly the mother at fault. The shoes fitted appartently :confused Don't understan how a parent can do that to their child's growing feet.

[ShelleyCowie]

The thing is, who are we to actually know for a fact baby walkers can do. Also the same for shoes.

Who are we to also say when our kids are ready for walking? Every child is completely different. They all grow at different rates, some slower than others. What does it matter?

And yes Alana is right, incorrect fitted shoes will be the cause of the curling toes, not the shoes themselves. (showing our shoe fitting experience there) I was a shoe fitter for just over 2 years and i seen many scary things on kids feet fitted by other shops that are not local. [evil] Always made me really mad!!

[brandy]

i dont know.. im kinda on the fence with them. we called ours the death machine as i swear sam took great pleasure in killing my heels!
i know i almost killed myself in a baby walker some 32 years ago.. mum said i went straight out the front door.. over the porch and down the stairs! i some how managed to ram the screen door open! and only took a second for me to nearly kill myself. my dad was with me in the living room and mom in the kitchen.. both could see me but happened so fast nothing that they could do.. i know my mom totally freaked and the things she said to my dad can not be repeated.. and the story has lived in infamy for years!! (was pretty bad as it was a hospital trip and stitches)
anyway.. sam and ben both had them. dont know why really.. i think it was more for tradition than anything.. first time mum.. and arnt you suppose to have a walker? kind of thing.
they never wore shoes in the house.. still dont. and only the soft baby shoes for ages.
in fact.. they hardly ever wore clothes in the house!
both of them had exema... and it was a case of letting them air out as much as possible!
so quite often either had nekkid babies or nappy babies! a baby grow and socks in the winter.. saying that always warm in this house! *G*

[alanabain]

I dont think that baby-walkers are a help or a hindrence to the development of walking. They are just something that helps the kids get around and the ones that are out today are more like toys for them to sit in and have fun in, like playgyms and bouncers. They are only dangerous if they are incorrectly supervised and used.... Not saying anything bad about your parents Brandy as Shelleybain is my sister and i remember my mum telling us that she fell out the back door in one when she was little ( the same day that the health visitor was due aswell as luck would have had it )

And i like shoes on little ones. Both mine had crawlers, cruisers and Walker shoes and they both walked at 9 months ( and they used a baby walker aswell actually ) They both also like there slippers and have them on at home all the time.

[Dadie]

Thats what I use the walker for, more like a playgym, than for the walker part.
The truth be told I have it set too high for Euans feet to touch the floor most of the time so he cannot move it.
It is just somewhere to plonk him in for a wee while and amuse him while I get on with stuff.
He doesnt spend long in it, but, he doesnt spend long in the bumbo seat either. Its just handy so I have 5 mins to prepare dinner or do a jigsaw with the girls without him in the middle of it all.

[ShelleyCowie]

Not saying anything bad about your parents Brandy as Shelleybain is my sister and i remember my mum telling us that she fell out the back door in one when she was little ( the same day that the health visitor was due aswell as luck would have had it)

Yeah i will never live that down for the questions mum got! Not my fault...i was little lol.

Anyways, its each to their own for baby walkers and shoes. Athruns walker was mainly a toy for long enough, he never went far in it. He loves having his slippers on in the house, he seems to get more balance when he has something on his feet.