26 Replies
I got both sit and push walkers already. Im letting my 4 mth old boy sit on the "sit Walker" now. To train him to sit n occupy his time with the activities ... I will wait till he is ready to stand n walk b4 I install the wheels for the sit Walker... N when I have time and energy.. I will let him use the push Walker... (I feel that the push Walker needs more supervision when in use as the babies will tend to fall very easier.. N is more prone to fall with their head hitting the push Walker) When im tired or need to do other chores, I will let him use the sit Walker I read that the sit Walker may slow down the progress of babies walking but I feel that if I dun have time to accompany or practise on the push Walker with babies, they will end up walking at a later age too So after comparing the pros n cons, I think I will let him use both
I’ve gathered from the KKH article that it is not advisable to put baby in a walker. It may cause your baby to walk later. Seems like walkers will hinder or slow down a baby’s development of balance and walking skills. It is also highlighted in the article that a walker may cause atypical walking pattern. The hips and knees are bent and baby will likely be on his/her toes while walking in the walker. This causes the baby to use different muscle groups for walking and this may become a habit that is difficult to correct in future. There is also a higher chance of baby injuring themselves as they are able to travel faster in a walker. Accidents can happen in a split second before a parent could react. For more information, you can take a look at this article: http://www.kkh.com.sg/HealthPedia/Pages/GrowingUpWalking.aspx
Depends on how comfortable you are with the baby using the walker. If you are, make sure you follow the safety instruction as well as the recommended height adjustment in the booklet. It's fun and a great distraction for the lo. I don't have a walker but I use my pram or the legs of the high chair to train the baby on walking. Let your lo push the back of the chair or the pram while walking. This helps my lo build muscle strength on his legs and harnessed his agility and confidence in walking. Or just wait for the natural progression of things- crawl, skimming then walking. Hope this helps.
It really depends on individual preferences. I put both my sons (1 and 3 yo now) in walker. Both of them walked perfectly ok. They enjoyed the activities on the panel when I can do some house chorus. Key points are:- 1) the height got to adjust according to their height when both their feet able to touch the floor without tip-toeing. 2) Duration of putting your LO inside the walker. Dont put too long...Around 10 to 15min is ok. I do read about the cons of it. Well...Some of us grew up in walker when young and we are ok. Thus really depends on your own preference.
Most of us mothers here grow up on walkers and I believe we're all walking fine. :) That said, I believe there are also very very valid reasons for why KKH will discourage the use of such walkers. I've included the website link below. http://www.kkh.com.sg/HealthPedia/Pages/GrowingUpWalking.aspx If you're advised by medical professionals against it, and there are alternative ways to teach your kid to walk, I see no reason to go against the recommendations by medical professionals. Personally, I use the push walker on my boy.
A lot articles was saying it is not advisable for baby to use walker due to the bone structure and many others reason.. But the good old days time our parents and us are also grow up using walker moving around the whole house.. My baby start using since he is 5 months and I will not put him whole day.. The most is less than an hr a day than will transfer him to playmat to let him crawl.. I think most impt is don't over reliable on walker for baby from the start..
In some states in the US, I've read that walkers are banned due to the high number of tragic incidences and accidents that have occurred. I'm 50-50 regarding this. I know that there are studies out there describing the dangers of walkers and how it can be detrimental to our child's development but at the same time, alot of us grew up using walkers and we turned out fine.
I previously did put my now 3 years old son in walker. He did really enjoy it and i could leave him in it for a short while safely while i did abit of laundry etc. However as he starts to really walk by himself, i notice that he has a tendency to walk on tip toes... And he fall down easily when walking.. So for my next baby, i most probably wont put into walker anymore.
It depends on which type of baby walker you are using. The baby's sole must be able fully touch on the floor instead of tip toe. Else when they learn to walk, most likely will be tip toeing..... Me, I do not use it as I believe their motor skill will be develop accordingly although it's a lot more chores & watching over the little bud.
The traditional sit in walkers are not recommended due to concern of safety of the child. However, the push walker is actually useful to help the child master walking as it allows the child to push & walk in a safety speed. The push walker provide support to the child who is learning to stand & walk & is use by ifc as well.
Deeyana Sofeena