I registered for a Walker........ - my friend told me to take it off.

jen wrote: I registered for a walker because it is a little JEEP and looks like a lot of fun. My little brother had one when he was little and remember how much he loved it. It isn't something we would drop Maddy in for hours, just something to use as a toy. But my friend told me it hinders walking and can tip over. I haven't heard of this. I think we all had one! LOL! I walk just fine that is what I told her! ha ha! What do you think about them??? Should I take it off my registry??? This isn't something I plan on dropping her in and letting her go! We have hard wood floors and I think she would have a blast when she was older!

amynicole21 replied: Do you have stairs anywhere in your house? I think I would steer you away from it if so. Otherwise, Sophia LOVED her little car walker. It was nice for her to be able to hold herself in an upright position rather than lying down all of the time. She was also walking great at 10 months, so I don't think it hindered her in that department.

jen replied: Thanks Amy. No we don't have stairs. I would think it would be good too, I mean not only the change of scenery but to be able to be mobile in your own little jeep, how could that be so bad!! LOL!

DansMom replied: I think stairs are the biggest issue, and I think the walking problems only happen if you use it constantly. They can get this "tippy-toe" thing going from body memory which isn't good, or something like that. Daniel didn't have a walker that you sit in, but he did have a stationary play center that you can spin around in and that has different activities. I think walkers and play centers are both great for short periods of time, to get them upright and engaged while you do dishes and such. My mom says I loved my walker---and I'm okay too.

jen replied:
I have a stationary entertainer, that a friend gave us. It looks like a lot of fun for her too!!!

aspenblue1 replied: They can tip without stairs. On of my friends babies tiped theirs over and got hurt. When I was pregnant I read up on the dangers of them also my Ped says not to use them. I have heard that it hinders the walking also but I don't think that is proven.

I think its like anything else you just have to be careful.

Isabella had an exersaucer she loved that. you can spin around and jump up and down.

MomToJade&Jordan replied: I had one of those excersaucers for Jade and she liked that. It got her upright and kept her busy for a while so I could get things done. My Mom said that I loved my walker when I was little and it didn't hinder my walking. I think that walker sounds neat.

ediep replied: we had the step and play paino and a walker, but Jason prefered the paino.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Maddie never had a walker, but has a stationary entertainer and I will use one with Ethan. I think walkers are fine. Keep it on there.

MommyToAshley replied: Ashley had an exasaucer and a walker. She loved both, but I only used them for short periods of time. I think she loved being mobile in the walker, and loved the view from the exasaucer as well. I never left Ashley unattended in either of them.

IMHO, I don't think they hinder walking. Ashley was walking around holding onto things by 8 months and walking on her own by 10 months. I agree with DansMom that a problem might occur if you over-use them.

CantWait replied: If used with extreme supervision I don't see the problem with walkers, however they are banned in Canada because of too many accidents. Anthony has an excersaucer like many others have said, he doesn't like it much, but I think it would be the same as a walker for the most part, and my doc. encourages the use of it. Good Luck

paradisemommy replied: i had heard that they use different muscles (that you would ordinarily use when you walk) when they are in them and that is why it hinders their walking ability. that and all the accidents i heard about scared me away from getting one. i have seen many kids in them that loved them to pieces so i guess as long as you are watching her then i don't see anything wrong with them.

we had instead a little car that you could either sit down on or it converted into a walker toy that you walked behind it which he used to use and loved...that and we had a little baby swing that he LOVED..in fact, he would sleep in it for like 3 hours at a time (but only on the high setting)..lol..

3_call_me_mama replied: Cameron had a toy that was a jeep that could be either stationary or a walker. ( it think it's safety first) I am totally against walkers so i was livid when my inlaws bought this. But DH agree with me that we could keep it stationary and when he started walking we could make it mobile so he could push it around. I have a cousin that broke both her arms at 6 months from flipping over in a walker without stairs involved. There have been several studies that shows how a walker weakens the knee muscles in children but it often doesn't show up uintil teenage years and early adulthood. Both DH and I had walkers and have both had corrective knee surgery could be a coincidence but it was on the same areas that these studies claim are injured. It seems to cause a stain on the muscles in the kneecap area and it also gives the child a false sense of mobility because it uses an entire different set of muscles to really walk than it does to move a walker! Currently in our state at least and several others i believe, walkers are banned from daycare centers and registered home daycare providers. I was reading in a parenting magazine (not sure which one) that they are trying to ban them all together, or make it so that they have to have a certain size base to it to prevent flippin gover and preventing them from fitting through doorways. But I would definaterly avoid one if i were you.