Walkers or Jumpers

I have a doorway jumper and the exersaucer and my 7 month old LOVES them both! He started to use the exersaucer around 4.5 months and the jumper when he was 5 months. By far the jumper is his favorite. We had bought the floor rainforest jumper and he didn't jump in it (I think it was because of all the toys around it), but when I put him in the doorway jumper, he loved it!

My daughter was the same way. We put her in an exersaucer until about 5-6 months and then we used the Jumparoo until she could walk - she LOVED it!

Have you tried an activity center for him?? They are like walkers but less dangerous and they can't actually move around in them. My 4 month old LOVES his. I have the Baby Einstein one. Good Luck

I would not put him in a jumper or walker, because he is too young. At 4 month your son should be able to roll from his back onto the stomach. Every so often he might roll from stomach to back. By putting him in a jumper or walker you would skip many steps in his natural movement development and he can basically not do anything with it because his nervous system is not developed yet to handle gravity in an upright position and therefor it is of no benefit to him, whatsoever. To the contrary it might be rather harmful, because sitting in a walker takes time away from him being in a position that allows him to do movements spontaneously that prepare him for the next developmental step. At four months he is a minimum of 5 and 1/2 months away from free standing (and that would be early) let alone walking, which is developed between 12 and 15 month on average.
It is very important for the child's brain development not to skip developmental steps by encouraging more advanced movement prematurely!
I would just give him a lot of free play time on a big blanket on the floor.
Does he only arch when put in a car seat ( some babies just don't like traveling in car seats- well what can you do?) or do you see him arching at other times? Also if he really seems to want to stand all the time his extensor muscle tone may be a little too strong, which would definitively prohibit putting him in a walker. Ask your pediatrician to check all reflexes and his muscle tone at the next well baby visit. Maybe you can get a session with a physical therapist who is trained in childhood development. Or find a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner in your area and let him/her take a look at your son.

About me: I am a mother of a daughter 8 and a son 6. I am a physical therapist and Feldenkrais Practitioner. A have been concerned over the years to see that many accessories for the baby are detrimental to their healthy motor development. If you have any further questions I'll be happy to assist.

Sorry, I forgot to ad my name

Greeting, Gabriele A

When my daughter was about 4 months old we bought a Johnny Jump Up at a consignment sale. It is a jumper that attaches to the doorway. My daughter liked to just twirl around rather than jump (she's a total girly-girl already!), but it seemed like a totally age appropriate toy.

my son always wanted to stand too. we got him an exersaucer and he LOVED it. we also got him a walker and he loved it too. but then i started reading about how it actually might not be good to use walkers because they prevent them from learning to walk. sure enough, my son didn't walk until he was almost 18 months old. he's also very stubborn (and spoiled!) so that might have been the problem. who knows. but he walks just fine now. anyways, he started the exersaucer at 5 months and it worked out fine, wasn't too hard on his body. it probably even made him stronger the way he bounced it. just make sure to read the directions so you keep it at the right height. i didn't and after a while he was able to bounce right out of it. just remember to raise it as he grows. good luck!

I used both a jumper and a walker for my children. I think they helped the children a lot. They really got a kick out being able to bounce and get around the house. The only problem with the walker is the safety hazard walkers pose is when the child starts climbing (and of course near stairs) I got rid of the walker the first time I realized my son could climb out of it. Although the walker never tipped over, the idea was slightly scary.

hey A., my doctor told us that walkers are bad for babies because the muscles they are learning to use to walk are not the correct muscles used for walking so when it is time to walk they need to be re-trained in order to use the correct muscles because they have grown dependent on the walkers support.

I recomend a bouncer, my son LOVES his! we put him in it at about 3 months because all he wanted to do was bounce on us. he was too short so he couldnt touch the ground so we would put boxes under him to give him something to jump off and found shorter and shorter boxes until they were no longer needed (a very sad day).

good luck!

I would steer clear of a Walker. I'm from Canada and they have been banned there for a number of years due to safety issues. Too many accidents with them toppling or going down stairs. Granted there was a lack of parental supervision in those situations but a lot of parents unfortunately put their baby in a device like a walker or jumper and assume they can go off and get some work done around the house. So the walkers are not available for purchase in Canada anymore and personally I think they should be banned in the USA as well. I would recommend something like a jolly jumper (the kind that hangs in the dooryway) or a Jumperoo or an Exercauser. At four months, he's a bit young of these unless he has full upper body control. Any of these kinds of devices require that the baby be able to sit unassisted although I admit that I did put my son in a jolly jumper at 4 months - he was not sitting on his own but he was large for his age, had good upper body control and I rolled blankets around him for support. With my third, a friend loaned me a Jumperoo which she really loved. It has music, toys, and you can adjust it as baby gets taller and they can bounce in it. It takes up a fair amount of space in the house but if you don't want to hang a jolly jumper from a doorway this is a good solution.

I wonder if your little boy does not want to go in the car seat?
Some clever babies arch their backs and get "stiff as a board" to prevent you from putting them down!
Hope this helps

walkers are a big no-no in todays day, if you use jumpers, use the ones that are stationary on the ground, not the ones known as jolly jumpers(the hang from a doorway and are very dangerous) you can also use exersaucers, they are safe, as the child cant push it around on the floor or it get knocked over like walkers can. hope this helps

Hello:) I have a 4.5 month old who is the same way!! We bought her an exersaucer, it had a flat bottom that he can stand on so he can't walk in it...and lotsa toys all around so he can swivel in his chair and play with different stuff. My daughter LOVES hers. We started putting her in it at 4 months. At first she just looked at everything, but as I showed her how stuff worked she's started playing, now she's pushing buttons and laughing with the music. I highly recommend one. Walkers on the other hand, have been proven to delay walking in children. They become sort of a crutch for them because they just scoot along like fred flinstone and don't build up the leg muscles they need to walk...just some FYI for ya!

JUMPEROO!!!!! this is absolutely the best thing i recieved for my baby. it is wonderful. my daughter loved it. i started her in it at 4.5 months old. it is completely safe. it is still her absolute favorite thing and she is now 10 months. it also really helps strengthen the legs. I could go on and on for hours about how awesome this is!!!!! you absolutely should get one!!!!!!

Hi A.,

Our boy now 11 months old loves the jumper we have and the bouncer. He is using this thing on wheels and walking behind it and loves that too. I don't know about safety abou the things you asked about, but our jumper that hangs in the doorway is too small for him due to the weight limitation written on the tag. If you would like to borrow it for a few months, that would be great. My wife and i do plan to have another baby, but till that happens or you or finished, we are happy to lend it to you. Do you live in Humboldt county? That is where we are.

J.

We actually just went through this with our four month old (tomorrow). We ended up getting both but so far she strongly prefers the jumper (Graco). Ava is about 14.5 lbs and we need to stuff a blanket around her back and sides to make sure she stays upright but she gets a kick out of it. The walker (also Graco) might have too many toys going on but regardless, seems to confuse/frustrate her a little bit. With the jumper, we can sit with her and sort of guide her, hold the straps and bounce her around. She laughs and giggles like crazy. Good luck!

My baby is just 4 months and we put her in her Jumperoo for the first time last week. She LOVES it!
I would recommend either the Jumperoo or an Exersaucer, both are great and completely safe. You can let your baby "test drive" them at the store probably!

Get an Excersaucer - you can prop him up in it with a rolled up receiving blanket until he's older. My son loved his! They can turn around in it and bounce and there are lots of toys to play with and you can buy extra toy attachments to swap out when they get bored. (Walkers can be dangerous even without stairs in your house. ) He can practice standing up and it won't flip over.
I think they're money well spent.

We got a jumper for my son around 4 months old as well. He has always been really strong and held his head up really early. Let me tell you he loved his jumper. We got the jumperoo. I didn't want a doorway jumper, they just didn't seem that safe. He would go in it for hours and he loved it. We used it for about 3 months and they we switched to a walk-a-bout play center. The kind that has an activity center in the middle and then a seat attached to it that has wheels, so they can practice walking but still be seated. Once he can stand on his own you can remove the seat and just have the activity center. We did finally get him a walker around 9 months but he only liked to use it outdoors. I think that the Jumperoo is fisher price and so was the activity center that we purchased. I found both at babies r us. Hope that helps.

I think jumpers are great. i used one when i was a baby and my son uses one now and loves it. there is too much information out there about this and that being not good or too this or too that...it's exhausting. try something if it works use it if not don't. every child is different. if your baby is strong enough than a jumper or walker is fine. anyway, i love the jumper that hangs from a door way securley and my son loves it too. good luck!

I would say save your money. It's better for him physically to be in a position that he can get into by himself from laying on his back. But if you want one, walkers are safe as long as you are smart with them. However, please use with moderation. I know of children who had difficulties walking because of walker overuse. Think about it- to use a walker a child has to lean forward while they walk. If they try to do this while actually walking they'll loose their balance. But as I said, this was from overuse. Remember, your baby still needs LOTS of time on the floor. And for what it's worth, jumpers are fun too. It's funny seeing them bounce up and down like that.

First, please do not get a walker! Rather get either an Exersaucer or a Jumperoo. We went through the same thing with our little girl at that age. We started her off with the Jumperoo then moved on to the Exersaucer once the novelty of learning to move and control her body wore off.

My six month old has been using a jumper for about a month and a half. She loves it. I got the rain forest one. You can by it about anywhere. I got mine at Walmart. She can turn all the way around in it.

I bought another one for daycare, but she doesn't like that one much because it doesn't turn. She just sits in it bummed out.

Her doctor is against walkers. She didn't explain herself, just said don't get one they are dangerous. My husband want's to get one anyway. Guess it's time I research that.

I just bought my 5 month old a rainforest jumper. She loves it. it holds her very snuggly and has lots of thing to amuse her

We've had an exersaucer and jumperoo, and our little guy loved both... but only for a few weeks each... :-)

Walkers are a safety risk as the other moms mentioned, especially if you have stairs in the house.

4 month old is just fine -- the directions for all of these remind you to adjust the height so that only baby's toes are touching the ground and not the full weight of the foot.

Good luck!

My daughter loved her Jumperoo!

Hi A.,

I have 2 very active daughters, one 10 months old and the other 2.5 years old. Both did not like tummy time and wanted to bounce all the time!! I purchased the following from fisher price w/ with my first daughter and my second absolutely adores it as well:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I2UJ0Q/ref=pd_cp_ba_...

The problem I found w/ the Einstein jumperoo below (we tested them all in the store) is it seemed pretty unsteardy, it doesn't have the head support your 4 month old will need. The Fisher Price version has a head pad for suppor, it also has a pretty deep seating area and the height is adjustible, however, both of my girls are large for their age so that was a plus. You can also think about an exersaucer (sp?), my girls didn't like them as they really liked to jump, however, my friends have had luck with these.

In any event my 10 mo old still loves her jumperoo, it comes in handy when you have to shower, household chores, etc. Or even to just read a magazine when you need some "mommy time".

Congrats on your angel, I know it's hard, but your girlfriend and you are extremely lucky women, good luck and feel free to contact me w/ any questions.

S. R.

Hi A.,

Walkers are not safe. The stationary jumparoos seem safe & I was going to get one for my 3rd baby, but I got this instead because it can be used for so much longer & although my 3rd baby isn't due until January, my one year old is using this now without the seat & he's loving it!

http://www.fisher-price.com/au/babygear/step_n_play/defau...

My oldest was the same way.  She's now 4 and doesn't stop so beware of the little mover and shaker. I got her a jumperoo. She hated it so I got her a doorway jumper. She went crazy in it. That was her favorite thing ever. We lived in Holland at the time and our doorways were very wide and high so she would swing, bounce, run back and fourth, you name she did it. At 11 months she was walking on her own. She never crawled so it all went away before she was 1. My second baby is so mellow. She loved the jumperoo and hated the doorway jumper so they are all different. I never used a walker with my girls.

Good Luck!

I had the same issue with my boy. At four months I bought him an EvenFlo exersaucer (the circus themed one) and he loves it! He gets to stand with support, pivot around, and play with all of the attachments. At four months, he didn't care too much about the attachments, but he gradually "discovered" them. Now at 5 1/2 months, he stays content in the saucer for pretty long periods of time. He also likes his jumper, but not for as long.

I'm many years away from this (13 and 9 yo), but I used an Exersaucer and a doorway jumper with my children on the advice of our pediatrician after an accident with a walker.

With my older child, my day care provider had a walker that she used ONLY in a step-down family room. We thought it was OK since the only warnings at that time were regarding stairs. My son used the walker as a jumper and injured his ankle pretty badly at the age of 9 months. The urgent care folks thought he might have broken it so we got the scariness of the X-ray machine as well. It really scared him away from standing and trying to walk.

Until your baby can sit unassisted, a baby swing or bouncer seat is your best option aside from on the floor.

No walkers, no jumpers!!!

From what we have learned (such as from Magda Gerber's RIE approach, etc.) and witnessed, it is best to allow your child to do what he/she can do naturally, rather than put prop them up in special seats, walkers, etc. Give your child a safe space or environment where they can stretch and kick and turn as their body allows, and eventually crawl, sit up, cruise, and walk. This way they will gain strength, coordination, balance, confidence, etc. as it is developmentally appropriate. Consider avoiding toys and other props that put them in positions they can not get into naturally and therefore might not be safe for them.

When our young daughter started cruising, at first we tried to help by holding her hands. However, we decided to stop and allowed her to try to walk as she could on her own. Then when she went down, she caught herself naturally instead of trying to grasp with her arms outreached upwards for us to stabilize her. When she was 2+, I stood close and spotted her as she climbed only on the playground equipment she was willing to attempt on her own, rather than lift, push, hold her up or otherwise physically assist her to do things beyond her ability that might not be safe.

Hope this helps.

Personally I think both are fine. My daughter was the same way and we used both. I know they say walkers are unsafe, but I think the key is making sure it is being used under supervision and in an area that is not near stairs or other dangers to children. We used baby gates to create an area safe for her to use it. My daughter loved hers because she wasn't stuck in one place. She also loved her Exersaucer that was stationary, but she was upright and could move the seat in circles to reach the various toys.

I suggest getting an exersaucer. I put my daughter in it when she was about 3 months old and able to keep her head up. She loved it as she could stand with support, and play by herself.

Four years ago when my son was that age, our pediatrician's office strongly warned us against jumpers. Apparently they can really damage your child's legs, etc. You should ask your pediatrician as I can't remember the specifics anymore. Are manufacturers even allowed to make walkers anymore? If so, stay far away. Kids end up falling down stairs and scooting over to items they should not be able to touch, put in their mouths, etc. We used an Exersaucer (which is a brand), which allows the same kind of activity as a walker w/out actually allowing the kid to travel anywhere. It has activities for your baby all around the top of it, too. Also, the stress on your child's legs and hips is far less than with a jumper. That being said, kids shouldn't be in excersaucers for more than 15 minutes at a time. The pediatrician also had some limit on the number of times per day, but I don't recall it. The downsides are that your child will still have some extra stress on his legs and that spending lots of time in an exersaucer could delay when your child starts walking a bit. Our son started walking at a perfectly reasonable age. As long as you are mindful of how much time your son spends in the Exersaucer, I don't think it's that big a difference.

i used both for my son - with the walker though we propped him with a blanket and he just hung out in it and thought he was a big kid but he didn't really walk in it and we put it on the carpet so he couldn't go any where for safety - we didn't care if he learned to walk in it or not he just wanted to stand and play with the toys, the jumper is awesome because he released a lot of energy had a blast - he would stay in the thing for hours - the only problem we had is he got bored of the after a while so we had to spread out when we would put him in them - or else just let him hang out in a high chair - which we also used blankets for propping - in each of those things you know they're safe and will cry if they want something - and oh yeah my son is 7 months and is already walking on his own just fine - i think a little toooooo young but can't stop 'em!! good luck

As long as it is in moderation. A little bit of anything is OK (well almost anything). My son is 2 1/2 years old, he was very active as a baby (and still is). He used a walker and a bouncy for a little while although I did limit it to about 15 minutes each time and no more then 2 times a day. Don't remember what brand I had and don't think it really matters. Have fun with your son, this is such a fun time. :)

I would hold off on the walker, but my son LOVED his jumper!!! I bought the fisher-price Rainforest Jumperoo. It has a swiveling seat and lots of entertainment. It was a life saver for me!

Maybe go to the baby store and try them all out before you buy.

M.

Walkers have been associated with a whole lot of injuries and death. Have you thought about an Exersaucer? They're ok for 4 month olds, and my son found endless entertainment in that thing. They're stationary with all sorts of toys and the seat rotates. We had a Jumperoo, too, but he didn't seem to like it as much.

I think the desire to stand is pretty common at this age. Their legs are strong, but I would wait for a doorway jumper. Maybe a few more months. Ask your child's doctor, of course. I just put my 6 month old in the megasaucer & she is able to stand and sit, but not bounce. I did the same with my 4 year old son. They never had jumpers or walkers. Our ped always says no walkers. I think the concern is more about household safety (stairs) than developmental.

Hope this helps.

I highly recommend the Baby Einstein Bouncing Activity Center. My son is 7 months and has been in it since he was 4 months. HE LOVES IT! I thought he would get bored but as he is developing he is discovering new things he can do. We decided to buy this because the other bouncers and walkers had possibilities of tipping. I talked to many moms, Babies r Us service helpers, researched online and all said that walkers were unsafe and could tip. Good luck!
http://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Musical-Motion-Activity-Ce...

It is important that your infant spend time on his abdomin (tummy). It is important to crawl for a while before walking. A walker or jumper will encourage walking too early. Crawling develops hand eye coordination which helps with reading later. Try getting an overhead gym that he could lay on the floor on his back and watch. Good luck

Sounds llike my son when he was that age. From all I know walkers are not safe. We got my son an exersuacer. It is the same upright position with out the wheels. The directions say that it can be used for kids as young as 4 months. We put him in it the day 4 months. He loved it.

J.

My pediatrician warned me against walkers for my son.
The safety issue is lack of parental supervision. If you keep an eye on your baby he will be fine.
I bought one anyway. I loved it. I bought one that grows with him, it turns into a push toy. I bought the Kolcraft Tiny Steps 2 in 1 walker. I was able to take it with me when we went to grandmas because it folds down. I just always kept him away from stoves, stairs and other dangerous situations.
Hope this is helpful.

Despite the popularity of the common jumpers, they're really not good for your baby at all. Babies are not designed to be jumping on their spines so early on in development and putting them into something that puts so much force on their growing bone structure before it's even developed enough to sit, walk, or stand can be detrimental in the long run. (My husband is a chiropractor and has done extensive research on these). I would recommend getting him something that doesn't allow him to jump up and down before he's walking on his own.

good luck!

I wonder about your baby's birth. sounds like he has a fair amount of tension. As a physical therapist who deals with babies, I wouldn't have him stand up. It only increases his tension. You could hold him on your lap and let him push against your hands or abdomen while he is horizontal. Walkers and jumpers are not good for any baby. I like baby to be able to develop at their own pace. Lying on a blanket they decide when to roll over, when to lift the head, when to begin crawling. They develop in a sequence that is natural so the muscles are nicely balanced.
S. PT www.mybreastfeeding.com

A., I think your son is very young for a jummper or a walker. I have three kids of my own....10 yrs, 4 1/2yrs and 3 yrs. If you use a walker or jumper too early you risk your baby being bowlegged and having trouble walking later. Also many pediatricians advise against walkers because they are actually very dangerous. Sorry if I sound negetive, but I just want you to know what I know.
Best wishes, A.

Walkers are actually banned in Canada because of the risk of serious head injuries:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/child-enfant/equip/walk-ma...

So I never even went there. I returned all walkers I received as gifts and never let my son near one (He's now a happy crawling, cruising 1 year old). I never got a jumper either, but I know a lot of my friends' kids enjoy the Jumperoo by Fisher Price. You can find used ones for a good price on craigslist (I love craigslist! :P)

I live in a one-story home with no stairs, whatsoever. When my son was exactly 3 months old, we purchased a walker at a yard sale in good condition for him. Immediately, when I put my son in the walker, he smiled with joy and laughed with excitement. The walker allowed him to stand. The wheels on the walker did NOT move very fast at all. It took my son a couple months to be able to move them with expertise. My son never got bored of the walker.

When my son was six months old, we purchased him a brand new jumperoo. He got bored with it the second day. When we would put him in, he would cry and want out. I ended up letting my friend borrow the jumperoo.

The walker allowed my son's legs to get very strong, since the wheels did not move easily. Now my son is ten months old and walking a little bit on his own.

Walkers can be safe. If you do have stairs and you choose to have a walker, watch your child and block off the stairs (if possible) with one of those child fences. On walkers it says that they can be dangerous if the child is near stairs.My suggestion is: DO NOT LET HIM UPSTAIRS IN A WALKER. Keep him downstairs. The walker cannot climb upstairs.

Everyone has a different opinion on the matter. It's really up to you. Do what you think is best for your family. Have a nice day.

Walkers and jumpers are not good for babies.
They may like them, because they are fun and provide a fake independence, but the body of an infant is not ready for them.
Until the babies can hold themselves up ( with their own body 's strength) they need a lot of support on their backs and pelvis. A four month old baby needs to be mainly lying down, on his/her back, on his/her sides and belly, so he/she can experience the gravity in different positions and allow his strength to build up gradually in a healthy way. After a lots of pus h ups on the belly and lots of rolls, the baby will be able to move forward creeping, to sit him/herself up by her/himself, to walk on his fourth and finally to stand up and start walking with a lot of falls at the beginning. This whole process takes roughly one year (more or less) and normally doesn't need much artificial help.
By the way car seats are very practical for the car and short transfers in and out of the car, but they are not supposed to replace a crib, bassinet or even a matt on the floor, where the infant has less constraint, and can move in his/her own range.

A little about me:
I'm a mother of a wonderful two year old boy and a certified Infant Developmental Movement Educator.