In the first year of life, the child is developing physically intensively. Especially quickly, the baby begins to show a desire to explore the house on their feet: reaching out to parents hands, trying to get up and asking to walk. When there is no possibility to be with the child all the time, a baby walker will help. Their typical design consists of a base on small wheels and a soft seat with a table top. Baby can safely reach the floor with their feet and move around by pushing off the surface.
Walker for a child: with what age can be used
Many parents wonder: when can I put the child in a walker? Pediatricians say that it is not recommended to use them until the little back has strengthened. This occurs at about 7-8 months. Children are already able to sit without support, but it is still difficult to stand and, even more so, to walk. In addition, you need to pay attention to the physical development of the child. Once your child has begun to confidently crawl and makes attempts to get on his feet, it’s time to buy a baby walker.
In the early days, your baby is allowed to walk around with the help of a design not longer than 2-3 minutes. Gradually this time increases. To fragile spine is not damaged, you can not leave the child in this position for more than 40 minutes.
What kinds are there?
Manufacturers offer three models that differ in appearance and the age at which they can be used:
- classic – their design includes a frame made of metal, a wide base, wheels, a soft seat and a special bumper to prevent the child from hitting objects around (baby walkers on wheels can be set in three positions, adjusting to the growth of the baby);
- walkers and pushers (2 in 1) – suitable from 9 months of age, as they are more children’s toys; walkers allow the child to lean on a special handle to explore the world around them in a safe and interesting way;
- 3-in-1 walker that combines a rocker and a wheelchair – suitable for the entire period while the baby learns to walk (first you can put him in the seat to push his feet off the floor, and then remove the back panel so that the child can hold and play at the same time).
Some parents are worried that the walker may somehow harm the baby’s health. But doctors say that such a design is quite safe, if the child has no problems with the musculoskeletal system, it does not manifest rickets or muscle tone. It is very important to choose a walker with the correct height, because the son or daughter must rest on the floor with a full foot. In some cases, use children’s shoes.
Walkers for kids: harm or benefit
Before buying it is important to evaluate the pros and cons of such a purchase. Like any other product, baby walkers have their advantages and disadvantages. The pros of their use are obvious:
- children learn to walk much faster;
- When a child is in a walker and moves around the room, the muscles of his back and legs strengthened significantly, which prepares them to move independently;
- coordination of movements improves faster;
- the baby develops emotionally, socially and intellectually in a short time;
- the child’s needs for exploring his environment are fully met, his world expands much faster;
- the freedom of movement is wide enough, but children cannot reach dangerous objects due to the presence of a certain diameter of the table top (bumper);
- parents have free time for other activities: while the baby plays and explores the world, mom or dad can do their own things.
Some people are against the walker. They point out the following disadvantages:
- If the load on the still fragile spine turns out to be too strong, it can cause many problems in the future;
- In some cases, children take longer to learn to walk, because when using walkers the balance is formed incorrectly, and then the child has to be “retrained” to hold small legs and back correctly;
- the natural development of movement skills slows down – if you use the walker before the recommended time, the child may not crawl correctly (or not crawl at all), later become and walk with support;
- If the baby will rely only on his toes (and this often happens when using baby walkers), he may get flat feet in the future.
If you thoughtfully re-read all the disadvantages of using such a design, you can see that you will avoid all of these problems if you will properly and timely accustom the child to such a move around the house.