How to choose a walker for children - at what age, how, why? These issues are regularly discuss and argue over them. Parents of all children, of course, have heard and know about walkers and jumpers. However, not all of them acquire their babies. As a rule, all parents are divided into two main groups - supporters of the use of walkers and jumpers and fierce opponents. And the argument "walker for children - pros and cons" sound equally convincing. Baby Walkers reviews have both positive and negative.
In this article we will tell you more details about the benefits and the dangers as walkers and jumpers. However, pay attention to the fact that this is only general information. If you decide to buy a walker, pre-consult with your doctor - a pediatrician.
Use a walker
Any young mom knows how sometimes lack the hands-free, which always sits baby. After all, among other things, mostly on the shoulders of a woman is cooking, cleaning, washing and caring for other family members. And it is very difficult to do if all the time, women occupied only a toddler. Using a walker greatly facilitates the life of a young mother and frees time.
As you know, approximately 6 - 8 months in crumbs wakes a real explorer. The child does not agree to spend hours in the arena, he wants to know the world and participate in the life of adults. In the same area is a walker to reach the kid greatly expands and the baby does not feel cut off from the outside world.
In addition, the baby in the walker, thanks to a new vertical position for him, growing slightly faster their peers, both emotional and intellectual, and social development. Baby walker in a much more sociable, ready for emotional contact, loyal to strangers.
Use jumpers
Jumpers spread slightly less wide than the walkers. Jumpers are kind of device in the spring, in which the child is placed. Based on the floor, the child how to go up. As a rule, children are very fond of jumpers and hunting is carried out in them for a long time. Jumpers remarkably strengthen vestibular system and stimulate the development of all muscle groups of the baby. However, the question of "jumpers for children - at what age" is also relevant, as in the situation with a walker.
Apply jumpers can just as fun kid. As long as the baby is in jumpers, hands free mom and she can do household chores or take some time for yourself. For free time - this is what it always is not enough for all women, not just young mothers.
However, jumpers often used with curative intent. Paediatricians recommend using jumpers as health - care simulator those kids who suffer from the following diseases:
- Reduced muscle tone and weakness of the shoulder department.
- Reduced tone and weakness of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arm.
- The rehabilitation course after injury.
However, if the jumpers are used as a rehabilitation trainer, during their use, and the frequency should be determined by the attending physician only child, under strict parental supervision. In this case, excessive time spent in jumpers, could adversely affect its condition and worsen the disease.
Cons walker
However, if everything was so rosy, there would be no dispute over whether or not to use a walker. There are also a number of disadvantages which have walkers:
- Slow development of motor skills
As is well established, the use of a walker largely slows the development of the crumbs of motor skills. This is because there is not enough mental stimulation children's mobility needs. Why strive baby learns to walk independently, applying to it any - any effort if you can easily move around in a walker?
In that case, if the parents are too often abused walker, permanently leaving baby in them, there is a risk of deformation of the legs and curvature of the spine. Therefore, if you use a walker, do not leave them in the baby more than 30 minutes, so as not to trigger the development of health problems.
- The development of the cerebellum
Children's doctors believe that the use of a walker is not the best way affects the normal physiological development of the cerebellum and its function. This happens due to the fact that the child, who is a long time in walker becomes accustomed to the fact that while walking he does not need to maintain a balance, because walkers support it evenly on all sides. As a result, the development of the cerebellum deviates from the normal, and when you try to walk the baby self is constantly falling.
In addition, as we all know, an important skill is the ability for the baby to fall correctly. This skill more than once save nose and head kid from unnecessary injuries. Kid is located in the walker, so the opportunity to learn to fall completely stripped. It goes without saying that no parent wants his kid fell and fill his bumps and bruises.
But remember - never falling, the child will never learn to do it correctly. But you would not be able to keep it in a walker life. While the child is small, the risk of serious injury is very small - it comes with a small drop in the height of its own growth. And in the fall, he learns to group muscles and protect vital organs. This skill does not just protect the child into adulthood.
- No sense of danger and caution
Any living creature has a so-called sense of danger. The sense of danger is a constant companion of the living body's inherent self-preservation instinct. At the same kid who goes to walkers, from all sides are bumpers. Is the kid will stumble on a stool or on the wall, no particular discomfort, he will not test. The child does not learn to feel the edge, to avoid collisions in the future it can seriously injure.
As is well known, very active toddler learns world around. And knowledge occurs mainly tactile way - through the hands and mouth. Kid is located in the walker, deprived of such an opportunity, because walkers limit its ability to take up that - ever. On the one hand it is good - the chance that the child will reach dangerous items is zero. On the other hand - even to get his toy for the baby becomes an impossible task.
For all its positive qualities walkers pretty traumatic. Walkers often have a tendency to roll over, thumping on the walls and door jambs. The rate of the baby in the walker, I must say, pretty decent - about 10 km / h. You understand that when moving as fast carpet joints, such as carpet and laminate, may cause tipping walker. A similar decline is much more dangerous than if the child has fallen by itself, without a walker.
The baby walker is almost always pushes off the floor with your fingertips. And for the proper development of the feet of the child should gradually move to standing on the whole plane of the sole.
Because of that pipsqueak long time is in the walker, he often appears excessive overexertion of back muscles. Because of this, the baby is not only uncomfortable, but also runs the risk of spinal curvature. This happens because of the forced stay in the upright position and the inability to change it - in fact pipsqueak still can not give yourself to know adults that he was tired.
Cons jumpers
Jumpers, too, with all its positive attributes have a number of drawbacks. Jumpers for children for and against are slightly different than the walkers. Be sure to consider this when deciding on the purchase of jumpers:
If a child spends in jumpers over an hour a day is very high risk of developing hyper muscles. Gipertonus the muscles in turn leads to the development of complications for the child's body.
- The compression of the perineum
Construction jumpers is that prolonged exposure to them leads to compression of the crotch of the child. It is particularly strong in boys. It can also lead to complications, so in any case, do not leave the baby in jumpers for a long time.
From the jumpers, the baby is pushed from the floor with two feet. As a result, it is fixed in his subconscious mind, and when you try to go, the child will try to push off with both feet. As a consequence, the child process will be constantly falling, walk starts a little later peers.
Psychological impact walker
Most often you can find information about the physical impact of a walker. But in fact, the psychological side of the issue is no less important, and often even more. Of course, the psychological aspect of the use of walkers and jumpers instantly lets you know not, so after a while, with the appearance of a problem, parents usually did not associate it with the use of walkers and jumpers.
As you know, crawling is a prerequisite for the proper and harmonious development of the child. Through the process of crawling developing brain connections between the right and left hemisphere. This often leads to a fairly large number of problems in the future. For example, one of the possible complications may become poor school performance. Such children often have serious problems with learning to read - the child reads by syllables can rearrange them or try to guess what it says. Agree - few parents would guess to link these failures to the crawling baby in grudnichkovom age.
- Restriction of free movement
To the physical and psychological development of the child proceeded correctly, the child must be free to move in space
. For example, a child saw a subject that interested him, he is sure to try to reach him - podpolzet, put his hand or take a step towards the goal of
. The child is a baby walker is often deprived of such a possibility, as the walkers greatly restrict freedom of movement of the baby
. Some of the parents might object - a child in a walker has a high degree of freedom of movement - where the child wants, and there is
. However, it is not - because a child in a baby walker, can neither sit or bend down or sit or lie down
. A child may simply hang, barely touching the floor with your fingertips
. Of course, neither of which freedom of movement in such a situation we can not go
. A similar restriction on movement in the first year of life is particularly strong influence on the ability to move
.
A child in the first year of life is learning to control his body, knowing its possibilities and limitations. In order for this process was correct, the child must be able to move as much as possible. In that case, if the child is in the motor activity is limited, as is the case with the use of a walker, the child for a long time has a very vague idea about your body.
Most often, walkers love the baby, who enthusiastically carried them a considerable amount of time and, as mentioned above, walkers are able to significantly make life easier for parents. Walkers for every baby is an exciting, fascinating toy that helps your child to learn the world around them. But remember that in any case not allowed to leave the child in a walker or jumpers unattended even for a minute.
As we have said, the views on the benefits and dangers of walkers opposite. Someone grow up smart and healthy kids with a walker and someone without their use. The most reasonable having regard to the decision to purchase, will focus on the individual characteristics of each individual child.
In the event that you are very much want to buy a walker - buy. However, keep in mind that for the safety of walkers parents must follow certain rules:
In no case is unacceptable to put in a walker four - five month old baby. Using a walker can be used only if the child confident crawling and trying to get up on their own feet. Early use of the walker can lead to very serious health problems remains.
In order not to overload the bone - muscular system of the baby, do not leave the baby in the walker and jumpers over an hour - a half. Note - this time should be divided into three - four approaches. Approximate continuous finding should not exceed 20 - 30 minutes. In addition, this measure will help to minimize the burden on the arch of the baby. The increased load on the foot is fraught with such terrible complication, as the occurrence of abnormal stiffness of the foot. This is the most negative impact on the further training of walking.
As mentioned above, it is recommended not to use the jumpers before the child starts to stand on their own feet. However, there are exceptions to these rules. Thus, for example, if jumpers are used as a rehabilitation exercise machine, they can be used with four months of age. In this case, the child may be in the jumpers only in special straps that are threaded under the armpits crumbs. This action is absolutely necessary in order to reduce the burden on the fragile baby's spine. When the baby grows up, the straps can be easily detach.
Correct adjustment of the seat height is very important. Be sure to adjust it so that the child was forced to hang out in a walker, not reaching out to the floor. The child should be able to effortlessly reach to the floor and build on it.
It is also important to choose the right shoes. It should be light and very comfortable, with soft soles. If floors are warm, the best option would be socks with non-slip soles. Or, if you are still a baby shoes, pick a shoe, put the baby to the right leg - no socks, and the entire surface of the foot and was able to bend the legs to push.
Before you put the baby in a walker, be sure to secure the apartment. Remove any dangerous objects, to which the child will be able to reach - the vase, scissors, consoles, mobile phones. Do not place a child in a walker baby until until we make sure that the apartment is safe for the baby. The most effective way to check it out - down to the level of growth of the baby. Sit down and look around - whether within reach dangerous objects. Always make sure that the child could not get to the stairs.
How to choose a walker?
So, you have decided that the walker is yet to be. Before you go shopping, please read the following guidelines regarding the order. How to choose a walker, so they brought crumbs only benefit and enjoyment. Substandard walkers not only inconvenient to use, but also endanger the health of the baby.
Recently, a very wide popularity acquire online stores. Of course, such purchases are very convenient, especially for young parents - shopping trips with a child is not the most exciting experience. However, walkers, as well as baby stroller, are no exception. It is desirable to see with their own eyes, to independently verify the strength of fasteners.
When buying a walker parents should pay attention to the following important aspects, tells you how to choose a baby walker.
It is important to choose a walker with good stability and broad base. It is essential for safety toddler - when the base of a wide, kid, even if he tries to lean not turn over with a walker. Ideally, the more expensive models, such as the baby walker chicco, skirting the edge of rubberized. This is done in order to walkers in the event of a collision with an obstacle and amortized blow softened.
The wheels are also very important for the safety and convenience of the walker. The wheels should be as much as possible a diameter. This is the most direct impact on the stability and maneuverability of a walker.
