Starting at around six months babies love to be upright and mobile so they can explore the world around them. They spend plenty of time on the floor, learning and practicing activities such as rolling on the floor, sitting, crawling, creeping or scooting, pulling themselves up to stand, moving around furniture or other stationary objects etc. The natural process of these activities teaches the little ones how to balance themselves. Plus, practicing such important, repetitive moments provides enjoyment, engage and entertain babies while reaching their walking milestone slowly.
To encourage your little one to reach their walking milestone, you may consider getting baby walkers which are one of the most helpful and exciting toys for child development. It’s a wonderful idea to gift your baby these colourul and musical toys which will help them learn to walk. These toys are simple and fun, your little one will like them and will play happily with them. With support at hand, the little one may be encouraged to take their first steps.
What Are Baby Walkers?
A baby walker toy is a tool used to help the process of learning to walk. Over time these toys have gone by many names, including standing/walking stools, baby runners, trainers and go-cart. Baby walkers are designed to give babies mobility and help them to walk before they are able to walk on their own. Most walkers are usually designed for babies between the ages of 4 to 16 months, although there is no a fixed appropriate age for a baby to use one. Before making a decision, you should take into consideration factors like baby’s strength, development and size.
Baby walkers are usually made of hard plastic with wheels on the bottom which provide mobility and help babies learn to walk faster. There are also stationary baby walkers with the same design but these go only in a circle or don’t move at all. In addition, baby walkers have fitted simple toys that will attract and hold baby’s attention and keep them engaged. They will simply entertain babies while learning to walk. Plus, walkers are a welcome relief and aid parents with the daily performance of the household tasks while occupying the kids.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Baby Walkers
Baby walkers offer several advantages, including promoting mobility and encouraging babies to walk as well as engaging and entertaining them. Walkers keep the little ones contained and out of trouble, while encouraging them to use their legs and get a head start with their walking. They have been designed to stimulate mental growth and provide visual simulation as well. Many baby walkers come with in-built toys in different colours and shapes which engage the toddlers and stimulate their cognitive development.
Although baby walker toys are thought to improve the motor skills of infants associated with walking, most parents have shown expressions of concern about using them. Plus, pediatricians argue whether they are good for babies or not. The opinions are divided over this question, mostly because of the safety issues. Some pediatricians urge parents not to use them since they can cause injuries, mainly as a result of falling.
Since baby walker toys are usually made of hard plastic, they can provide a false sense of security. Without adult supervision, baby walker accidents can happen and babies might get hurt. When upright in a walker, kids can reach things they usually don’t have access to, thus being exposed to potential dangers and sustaining serious injuries such as burns, cuts, head injuries and bruises, pinched fingers or toes, broken bones, poisoning or drawings etc. Even with an adult close by and watching, such injuries can happen since baby walkers are very fast devices and parents simply cannot respond quickly enough.
Precautions To Take While Using Baby Walker Toys
Given the advantages and disadvantages of the baby walker toys, often raise the question whether they are safe for babies or not. If you are going to get and make active use of one, you should take into consideration the safety issues so that you make the most of its advantages while avoiding the disadvantages. After all, safety should always come first and it’s a parents’ responsibility to make sure that child’s development is not hindered due to the use of such tools.
Since injuries are the biggest threat to little kids’ life and health, as a parent, you should ensure that the area around them is as safe as possible and that there is absolutely nothing within baby’s reach that could harm them. Block off a safe area for your little one to play and move. Keep the baby and the walker away from the staircases and ensure the baby walker toy is used only on a flat and even surface without objects to tip over. Never keep small objects within baby’s reach, especially not sharp and pointed ones since they could be the cause of injury. In addition, adult attendance and supervision is a must while the baby is using the walker.