[court5505]

Everything I've read says that walkers are not recommended anymore. I told my MIL this, but she insisted on buying one because she's worried about my DD not walking at 11 months! I'm not worried. She pulls herself up on things and will move her feet forward if we are holding her hands. She may not walk by her first b-day, but I don't think it will be too much longer than that.

So my question is: What do you know about walkers? Should I tell my MIL that I don't want DD using it at her house? I guess that's two questions!

[Lovebug]

We never used a walker and they are not recommended by our ped. Too many accidents associated with them, and they give baby a false sense of security to walk. Or baby may tend to walk "twinkle toed" because their feet usually don't lay flat on the floor in them. I wouldn't worry if baby isn't walking at 11 mos yet. Our son didn't walk until 13 mos 1 week and he is fine. Our ped said to be alarmed if baby isn't walking by 15 mos and even there isn't necessarily an issue. She's gonna be fine! {{{Hugs}}}

--Renee

[alwaysus]

My nephew went down a flight of stairs in his walker and broke his collar bone.( 18 years ago) I had a walker at that time, and I took the wheels off. If your daughter doesn't walk by 11 months....so what?

If I am not mistaken I *THINK* Canada prohibits the sale of walkers. ( AM I wrong?)

[court5505]

I'm not worried about her walking, but my MIL is! I wrote her an e-mail and pasted a link to the AAP where it said that they are trying to ban walkers from being sold!

[TheQueen]

Here in Canada, walkers are ILLEGAL! We can't even buy them here!

I never used them at all with my kids. My second son never walked until AFTER his second birthday but you know what, he is just fine today!
Every kid will learn to walk on their own, with little outside help! I don't think a walker will make a child walk any faster!

In all reality, it is probably better that a child learn to walk at an older age because they have more sense of cause and effect!

[StorkWatcher]

I didn't even know they still made them in the US until I saw one in a B'R'Us ad. My son loves the stationary exersaucer, which gives him some upright and leg movement time. I will not let him have a walker.

Perhaps that would be a compromise your MIL could live with. Keep providing her w/ the material! It might help.

My MIL (SWEET woman - seriously love her to death) put my son on his tummy to sleep ONE TIME because that's what she did w/ her kids. Before I could even say anything, my SIL tore into her and presented all the SIDS stats. ONce I told her that there are over 50% fewer SIDS deaths since the Back to Sleep Campaign started, she started putting him down on his back (and suffered through the 50% less nap time he takes!)

[Guspiv]

Most kids that I know didnt walk until after their 1st birthday.
Why not remove the wheels or buy and exersaucer to sort of compromise with MIL and keep the peace. My son LOVED his exersaucer and it gave me some peice I could actually lay on the couch and read for about 30 minutes or start dinner in peace while he was stationary playing with all the doo dads and/or eating cheerios.

[allanacw]

I think you can buy a version of the exersaucer that slides back and forth when the baby walks...maybe that's an option?

[court5505]

We have an exersaucer, but now that DD can crawl anywhere she wants, she's not too interested in it. The kid has every toy imaginable! I agree that the walker won't help her walk sooner, in fact it will probably delay her. My MIL was understanding and is returning it.

[brandydawn]

What about a push toy? My daughter used these right before she walked at 13 months.

Regards,
Brandy

[Vogi2002]

Oh my gosh!! I did not know that walkers are not recomended!! EEK!! I am crossing that right off my registry!! Wow thank you SOOO Much for the info!!

Natalie

[Fran27]

Posting late, but walkers actually don't even encourage children to walk, because they can't see their legs once in them, and thus can't really make the link between moving and moving their legs (I read it in Baby Bargains). So definitely not a good idea.

[allabouthorses]

Wow, I didn't even know about the problems they can cause with walking!! I just thought they were banned (in Canada) because of safety (which is really just a lack of supervision).

But, my chiropractor told me he didn't like them (or Jolly Jumpers) because babies should never be made to do things their bodies aren't ready to do on their own. Otherwise, it can put stress on their spine.

[ahfdragonfly]

I used a walker for my sanity CJ never crawled, but would "walk" me all over the place! My back was killing me! In her walker, she could move around, check things out, & explore the downstairs. She was never unsupervised, I was just standing upright. And she never used it up stairs, or near an area with a drop off of some kind. She walked on her own at 10 mos.