Recommendation for Infant Walker

Hello,
My recommendation would be to make sure your baby crawls before he walks. There is evidence that the side to side motion of crawling is essential to brain development that processes written language. Check with your pediatrician. To encourage crawling, you can place things that he's really interested in just outside his reach as he is on his tummy. It may be frustrating to him but learning can be frustrating and the payoff so exciting.

For a walker for my boys, I used a push toy and they loved pushing that around. It was a wagon with a rigid upright bar. The wagon was stable enough that they could pull themselves up and then walk.

Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful

per my pediatrician and all reports and friends, they are dangerous. I would get, or even borrow, a nice clean sauce for standing and playing..and a push toy..all of them love the popping one but they have all kinds now..

My recommendation is NO WALKER! They are very dangerous and will not encourage your child to be more mobile on his own, rather he will rely on the walker and be less likely to explore on his own. I would consult with your pediatrician. Some children never crawl and go straight to walking. Hope this helps...

Some kids crawl on all fours, some scoot forwards or backwards or do the army crawl, etc. yet others never crawl at all. The normal age for walking is 9 to 18 months of age. The most important thing for him to develope is that he in on the floor using his body...and he will learn at his own pace.
F.

My now 10 yr old son didn't crawl until he was 10.5 months and started walking when he was 13 months. His now 7 yr old sister started crawling at 9 months and walking at 11 months. All kids are different and I would let your son self motivate for mobility.

Put interesting toys out of his reach (by an inch or two)- have him practice being on his tummy - don't stress. Mobility brings all sorts of challenges and enjoyment. Enjoy this stage for now, it too shall pass.

Sometimes children who skip crawling or cruising furniture don't use walkers and just go straight to pulling themselves up and walking.

Is there a way you can get a used one in the paper?

My Pediatrician said that walkers were a big No NO and could cause them to have health issues and longer to walk.. there are toys out there that they hold on to and push.. i owuld recommend that first..

Do not ever, ever put him in a walker. In order for a child's brain to get organized so they can read, they need to crawl on their stomach in a cross pattern and then creep on their hands and knees in a cross pattern. Keep him on the floor as much as possible. I have a Down Syndrome child that was on a program at the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential. The brain is fascinating and it was such a revelatin to realize how children must go through each stage of development in order for their brain to organize. I had a another child with a reading problem because I put her in a walker (I wasn't very smart then)and since I was on a program with my youngest, I started her crawling on her tummy 1/4 mile a day and then creeping on her hands and knees for 1/2 mile a day and within a short time she was reading wonderfully well and has now gotten her Masters Degree. Any devises that keep kids from being on the floor and able to got everywhere are just like prisons and adult ways to keep the child contained. For the sake of the child let him learn to crawl and creep as long as possible. Ignore people that give you advice because your kid is not walking yet. Good luck!

I honestly would not worry too much. My first was 11 months before she learned to crawl and 15 months walking. Now she's 12 years old and in advanced classes for her age, so no developmental delays there. Only 1 of my 5 children crawled at 6 months the rest were 8 or 9 months. I agree that a walker can delay their walking. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I agree with those that say that the walker can delay walking. My daughter did not walk on her own until 14 months and I attribute it to the walker. No need to learn to walk when you can get around another way!

We never had a mobile walker, but the excersaucer was a HUGE hit for both our kids. I got a used one for $20 at a yard sale. Friends have used the jumperoo with great sucess, too. Either one will help strengthen baby's back and core :)
As far as encouraging the crawling: tummy time is better than a walker. Some kids just never do crawl, though, maybe yours is one of them.

Be careful what you wish for ;-). Once they are mobile, you have to stay on top of them every minute. Enjoy this time, and don't stress about it unless your pediatrician is concerned.

My girl was a late crawler too (around 9 1/2 months). She's cruising now and in less than a month has started pulling herself up on furniture. I would suggest giving it some more time and enjoy the chance to catch your breath. :-) I agree with the others who noted that walkers have been shown not to the best for babies.

Hi,
My daughters both loved their circus activity center, and their jumper that hands in a doorway. I avoided walkers because they are not recommended by the American Pediatrics Association anymore, and have been the cause of many injuries. However, once my daughters started trying to stand they both loved pushing along the LeapFrog stand and push toy. Some kids do not crawl, but skip right to walking when they are ready. However, I would keep giving him lots of motivation to stand and "cruise" furniture or try to be mobile in some way. Good luck!

Just want to echo others that walkers are not advised. We don't do exersaucers, either. Both of our daughters have gotten plenty of floor time (both with floor gyms and freestyle) and also "free time" in a pack-n-play since it provides soft walls and a relatively soft floor when they learned to stand. They have learned things at different times.

Our instinct is to offer comfort when they need it (which with our youngest meant she was held for most of her first year!) and then have them on the floor for most of the time in secured areas of increasing sizes. Have confidence that your son will figure it out without devices! And do remember that some children never crawl but instead go straight to walking.

Studies have shown that walkers can actually delay walking. Many kids don't walk until around their first birthday, so don't stress. If you want to get something to encourage walking, try a push toy, something that he can stand behind holding onto some kind of rail or bar.

Don't! Walkers are not the answer at all, but in fact have been shown to be a deterrent to the child learning to walk.
At nine months of age, you really don't have a lot to worry about. Some kids begin to crawl around six months, but others wait longer. Keep on encouraging him... put toys he really wants just out of his reach so he has to find a way to get to them, and don't give in when he cries and tries to get you to move them to him. It's not easy watching our little guys struggle, but that's often what it takes for them to learn.

Not sure that walkers are even made any longer. If you mean a push type toy that he can walk behind, we have a cute, simple one made by Fisher Price.

Hi S.,

My son (now 12--and walks fine :-) didn't crawl until his first birthday and didn't walk until he was about 16 months. His sister (now 9) never crawled. She scooted around on her bottom and got very good at it. She walked at 19 months. Thank goodness she was not a big baby!

The range of what's "normal" really runs the gamut. If your pediatrician has not found any physical abnormalities, you can be sure your son will figure out the mobility thing.

-J.

I would not use a walker. He will learn to crawl when he is ready. Just provide him with floor time and entice him to move toward you or a favorite toy. Many perfectly normal babies do not crawl until they are older.