Hello,
My eight-month-old son loves this semi-stationary walker that he uses at day care - it's a stationary activity center, attached to a seat with wheels that allows him to "walk" in a circle around the activity center:
http://www.kidsii.com/p-227-doodle-bugs-around-we-go-activity-station.aspx
I know that freestanding walkers are generally discouraged because they can inhibit walking and pose some safety concerns, but this toy seems to take care of those concerns. However, do you have any thoughts about whether a semi-stationary walker like this could teach him any problematic habits related to walking?
Thanks so much!
Naomi
18 hours 48 min ago
09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
I'm not a fan of thee on postural grounds. I think it's better if a baby works her way upright into a natural configuration. My concern with these walkers is that they put strain on some joints before the muscles around the joint have had a chance to develop enough to protect the joint. I'm just sharing my intuition here - I haven't looked into the data around this. The free standing walkers are illegal (because of risk of falling down stairs, etc), so it doesn't come up very much any more.