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5 Month Old - Baby Walkers

CJ121314CJ121314 member
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months
my boy is 5m he's been in his baby Walker since 4m. For a month he just sat in it and played with the toys attached to it. He turned 5m on 5/13. For the last 4 days he's been walking forward and backward really well. (Can't fully sit up yet, can't crawl yet) tonight he just walked from the living room to the kitchen and that's not an easy task - we have a hallway in between with lots of twists and turns and he figured it out. This is his fourth day walking in it. Is this normal? Is it "above average"? I'm just curious bc he seems to be really good really fast? But like I said he can't crawl or sit up very well yet? He has been in his jumper since about 3 1/2m and he jumps a lot all the time. Maybe the strengthening from jumping helped him figure it out?
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Re: 5 Month Old - Baby Walkers

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  • Jtsma10Jtsma10 member
    I say let him walk. If he enjoys it and he's obviously good at it, let him walk. But also make sure he's getting the crawling thing down as well. Definitely don't let him walk before he can crawl! lol. It sounds like his leg muscles are stronger than most babies his age, not sure if that would be above average or not, but maybe he'll be a kickboxer one day! 
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  • BigboobsmcgeeBigboobsmcgee member
    Your baby should be on the floor a lot strengthening muscles and figuring out how to move on his own, without the help of a contraption.
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  • Jtsma10Jtsma10 member
    Why? What's going to happen if a "contraption" helps her child use his leg muscles? They're going to get stronger? He's going to learn how to function with his legs and get the coordination down? OH NO! That sounds like a horrible idea. Yeah, let's not do that then.... Sorry Bigboosmcgee, we just seem to be disagreeing on a lot of subjects lately. Me personally, I don't think her baby SHOULD BE only be on the floor strengthening his muscles. Suggest what could help her and her LO, but not what she SHOULD do. Only their Pedi SHOULD tell them what to do. Just my two cents you can take with a grain of salt. 
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  • BigboobsmcgeeBigboobsmcgee member
    Jtsma10 said:
    Why? What's going to happen if a "contraption" helps her child use his leg muscles? They're going to get stronger? He's going to learn how to function with his legs and get the coordination down? OH NO! That sounds like a horrible idea. Yeah, let's not do that then.... Sorry Bigboosmcgee, we just seem to be disagreeing on a lot of subjects lately. Me personally, I don't think her baby SHOULD BE only be on the floor strengthening his muscles. Suggest what could help her and her LO, but not what she SHOULD do. Only their Pedi SHOULD tell them what to do. Just my two cents you can take with a grain of salt. 


    Ya why are you getting so up in arms over my posts? You are awfully defensive when I'm giving my opinion just like you are. It's a discussion board and discussions go both ways. It's all good.

    I work in healthcare and this information is widely known but I was specifically speaking to information that a Pedi and a physical therapist gave me regarding walkers.

     

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  • PrimRoseMamaPrimRoseMama member
    Bigboobsmcgee said:

    Take this with a grain of salt but according to our Pedi and my daughter's physical therapist, walkers aren't good for babies. Because they are struggling to push and move the walker, they tend to use their tip toes and that can cause toe walking which isn't good.

     

    And no, I don't think this makes your baby "advanced", he just found something he likes and he keeps working at it.

    This exactly. It can actually hamper physical development. Tummy time is better for developing core strength needed for walking.


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  • PrimRoseMamaPrimRoseMama member
    Jtsma10 said:

    Why? What's going to happen if a "contraption" helps her child use his leg muscles? They're going to get stronger? He's going to learn how to function with his legs and get the coordination down? OH NO! That sounds like a horrible idea. Yeah, let's not do that then.... Sorry Bigboosmcgee, we just seem to be disagreeing on a lot of subjects lately. Me personally, I don't think her baby SHOULD BE only be on the floor strengthening his muscles. Suggest what could help her and her LO, but not what she SHOULD do. Only their Pedi SHOULD tell them what to do. Just my two cents you can take with a grain of salt. 

    Have you actually researched physical development? It starts from the neck down. So tummy time helps build neck then core strength to roll & then crawl etc.

    leg muscles are great, but with out the rest you can't walk...


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  • PrimRoseMamaPrimRoseMama member
    Jtsma10 said:

    I say let him walk. If he enjoys it and he's obviously good at it, let him walk. But also make sure he's getting the crawling thing down as well. Definitely don't let him walk before he can crawl! lol. It sounds like his leg muscles are stronger than most babies his age, not sure if that would be above average or not, but maybe he'll be a kickboxer one day! 

    @Jtsma10 : you are wrong & woefully uneducated about this topic.


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  • PrimRoseMamaPrimRoseMama member
    PrimRoseMama said:

    Jtsma10 said:

    I say let him walk. If he enjoys it and he's obviously good at it, let him walk. But also make sure he's getting the crawling thing down as well. Definitely don't let him walk before he can crawl! lol. It sounds like his leg muscles are stronger than most babies his age, not sure if that would be above average or not, but maybe he'll be a kickboxer one day! 

    @Jtsma10 : you are wrong & woefully uneducated about this topic.
    https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=117253&page=1


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  • Dannylion24Dannylion24 member
    My first daughter walked first - she actually never crawled until she was around 22 months old and decided to emulate what her baby brother was doing at the time. Kids will always find a way to surprise you.

    Anyways, my pediatrician just recommends limiting walker/jumper time and is a big believer in lots of floor activities to even things out, muscle-wise. All of my littles did love the walker best, tho.
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  • wintersongwintersong member
    FWIW, my son's orthopedic surgeon said that same thing a @Bigboobsmcgee 's pt--walkers and jumpers actually inhibit rather than help develop good walking.
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  • 2giraffe2giraffe member
    My friend is a teacher, and told me that in research there is a lot of correlation with crawling and their reading ability later in life. I'm not certain as to what it is, but those who walk faster than others can have problems reading later on. When kids or even adults go through therapy to improve their reading they have them crawl through big tubes because it helps develop something in their brains that helps them to read.

    I think you should let babies do what they do, but also encourage normal development or things that they seem to grow out of quickly, let them do it a little longer if they will tolerate it. If you think about how much babies learn in one year of life, it's SO much.
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  • blondekates1blondekates1 member
    Walkers are great if you have a little one who loves to explore.  I started using one when he was showing signs of frustration that he couldn't crawl yet, about 5-6 months.  He did the same when I first put him in...just kind of kicked his legs about and played with the toys on it.  Then within a couple of days he was motoring all over the house.  He absolutely loved it, and it was some welcome relief for him.  I'm sure that it's technically true that tummy time develops his core muscles best, but my baby still gets tons of time out of the walker too.  He's not in there all day.  He started crawling within weeks of starting walker use, and he started standing against and walking along furniture within weeks after that.  The doc said he's looking good as far as development goes, so just keep monitoring your baby...everyone is different.
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  • bricandlerbricandler member
    I'd limit the time he spends in the walker if you do put him in it. Our LO was going to OT and PT and we were told not to use any jumpers or walkers as it inhibits their development and can cause or exceed are hip dysplasia. Our PT did say that activity center where the baby sits/stands in the middle with help would be fine once the baby started walking.
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  • BigboobsmcgeeBigboobsmcgee member
    2giraffe said:
    My friend is a teacher, and told me that in research there is a lot of correlation with crawling and their reading ability later in life. I'm not certain as to what it is, but those who walk faster than others can have problems reading later on. When kids or even adults go through therapy to improve their reading they have them crawl through big tubes because it helps develop something in their brains that helps them to read.

    I think you should let babies do what they do, but also encourage normal development or things that they seem to grow out of quickly, let them do it a little longer if they will tolerate it. If you think about how much babies learn in one year of life, it's SO much.

    I would love a link to this research. If it's true, that's pretty interesting.
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  • FunnyGal18FunnyGal18 member
    I was wondering why they don't really sell walkers like they used to a long time ago. My dh asked me about getting one. I have never used one. I like the exersaucers, though.

    Cool thread and informative!
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  • AnonymousMomAnonymousMom member
    CJ121314 said:
    my boy is 5m he's been in his baby Walker since 4m. For a month he just sat in it and played with the toys attached to it. He turned 5m on 5/13. For the last 4 days he's been walking forward and backward really well. (Can't fully sit up yet, can't crawl yet) tonight he just walked from the living room to the kitchen and that's not an easy task - we have a hallway in between with lots of twists and turns and he figured it out. This is his fourth day walking in it. Is this normal? Is it "above average"? I'm just curious bc he seems to be really good really fast? But like I said he can't crawl or sit up very well yet? He has been in his jumper since about 3 1/2m and he jumps a lot all the time. Maybe the strengthening from jumping helped him figure it out?

    Walkers are a bad idea for various safety and developmental reasons.  We have never owned or used one for our kids and we never will for these reason. Developmentally, they are a particularly bad idea for kids that have high tone or kids with central hypotonia (which generally goes along with peripheral high tone) because walkers put them in consistent extensor position which just makes everything worse. Don't consider this medical advice (because truly that should only come from a physician you/your child have an established relationship with) but given what you have shared I would discontinue the walker and discuss your child's developmental concerns with their pediatrician. You can also ask for a referral to your state's early intervention program. [All states have these programs which serve children from 0-3 with developmental delays through home based services for OT, PT, speech as needed etc. They program probably has a state specific name (ie. First Steps in our state, Birth to Three in another state I have practiced in, etc) but if you ask for a referral for the early intervention program your pediatrician should know what you mean and how proceed.  Good Luck!
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