My husband and I were very hesitant to purchase a walker for Jane. Since most of my parenting knowledge is from books and instinct, everything I read warned me about the dangers of using a walker. Of the risks, children have gotten severely hurt: head injuries, burns, broken bones, entrapment of fingers, broken teeth, amputation and death. Now, as a mom, I am terrified of my little babies engaging in any activities that may cause harm and it is our responsibility (parents) to keep them safe and as far from harm as we can.
As Adam and I watched our baby girl get closer and closer to walking, the discussion of getting her a walker came up more and more. We would decide against it then agree to try it only to agree that the said risks were too great. My husband made the best argument, “We watch Jane like a hawk and getting her a walker could help her progress and add some entertainment in her days. All we have to do is stay with her and not allow the walker to play babysitter when we need to get things done.” How can I argue with that?
Why We Chose The Little Nemo Walker
We wanted a safe walker, a walker that was sturdy and tip proof. This walker is balanced, which allowed our daughter to move from one side to the other without tipping over. Each wheel has a bumper, which protected our furniture and lightened the impact each time she ran into an object. The activity table at the front of the walker expands long enough so that she couldn’t pull objects towards her.
The walker is very easy to assemble and clean. The seat is removable and machine washable. I recommend air drying. On the activity table is a steering wheel that clicks each time it is moved. She loved the wheel and would turn it as she walked across the floor, as if driving the walker. There are other activities that turn and make a clicking noise, but she doesn’t seem to play with them much.
We decided to purchase the Little Nemo Walker over the cute Minnie Mouse Walker because we wanted to keep her toys (for the most part) gender neutral. We welcomed a baby boy in May and want our children to share as many toys as possible. We don’t plan on purchasing more of the same toys to adapt the the gender. Too expensive and impractical. Plus, who can resist the cuteness that is Nemo?
Safety First In The Walker
Watching Jane in the walker did present a lot of opportunities for her to get hurt. Since our home is carpeted, the only place she was able to roam was in the walker in the kitchen where most accidents occur. We had to monitor her every movement. While our home is childproof, the safety locks on our cabinets and drawers don’t always work. Our daughter would easily pull the drawers out and come close to hitting her head. We also had to make sure she didn’t touch the stove while it was on or run into the edges of the countertops. While we feel that the walker has helped her, it was very important that we watch her while it was in use.