I would love some input from other moms who have purchased and/or used exersaucers for their little ones. I am looking for some recommendations on models still on the market.
Thank you in advance.
Thank you so much for all the great input. I was actually gathering information for one of the sets of parents whose infant I care for. I am a Professional Nanny with over 17 years experience and mainly worked with special needs children. So, I am well aware of the cautions in using exersaucers and I always pass this information on to any parents that I work with. In fact, my own son had a weak core for some time, so we never used one with him. It is good information to put out there for other moms to know. I think I personally like the idea of the exersaucer that also becomes a push along toy for beginner walkers. I love toys that multi-task because they are much more cost effective and space saving.
D.,
I have to agree about buying it used. I did and I saved half the cost. My daugther is 7 month old now and we got it when she was 4 months old to so that my husband and I could finally eat dinner together. I agree too about not letting her spend too much time in it though she does enjoy it. Good luck and look at those resale shops before spending full price for baby things.
Some feedback on exersaucers before you buy one. Just make sure that you don't let your little one spend too much time in one throughout the day. Spending long periods of time in the exersauser may actually delay some development. When 'standing' in the exersauser the baby will become used to not having to fully bear weight on their legs when upright. It is a great thing when the baby gets moving and you want to take a shower...but nothing more than 20-30 minutes at a time. But if you do get one you can find some used ones on craigslist.
Not to discourage you, but I've read in several books & was told by my pediatrician that exercausers and walkers slow babies' development, because it doesn't allow them to use many muscles-they mainly just reach for things. Try that baby-to-toddler rocker that grows with baby, or put baby on the floor for tummytime. Babies these days are "strapped in" too much of the time anyway.
D.,
I agree with Jen about the walking delays if the kids use them for an extended period of time. The theory is that they can't see their legs so they have a hard time learning that their legs can move when they want them to. Grandma has the Little Tikes "Entertainer" that has very creative, fun toys all around that our daughter enjoys. Our daughter also has a Fisher Price Jumperoo, which is a similar concept, but she can "jump" in it. She absolutely loves the 15 minutes a day she gets in it. Good Luck!
B.
Hi!
My baby LOVED the exersaucer and it still keeps him in one spot if I need to do something(he's 9 months old). I would recommend the ones that turn into a walker--not the type they walk in, but the one they push and walk with. My sister has one and then she never needed to buy a push behind walker--the one that the exersaucer turned into was GREAT! It never tipped over! Just a thought!
I have evenflo exsaucer and it was really good choice..lot of toys and things to keep her engaged. After she stated crawling though it is of limited use though.
I used EvenFlo excersaucer and it was great for my little girl.
I would try to get a used one because they're expensive and you don't use it that long and some babies don;t like it at all. My son needed a few times before he liked sitting in it. If you do decide to buy an new one, I just came back from Wallmart and they had the newest Exersaucer. I had an Exersaucer for my son too and he loved it. this new one has a lot more toys though. The more diffent things on it to play the less likely your little one will get bored with it.
M.
Hi D.-
My husband and I recently bought our 6 month old daughter the Baby Einstein Exersaucer. She absolutely loves it! It can be purchased at Babies R Us or Target for $79.99. It's on the more expensive side for Exersaucers but is worth the money. It has all types of interactive/developmental toys on it as well as animal sounds that go on to say the animal name in English and Spanish then goes on to play Baby Einsten music. I would highly recommend it. I've had experience with others and do not think they add up to this one.
Good luck!
D.
D.- I just heard a Physical Therapist talk at a mom's group I belong to. She said exersaucers are great in moderation as is everything we do. Especially when you are showering or making dinner.
We bought a used one from Once upon a Child. Less than half the cost and a great tool for when we needed our kids to be entertained and safe.
K.
