Necessary to Have Both a Jumper and an Exercise Saucer?

I did have both and both my daughters preferred the exersaucer. If you have the opportunity to get one for free, I would take it because they are not cheap. They would both sit in there and bounce away with big smiles on their faces for a long time. The jumper, they would only stay in for about 5 minutes or so. I would go with the exersaucer.

We had both. My son loved the exersaucer and didn't really care for the jumperoo. Take the free exersaucer and see how it goes. You may find you don't need the jumperoo.

Hi, when my daughter was that age i used the fisher price jumperoo and she just loved it. They are pretty similar so i would just recommend you getting one there is no reason to have both. But if you can get one for free and it's in mint condition I personally would take that. Babies outgrow these things so quickly that it would be foolish to waste money on something new.

I had both the Jumperoo and the exersaucer.
I suggest to go with the exersaucer. The one I had allowed them to swivel and turn in a complete cirle and there were a ton of different toys on there to keep him entertained. The jumperoo was just for jumping and that was it.
During our dinnertime, we would put the baby in the exersaucer and that would keep him busy and allow us to eat a relaxed dinner.
Good luck!
PS - you could take the exersaucer from your cousin since it is free and then see if anyone on Freecycle.com is giving away a jumperoo. I see these things given away all the time on there.
M.

We had both but our daughter never liked the Jumperoo. If you decide to purchase one or both make sure that your son is not in either aparatus for more then 30 minutes/day. According to my daughter's PT, many children develop pelvic issues which can lead to difficulty meeting gross motor milestones.

i have twins and had both jumperoo and exersaucer. i found that they really enjoyed the jumperoo a lot and when i had the one twin in the exersaucer he would want to jump while watching his sister jumping away in the jumperoo. i'd be happy to sell my jumperoo to you if you're interested or want to try it out for your son. i live in arlington heights.

M.,
Make it easy on yourself just sign up on www.Freecycle.org
and post what you are looking for. There are people everyday giving away baby stuff.

Good luck
Roseann

I know it's late, but I had neither. You "need" a lot less than you think you do!

Hey M.,

In my case we are currently using both an exersaucer and jumper for our 6 month old son. I have the exersaucer upstairs and the fisher-price jumperoo downstairs. He loves being in the standing position as much as possible and it is a lifesaver when I need to jump in the shower (the exersaucer is in our master bathroom, so I can see him through our glass shower doors) or when I'm getting dinner ready he jumps his life away, happy as a clam, while I'm in the kitchen! He loves both. I started using the jumper around 3 1/2-4 months. The exersaucer requires a little bit more stability and strength on the baby's part, so he has just started to really enjoy that at the age he is at, whereas the jumper kind of encloses the baby and keeps them suspeneded, but allows their feet to touch the floor in order to spring up and down (WOW...I hope I'm not making this more complicated than it should be...ha ha ha!)

Do whatever you feel most comfortable with according to your budget and what you think he'll get the most use out of....my vote if you're only going to do one is the fisher-price jumper (and it has 3 different levels of height you can adjust it to, so it grows with your baby!)

Hope this has helped!

R.

take the free stuff-you wont be using it for that long, and if money is tight. you dont need both

If you do, our peditrician said not to keep them in there for more than 30-min. A Pediatric PT from Children's Memorial are seeing issues with pelvic displacement, delayed walking and low back issues from walkers, jumparoo's etc. Just good info to pass along.

As a pediatric physical therapist(and a parent)take the bouncy. As a whole there are so many things out there today...swings, bouncy seats,exosaucers etc etc..that kids are spending way to much time in them when they should be on the floor learning to move and develop their muscles on their own(I'm not saying that this is the case with you so please don't take offense to that statement:)). Jumpers are the worst thing that were ever designed. While "most" kids who are in them turn out fine there are alot of kids who end up with gross motor delays because they are doing so much bouncing in them that they are not using their muscles correctly. In general looking at it from a motor standpoint they are just not good for kids. If you are going to use something that your child is standing in an exosaucer is a better option. Just remember to limit the time that your son is spending in any of these objects. 4 months is a major time for motor development so he should spend a majority of the time on a blanket or play area with toys. I hope I don't sound preachy!

Hey M., take the saucer and I have a Jumperoo you can have for very little if you can pick it up. My kids both loved it and its great to get them ready for a nap since its so high energy. They love the saucer too...maybe you can have one is each of 2 separate areas of the house so you will always have a place to put your boy down if you need too. Send me a message if you're interested in it. Bought in 2005, only used by my two boys, in very good shape. I also have lots of barely used boy clothes of you're interested in that too...We're done, had 2 summer boys.

This is something your son will probably only use for a few months, so if it becomes too much a point of debate with your husband settle for the free item. My son never had a jumper and he was perfectly happy.

I also have a 4 month old daughter. She is playing in her Baby Einstein exercise saucer right now. She LOVES it. My neighbor gave it to me. It helps strengthen her legs, back, and neck. It also allows me to get some things done while she's playing in it.

My family practitioner told me not to use the jumpy things or the exercise saucers with wheels.

You can often times find great deals on gently used equipment on Craigslist.com.

We had both and it was really nice, because it gave me time to make dinner, go to the bathroom, you know what I mean. My son loved both of them. If you don't have both, no big deal, your not depriving your baby of anything, but if you want it, do what makes the most sense for you and what you think would make you and your baby happy. :)

M., I had both the jumper and exersaucer. My 6 month loves them both (that's why mommy can read Mamasource right now!) but the Jumperoo, man! That girl will jump and JUMP! Her legs are so strong. I would take both but if you HAVE to choose I'm all about the Jumparoo.

We have both and my 7 month old loves both of them. By having both of them it keeps him from getting bored. It is fun to watch him bounce too.

I was in the same situation as you, going from two incomes to one, when I became a SAHM. My daughter loved loved loved to bounce, so I was looking for jumpers, even though a friend of ours had already given us an exersaucer for her to play in, and she enjoyed it well enough. Our doorways aren't very accommodating, so I wound up looking at the free-standing kind. I was lucky, though. We still had a gift card that we could use to buy it with. She loved the jumperoo (I think it's the same one you're looking at). If she didn't want to bounce, she could spin around and play with all of the nifty stuff in it, just like she would in the exersaucer, and we never really played with the exersaucer, sadly enough.

It's up to you what you prefer but the round bouncy chair is easier as baby grows to follow you around the house.

Trust me you will want them both!!! You child is not moving, once he moves and you need to contain him (showers, cooking...) you will be very thankful you have both. My 3yo still goes in the Jumperoo and calls it her "baby jumping", much to her 1yo brother's delight!

It's not necessary to have both, but we do. I have an older son so when I am busy taking care of the older one, I can put the little one in one or the other (when he is old enough); keeps it fresh. You could have them in different rooms so you don't have to move it around. I can't wait until mine is old enough (currently 3 months) because my older son is a challenge sometimes, and the baby is really sick of the swing and the mobile already.

As kids we all survived without jumpers and exercise saucer so there not necessary but definitely a luxtury that i'm glad i have. My daughter used the saucer much more but i like the over the door jumper because my daughter would bounce along and be content while i was able to accomplish cooking and a shower. Its easy to transport.

I would recommend getting both items; the extra money spent will be well worth it. We had an exersaucer and a jumperoo for our twin boys (the exersaucer had been my nephew's and the jumperoo was new), and they spent a lot of time in both toys. The nice thing about having both toys is that it will help keep your son from getting bored, since you can alternate the toys. This is especially true if he's very active - my boys have always been very active and quickly become bored without new challenges. You could always look on amazon.com or ebay for a jumperoo to save money. Good luck!

no it is not necessary to have them both but i will say that my son loved his jumper. i would take the exercise saucer and if he really likes it then great if he seems to not like it or seems to get borde with it then i would get the jumper.

we used an exersaucer with my daughter. I personally thought it was safer than one of the bouncers that hangs from a doorway. It was also nice because it developed her leg muscles and feet coordination to spin around 360.

I was given an exersaucer and ended up purchasing a second one for the second floor of the house. I needed a safe place to put the baby in a large house while i did the laundry or whatever. I just brought him to the next level of the house i was working on and put him in the safe zone. I didnt find out about jumperoo's till my son was just at the tail end of the weight limit. If i had known about the jumperoo's i would have bought one of those in addition to what we had. He was always jumping in the exersaucer and would have had much more fun in the jumperoo. So no it's not necessary but if you can afford to buy it, do.

I actually have both of those exact items. My son loved them both. The exersaucer will probably be used at an earlier age than the jumperoo and he actually outgrew the jumperoo first. He LOVED the jumperoo though. I would recommend having both as I too am a first time stay at home mom and once he gets a little older you are going to want a few options for him to do. I actually had one in our bedroom (for when I needed to get ready) and one in the living room, which are on two different levels of our home. The jumperoo was very entertaining for everyone!

With my first son we only had the exersauer and he loved it and really never seemed like he wanted to jump in anything though. So I didn't get a Jumperoo. Now my second son you could see that he really wanted to jump. But I could not justify buying a jumproo for one kid, so I bought one of those over the door jumpers (It cost a $1 at a garage sale) He loved it. But he did out grow it pretty quickly. The exersaucer we still use.

He will get more exercise on his little legs in what we used to call the Johnny Jump up. If this is the same item, it was something that was clamped onto the top of a door jam and they would jump like crazy...My oldest who is now 18 had one and he LOVED it! The kid would jump until he fell asleep in the seat. I think the stationary saucer would keep him just that - stationary and he wouldn't get as much of a workout. To me those things are just artificial babysitters.

C. T.

I say get both. First, the exersaucer is free so that would be foolish to pass up. Also, the Jumperoo a huge hit with babies. I've never met one that didn't love it. I value your feelings on the matter but honestly, they're really very different from one to the other. The exersaucer is great for when they get a little older you can feed them snacks in it, I even cut my son's hair while he was in it, plus they can lean back and relax. Whereas with the Jumperoo it's almost always in motion. You couldn't give a snack in it because one push and it would be everywhere. And you can imagine how a hair cut would go. They're both just very different.

I don't think there is a 'need' to have both, but it is more fun for the baby. Please also keep in mind that the maximum amount of time you want to keep the baby in one of these 'entertainment centers' is about 30 minutes a day.

If your finances are limited, just take the free one and be done with it.

I had both. My first son really really loved the jumperoo...I haven't gotten it out yet for my 4 mo old but I am thinking I will just replace the swing with the jumper as he can't really sleep in the swing anymore anyway. The excersaucer is a great place to put them when you need to get something done and can't be carrying them around and gives them a wider choice of things to play with etc while the jumper is good when they really want to have a good time and get some energy out. I liked having both.

Both of my children loved both. They loved to jump. They could jump in that thing for hours if i let them. I liked to change it up a bit so i feel both were definitly worth having!

I can't say anything about those specific brands... but just a side note... we just sold our jump-a-roo in a garage sale after one use, whereas we use our exersaucer EVERYDAY. If it is a good exersaucer he will be able to jump around in it too (my son looks like a kangaroo in his) plus all the other toys he can play with when he's sitting still. Maybe you could price around a cheaper or gently used jump-a-roo so you could use both? Good luck. Let us know when you decide.

If you can get both, I would. Having the two to switch from one to the other at different parts of the day or from week to week will help your child from being bored with either one. The Einstein one is stimulating, but sometimes that is too much. Plus, it is not really for jumping, it is more for standing/sitting contained play so mommy knows that baby is safe while she does housework or takes a shower. But also, having them sooner rather than later is good, I have found once a child is able to move around they are not as interested in those toys that keep them in one place. I don't really know what the Jumperoo is, but my kids both really liked the bouncers that hang in the door. This was wonderul for their leg strength as well as again...shower time and doing the dishes for mommy. It is still garage sale season and there is no shame in finding good quality stuff (sometimes people get so much their baby never uses the things) so you have a variety of things for you and baby to do...the days can be long in the winter if you live in the cold and have to be inside.

I also had one of each for our son. Our house is small, so I had them both in the same room. Sometimes he wanted to stand & explore & twist -- I would use the exersaucer. Other times when he had a ton of energy & needed to jump it out, I'd put him in the Jumper. Even though they look the same to us, they are very different activities! I didn't get the jumper until he was 6 months & once I had it, I had wished he had it earlier!

We have three kids (the youngest is now 2) and we never had a jumper for any of them. I consider the saucer worth its weight in gold. There were times where I had to run into another room to grab the phone, and I knew my kids would be safe and content in the saucer for a few minutes.

Are you talking about the Rainforest Jumparoo or the just the kind that are suspended in the doorway? I used a second hand exersaucer with my first 3 kids for those times when I needed a shower or a time for them to be contained so that I could help one of the other kids or run to the basement and get the laundry, etc. They all liked it well enough. But, being that my oldest is going on 7 and it was used when we got it, it is starting to show a fair amount of wear. I was really struggling with the idea however of buying a new saucer for what we are figuring is our last baby. But a couple weeks ago or so I saw the FP rainforest jumparoo on sale. I debated for a long while and then decided to buy it. Ds is almost 4 months now. He is a big baby though. Off the charts tall and was about 13 1/2 lbs at 2 months. He has almost always preferred be held in a sitting position so he has a pretty strong little back and neck. So we got an early start with this toy. It has been fun for us watching him study the toys and figure out how to activate the sounds and music. It is a lot like a saucer in that it has a variety of different activities and spins around. We were just noticing today that he is starting to figure out that he can jump in it. When we put him in it we tell him it is time to go on safari and he will usually play for 15 minutes, give or take. I hope he doesn't get too heavy for this toy too soon. I guess my advice to you would be to go ahead and take the free saucer for now (sahm mom here too so I understand the money thing). If he loves it, you may find you have no desire for the other anymore. If he doesn't care for it, he may not like the jumperoo either but it might be worth trying out at the store (maybe bring a clorox wipe to clean it up a bit first :)) or at someone else's house before you take the plunge and buy it for yourself. I can't really see having both in my house because they are pretty bulky and I don't have a lot of room. It would be kind of like having an extra couple armchairs in the room. I suppose they do fold down but I have yet to bother. Good luck with your decision.

I had one of each for my daughter and it worked out wonderfully! I had one in one room of the house and the other in another room.

I say both are good ideas. I had both items and believe me, they were definitely used. If you are looking at budget-wise options, go ahead and get the exercise saucer from your cousin and keep an eye out on the Fisher-Price Jumperoo for when it might go on sale. Or go shopping to a second-hand store and see what they have to offer. I sold my old stuff to one of these places and I know that they are particular about what they buy. You can be sure that it's going to be in good condition. I also purchased a bassinet from it and it was a great purchase. Good luck!

I have twin 6 month old babies, and just recently added a Jumperoo to our vast collection of activity toys (need to have more with two)!. I'm so glad I did as they LOVE it! It is good for developing their leg muscles and also, I think, more independence. However, they have really been loving their Baby Einstein activity center since about 4 months and are still discovering new things - it's also great since it adjusts for height. Highly recommended as well.

I'd really suggest having both since they're very different toys. Also, I bought my Jumperoo from someone on Craigslist for $8 in mint condition, you should check that out for used options.

My daughter loved the exersaucer. I didn't have a jumperoo, but I had a friend who used the jumper with her second child(a friend gave it to her) and he wanted to bounce all the time whenever held upright. It became a pain and she swore that she would not use it again.
Hope this helps :)

Actually I'd take the exercise saucer - despite the fact that it's free, it might actually be better for your baby's development too. We had the Fischer-Price jumparoo, and no doubt my son LOVED it. What happened though is that because of all of the exercise his legs were getting from jumping (which he caught on to very quickly), his tummy and back weren't strengthening at the same rate. So he was quite late in sitting up and crawling as a result. My pediatrician told us to stop using it except for about 10-15 minutes a day for a safe place when we needed to put away groceries or unload the dishwasher or something.

We did as we were instructed, and within about a month he was sitting up on his own without falling over, and just a few weeks after that he was crawling. He ended up walking just a little late, if not still around when he should have, about 14 months.

My dr said something about how babies should develop their strength from the head down, not feet up - meaning that neck should get strong first, then tummy/back/core, then legs, and that promotes the linear development that enables babies to begin sitting on their own and crawling.

Best of luck to you!

Although I don't have advice on the actual items, I felt the need to let you know: I thought I wanted the best, brand new toys/play activities for my kids as well. I realized much later that the items they use for such a short time like the jumper you're referring to should be used. Maybe you could find the jumper used on craigslist or eBay if not another friend, resale or garage sale.

One other thought is: You might not have an income, but you do have a responsibility to provide the best for your kids. So if you have to buy NEW, then do it!

I know I'm talking out both sides of my mouth. What it means is: Don't feel you can't spend money because you don't have a paycheck. You're their mother and no amount of money could replace the payment of hugs, kisses and happy smiles.
Remember to make smart not impulsive purchases and you'll benefit.
Best of luck to you!

If you are concerned about spending money on a jumper, why don't you take the free item and then if you see that you would in fact use the jumper, go for it.

Every baby is different, but my daughter loved both of these. They do two totally different things. The jumperoo (in my opinion) helped develop my daughters legs in strength!! She was walking at 12months no problem...and I truly believe it's cuz she loved jumping in that jumperoo so much. BUT I babysit for other babies, and some are not interested in it at all. The exersaucer....for sure - TAKE IT! It's free!! Most babies (even the one i watched that didn't like the jumperoo) like the exersaucer. They can spin around, and it really teached eye-hand coordination! Most make noises and play songs. I've taken this to relatives houses too (a little big...but fun to watch the baby play in while visiting).

If you can, and I'm a SAHM too with a single income, get both for very different reasons! My daugher used both of them...until around 14months or so....then she was too interested in walking. Although she still did climb into the exersaucer every once and awhile just for fun! If the one is free...splurge on the other!

I'm having another baby soon....or I'd let you borrow my jumperoo!! Maybe ask some friends first...maybe you can just borrow one first (or go to their house) and make sure your little boy will jump in it! (that's usually around 5-6 months they start taking interest in that).

AGAIN...every baby is different, so don't go by my timeline or compare....that's just one example! ;)

good luck!
LT

I have both an excercise saucer and a jumper, and both of my girls prefered the excercise saucer to the jumper....my two year old still crawls into the excercise saucer sometimes and my one year old still plays happily in the excerice saucer! I have the Evenflo Excersaucer.....would totally recommend it!

You may be a SAHM, but you still have an income....you just do not leave home to work and your work happens to be very adorable! I am a SAHM too!

We do have both of those items and my 5 month old loves to be in each one at different times. Think about it, if you were immobile, wouldn't you want different positions to be in?? The saucer is good for turning and has lots of toy add ons, but the jumper is sort of more for the legs and fun because you get to jump. I say BOTH, and don't feel bad about not contributing monetarily - your work as a mother is much harder and more important! ~ K.

No, it's not necessary, but there's nothing wrong with it, either! There was a Jumperoo at my son's daycare and so I had to get one for home after I saw how much he loved it. He could stay in it for 1/2hr or more. We usually didn't put him in it more than once a day though. We didn't have an exersaucer, but he often used one at a friend's, however after five or 10 minutes he was ready to be out. The Jumperoo does develop leg muscles, and as for what others have said about delaying development, that wasn't the case for my son - he was either right on time or early for milestones. It has activities and sounds/lights that kept him entertained, and it does adjust for height as well. I got mine on eBay for pretty cheap, so I recommend looking there and Craigslist, along with newspaper ads, for a bargain. But I would also take the free exersaucer, too - you never know what your son may like best!

I don't think it's necessary to have both. I have both for my twin 9 month old girls. I was actually given two hand me down exersaucers and they both love them. I also purchased a used jumperoo off of Craig's list for $35 which they like, but not as much as the exercausers. If money is an issue, you might see how it goes with just the exercauser and if you really want the exercauser, check out e-bay or Craig's list for a used version. Like everything infant related, these products are used for such a short time, I would try to invest as little money as possible.

Good luck!

Hi M.,

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't invest any money into those products. They outgrow everything so fast and they barely use it. Even with 3 children I still haven't gotten my money's worth out of our swing, exersaucer, play yard, or bouncers. I'd definately accept your cousin's Baby Einstein exersaucer before investing your $$$$$. Even your cousin's is still new, a great example as to why it'd be a waste to buy additional. Spend the money elsewhere:

Now the learning tables where they stand and cruise around is a great buy and you get your money's worth! Baby Einstein and Leap Frog both have a similar product. Also the Learning Home by Fisher Price is great. My kids still play with that and they're 3 & 6. My six month old is just now trying to pull himself up on the door. Pretty soon he'll be crawling though it and cruising around it. The mailbox on it is great for when they're in the repetative stage; in and out with the letters.

Hope this helps!