When Can Baby Start Using Walker (Safety Tips)

When can baby start using walker is a normal question to ask as baby grows. Are you excited that your baby is growing and can’t wait to see your baby take his or her first steps?

Walking is an integral part of a baby’s growth and life, marking the beginning of independence for a baby.

To aid your baby in walking, you may wonder when to start giving a walker to your baby to use.

Answers to your question on when a baby can start using a walker will be provided in this article. Read On…

When Can Baby Start Using Walker?

The answer to your question on when a baby can start using a walker is not general and fixed, but you alone can determine the answer.

Every baby is unique. Deciding if you want your baby to start using a walker will be impacted by factors like your baby’s strength, development, and size.

However, walkers are usually designed for babies between the ages of 4 to 16 months, so if your baby falls in this age bracket,, you can consider getting one.

If your baby falls within the age bracket specified for walkers, then you should be able to know if your baby can hold his or her head quite steadily or if his or her feet can touch the floor when placed in a walker.

If your answer to these is yes then your baby can be given a walker, but if it’s no then do not give a walker to your baby.

When Can Baby Start Using Walker: Pros & Cons

Pros

Introducing your baby to the use of walkers has lots of advantages that can be harnessed and used by you for the benefit of your baby, and they include

1. It Is Engaging and Inspiring

If you glance at baby walkers in toy stores or baby stores, you will notice that most walkers have toys or objects of attraction that will keep your baby enamored.

And not only do they keep babies engaged, they are also designed to stimulate mental growth and also serve as visual stimulants.

While your baby is focused on the object of attraction of the walker and becomes engaged on his walker, then you can go about with your daily duty without being disturbed by your baby.

2. It Encourages Babies to Walk

While your baby is sited on the walker, your baby is encouraged to take his or her first step because the walker has helped your baby understand the standing pose that aids walking.

Having understood the standing pose that aids walking, your baby can make attempts to walk on his or her own, and before you know it, it becomes a routine for your baby, and you know it your baby is already walking.

Many babies have learned how to walk simply because they were introduced to walkers by their parents.

3. It Promotes Mobility

It is one of the characteristics of children to explore their environment, and they are enraptured or captivated by what they see.

So the walker helps them actualize their dream and gives them that feeling of independence as they can drag their walker to any place they want without assistance.

Cons

As you may know, anything with advantages also has disadvantages, and a baby walker is no exception.

Some of the disadvantages of using a baby walker include the following

Babies that are trained using walkers may not reach the walking or crawling milestone at the same pace as babies not using walkers; theirs may be slower
Walkers may impair normal development for your baby, and to avoid this, makes sure your baby follows the roll-sit-up-crawl-walk routine
With the use of a walker, your baby may reach objects kept out of his or her reach, and such objects may be harmful and can cause harm to your baby
Using a walker with wheels may make your baby prone to an accident if it picks up speed
The use of baby walkers has caused an increase in the rate of infantile accidental death because a fall from a baby walker causes head injury, and the trauma experienced can cause death
Walker can also make babies lose their balance when gliding on the floor or taking a fall. The AAP states that a child can move at a speed of three feet per second in a walker. Moving at such speed is incredibly overwhelming for a baby and can result in losing balance.

Read Also: When Do Babies Sit Without Support

Safety Tips While Using Baby Walker

Your baby’s safety should be your number one priority while using a walker because the whole aim of the walker will be defeated if your baby encounters an accident while using the walker.

To avoid your baby having accidents then, you should be safety conscious while practicing the following safety rules below.

Always ensure that the floor on which your baby would use his or her walker is flat and the surface even.
Always ensure that your baby and the walker are kept away from staircases or water bodies of any kind to avoid the chances of an accident occurring.
Always ensure that you or any other adult is around to keep an eye on the baby.
Thinking of buying a walker? Choose one with a lock to prevent it from moving when you want to and a braking mechanism.
Remove sharp and pointed objects such as electrical cords, hot drinks, cleaning chemicals, fires, heaters, pools, or toilets from the area so they do not serve as sources of accidents.
Don’t use a walker before your child can sit or after your child can walk.
Don’t leave your baby in a walker for longer than 15 minutes.

Alternatives to Baby Walkers

Considering the cons associated with using a walker for babies, pediatric experts suggest that the use of walkers should be discontinued, and the (AAP) American Academy of Pediatrics has also called for a ban on baby walkers with wheels.

Alternatives like Pack n plays, playpens, and stationary activity centers are safer alternatives and can boost your baby’s physical development.

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Wind Up

I hope this article has given an in-depth discussion to answer the question of when can baby start using walker.

You’ve also learned the advantages and disadvantages that are associated with the use of baby walkers.

You have also seen the precautions that should be taken if you want to use a baby walker.

If you are not comfortable using walkers, you can go for the alternatives enumerated above.