Exersaucer or Walker? (Must fold!)

Normally this would be a no brainer, but we're going to be living out of a hotel/our car/a boat for atleast a month, and I'm trying to decide what to buy for ds4. All of our older kids have had Exersaucer's, generally purchased used and enjoyed for a few months before reselling.

I'm kind of thinking that it makes best sense to get something that can fold small and can be placed in the Suburban (with the rest of our belongings) so we have someplace other than the PeaPod or the stroller to park him in while we feed/dress/attend to the others, etc.

Any suggestions?

i've also seen the [ame="http://www.amazon.com/KidCo-GoPod-Portable-Activity-Seat/dp/B00477M1UE/ref=pd_cp_ba_1_img"]kidco GoPod[/ame], I wonder if it'd be worthwhile.

Speaking from a physical therapist's point of view, neither. Walkers are a danger since they give kids mobility that they are really not ready for. And both put kids' hips in a very unnatural, physically damaging position. Granted it's unusual that it does any serious, long lasting damage, we have had a few kids in treatment for hip issues due to walker - or more often excersaucer use and we are not even primarily a pediatric facility (general population outpatient). These are not people who abuse them, either - some kids hips are just more vulnerable and unless you have x-rays, there's no way to tell until you end up in our office.

Add to that, studies have shown that kids who regularly use these products (again, not abuse, but say, 15-20 minutes at a time) are very often at least a month behind in developing physical skills when compared to peers who never use these devices.

Bottom line, let kids explore the world the way nature intended. It's been working great for millions of years!

What about a Doorway Jumper? That would be pretty compact and a change of pace for him. Or you could just get a walker and disable the wheels.

Or you could strap him to a cradleboard or tie him to a post like they did in the olden days.

I'd go with an exersaucer so there's not the running-into-things factor. What about this: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog...37098&parentCategoryId=85184&categoryId=85223 ETA: oh! YOu already linked that, dur. I saw one in Buy Buy Baby and it looked great!

Oh, I do like the cradleboard idea. I have several books that reference cradleboards and babies sitting in them, peeing all over themselves, in the house all day while mom and dad were working in the fields.

We have the other type of jumper, but it might make sense to sell that sucker off and buy the doorway kind. It might not work for the boat thing, but for the rest, it'd probably be awesome! We often just need a safe place to park him while we're dressing/feeding/etc, you know?

I would have said walker, until you said you were going to be on a boat. Exersaucers don't fold up but do have lots of fun stuff on it. But if you're just using it as a safe place to put the baby then the Kidco GoPod should work. Unless maybe you could get a Johnny jump up for the doorways. Or something on this page.

http://www.walmart.com/browse/Gear/...86323&ref=183876+4292469415&refineresult=true

I like walkers and used them for 5 of my kids and would have used one for Rachel if I was able to find one. Only one of my kids had slow motor skills and it was before she ever went in a walker, the others were on time if not early.

I certainly don't think a month is going to hurt your baby

ketchupqueen said:

I'd go with an exersaucer so there's not the running-into-things factor. What about this: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog...37098&parentCategoryId=85184&categoryId=85223 ETA: oh! YOu already linked that, dur. I saw one in Buy Buy Baby and it looked great!

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oooh, the blue is pretty. I actually went ahead and ordered one of these from Kohls (using the 30% off code that crunchy listed) along w/ a peapod. If it doesn't work out, I can always return it. I need to get a 2nd peapod, too.

He's going to be behind anyway, he was 9 weeks premature, and his sister was 7 weeks. If he was on target, I'd probably panic.

I'd say exersaucer... More to do and you'll know where he is!! I saw some nice and more compact looking ones at Target, but honestly any of the folding used ones should be fine. The one we have is actually both! Its up in the attic or I'd go look at the name. I'm sure a quick google search for 2 or 3 in one would produce something good!

Also, the door jumper and jonny jump ups are freaking fantastic! The door ones are small enough to take up only a little space but could be perfect activity if the exersaucer gets old!

Oh! What about those extersaucer type things that allow the kid to walk around it? Doesn't fold, that I know of, but it may work? Worth looking into...good luck!

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I was going to say a door-jumper, too, but you might not always have an appropriate place to put it.

That fold-up, camp-chair-type stationary thing looks perfect! I'm totally getting one of those if we ever go camping with this next baby.

http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2008/09/popatot.html

Is that the same one linked to above?

An Aurora said:

http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2008/09/popatot.html

Is that the same one linked to above?

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It's similar, Anna, definitely the same idea.

Ahh, I get it. Your son. So, you only have 1 child? that you will be following around... with 2 parents?

The OP has several children... umm, more that 3 even.... 2 under 1 even... So yes, it is a concern to keep both under 1 year olds contained.

An Aurora said:

http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2008/09/popatot.html

Is that the same one linked to above?

Click to expand...

This looks like your best bet... And now I want one!!! This would have been soooo useful while traveling!!

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Starlight said:

There's no room for a pack n play - let alone 2, as I have two babies - that's why I'm bringing the peapods.

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I don't get it. Why would you need 2 PnPs, but only one Exersaucer? As others have stated, PnPs fold up quite small (smaller than my upright vacuum, for example), and they're rectangular, not oddly shaped.

Because there are some very real health risks associated with even short-term Exersaucer use, I'd be looking for another option. It seems contradictory that you're totally freaked out about how dirty the floor of a cruise ship might be (I've heard that cruise ships are pretty anal about cleaning and vacuum a lot more often than I do ) but a-ok with using a device that could cause hip issues &/or put an already developmentally disadvantaged baby at a further disadvantage.

I think she is more concerned with entertaining two infants on a four day boat ride. She already has or has plans for sleeping arrangements and I believe the space concern is not for the vehicle but for the very small room in which they are all sleeping.

murphydog77 said:

I am too :thumbsdown: and I read your post as coming from a professional to a parent, .

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I was going to respond with the same information regarding the possible risks to consider as I've heard about it all my life growing up in my family's patient care facility around children receiving physical therapy ... I also use the iPhone app & was clueless about any family dynamics contributing to the need to ask the question in the first place, but saw OP's immediate response as clue enough not to get involved ... however, it's been bothering me since this, of all places on the 'net, is inherently safety minded: it made perfect sense to me that information regarding potential risks should be received appreciatively even if it doesn't apply to the specifics of OP's family. I mean, i dare say every one of us has responded to others' questions with the basics of carseat safety until fully understanding the individual circumstances which apply. This is why I try to write more information in my requests than might seem necessary. I just don't understand why helpful, safety-minded advice deserved such a strong backlash? All I can say is, it surprised me & unsettled me. I do hope everyone can chill out & figure out how to make eachother feel welcome.

Most mainstream excersauers (Evenflo etc the plastic ones with all the toys) tend to fold down to the floor flat. So basically they retain the same over all shape but the bottom and top come together. I wouldn't call it a flat or compact fold by any means. I like the go pod ones as it gives you the option to change up the toys. My son had a Evenflo one with loads of bells and whistles and hated it anyway. Though it did work well for the few times I needed to be sure he was contained.

I also agree with the OP not wanting to let the kids crawl around on the floor. I was in a fairly expensive well known hotel when I was pregnant with DS and the floor was rotton!

Still I wonder if a P'N'P might not be a good idea. If the kids are crawling/walking around they my not be happy not being able to do so. At least a Pack n play might offer a bit of clean space to crawl around in . Though I say this having no real knowledge on how big the stateroom on the boat will be. It will probably be impossible.

Hope you find something that works. I must go and google a peapod and see what they are.

Did you know exeraucers and walkers are hard to come by in Germany? They take their childrens body devolpment very seriously here, When having a baby here they teach you how to properly hold your baby so your baby doesn't slouch, why you need to let your baby lay flat in a stoller, and not using certain baby carriers or entertainers b/c of the damage that can be done to their hips. So I think it is great that the PP shared this info for those that did not know this.

OP, I saw that thing you ordered recently and thought it was really neat! I think it will work out perfectly in your situation. I don't blame you at all for looking for something to keep the baby entertained and I know a packnplay would have not been okay with my kids. LOL. It isn't like it is something you will be using all the time.

One of my infants will be 19 months at the time of travel, and is already too large to be safely contained, even momentarily, in an exersaucer. I'm shopping for a child who will be 10.5 months old. I will need 2 sleeping spaces because they are both infants that require a 'secure' sleeping space, but they are developmentally at different stages.

We've traveled frequently enough with the children that I know I can not fit 2 full sized pack n plays, 2 'highchairs' (those fisher price table boosters), a double stroller, clothes for 7 for 6-7 days, several coolers (we're not actually going on a cruise, it's a boat, and while we'll have access to a cafeteria, it's $$$, so I have to bring multiple gallons of milk, juice, water, soda, fruit, yogurt, food for the youngest baby, chips, plus stuff to make sandwichs - no easy feat, since a single meal involves a full loaf of bread, etc,) toys, blankets, pillows, 40+ cans of rx only formula, a large first aid kit, 5 carseats, 3 laptop computers,cds/dvds, game systems, etc, plus anything else that we might need while when we arrive to our destination - again, we'll living in various hotels or on this boat for a month. I also have to somehow load it all in there safely, so one of those cans of formula doesn't become a missile in a collision. In addition to safely carting everything around, we will also be in a different hotel every night, and everything will have to be loaded and unloaded every single day into a different room, which may or may not have room for full size gear, may be located a considerable distance from the car, and may not have simple amenities such as carts to load gear on to for easy transport.

I appreciate the information re: PT, and I said that in an earlier post. Unfortunately, that doesn't negate my need for a safe place to 'put' baby while I attend to others. It's been established that it's inappropriate to tie him to a post , that I don't have room for pack n plays, and that I should not buy an exersaucer or a walker for him. Does anybody else have any constructive suggestions for me?