Alternative to Jumperoos?

[KM38]

I try where I can not to use “containers” for my DS (6.5months). He has a Baby Bjorn bouncer that he goes in while I shower or cook but apart from that I try and give him as much floor time as I can.

DH works away for a few weeks at a time and DS is now army crawling around and no longer content in his Baby Bjorn (pulls up on the toy bar and chews it 🙄 folds himself in half trying to chew the buttons that hold him in etc 😅) so I need somewhere he can go in for maybe 30 mins a day total so that I can get a few bits done 😅

I’m trying to avoid Jumperoos or anything that encourages him to be on his tiptoes. He was born with positional talipes so I’d rather encourage flat feet as much as possible.

Have seen a SkipHop Activity Centre that has a more fixed foot platform rather than encouraging bouncing. Can anyone recommend any others? Or anyone got the SkipHop and love/hate it? 🤔

I always just popped our kids in a travel cot for a bit while I got stuff done. They can cruise along inside, have a few toys for entertainment or curl up for a nap if they want to.

My Dd is the same and is just not happy anywhere but the floor crawling about at the minute so I have a travel cot in my living room that I put some safe toys in so that my DD can still do “floor time” and crawl about but with no chance of injury if I need to nip to the loo or go into the kitchen to make lunch. I do have a jumparoo as well but she hates it!

You're supposed to set the jumparoo up so that their feet are flat on the floor anyway, but I agree something like a playpen or even just a babyproofed room with floor space to play is a fine alternative. It's not like you'll be totally absent for 30 mins is it? You'd pop in and out.

@Chelyanne @BertieBotts @MotherOfDragon20 sorry, just realised I missed a main bit of info 😅🤣 DS has bad reflux so after feedings has to be kept more upright for a while or it all comes back up 😓 I do have that set up already with the playpen etc 😊 and he spends the majority of awake time on the floor playing. He hates having to be held upright or still after his feeds so I was thinking more along the lines of the activity centre so that we can feed, he can pop in there for 10/15 mins in the kitchen/bathroom while I cook or shower etc so he’s still getting to play but being held upright and contained 😅

@BertieBotts

You're supposed to set the jumparoo up so that their feet are flat on the floor anyway, but I agree something like a playpen or even just a babyproofed room with floor space to play is a fine alternative. It's not like you'll be totally absent for 30 mins is it? You'd pop in and out.

No, with the jumperoo they're supposed to be tiptoes to the floor. Then you raise it up as they grow.

30 minutes a dah spaced out to ensure you can safely cook / shower / eat isn't going to do him any damage. Just get a jumaproo. They tend to use them for 3 months max in my experience from 5-8 months. Once crawling mine didn't want to go in them

Like you I didn't want baby contained as such so didn't have a jumperoo or walker etc. I didn't really find it an issue to be honest however that could be because our kitchen/living room was one plan so I could keep an eye on him. Perhaps a play pen?

@1940s definitely not wanting a jumperoo 😊 was just hoping for some inspirations for other options.

@Golfbuggy76 it’s not an issue for most of the day but when I need 10 mins to shower etc it’s chaos if he’s not in something 😅 most of time time I’ll just pop him down on a playmat in whatever room I’m in with some toys and he’s fine but if I need to put him down for whatever reason not long after a feed then his reflux becomes an issue so I’m hoping for an upright option 😓

I had the skip hop activity centre and really liked it, we used it as a table after and you can get a chair to go with it.

I don’t think you can leave then unsupervised in something like a play centre in case it tips.

So, I find the best way to get a shower was to do it before the kids wake up.

It does mean I get up at 5:30 every morning and shower, get dressed and do some jobs before I get them up at 7.

At weekends I lie in until 7 because daddy can watch them while I get ready.

For cooking times, I used to put the youngest in the high chair if I needed. I also invested in a slow cooker which meant I could prep the meal in the morning or during nap times

@Twilightstarbright Oh great to hear 😊 are the toys interesting enough? It looks really simple compared to a lot of the Jumperoos that seem to have so much going on 😊

@DarcyLewis Hes never left unsupervised 😊 the activity centre would be in the bathroom etc for 10 mins while I’m in the shower and I can see him at all times 😊

@Twizbe Sounds ideal!! That’s what I’m aiming towards! At the moment he’s still struggling with his sleep so he manages a 7am wake up maybe 3/4 days out of 7 which is fab. Other mornings he wakes up at 4am and that’s him wide awake unless he’s held to sleep for that last few hours 😓 huge progress compared to some nights we’ve had though so we’re getting there!! Just need something for those mornings that he’s already up with me 😊 DH works away for 3 weeks then is home for 3 weeks so it’s literally just something to use while DH is away if I need my hands free and he can’t be laid down yet 😅

I'll be honest here. My kids often wake up before 7 but they are t allowed out of their rooms / cot until 7. They had a toy in their cot with them and if they wake they play by themselves.

When they were in with us they stayed in the crib while I showered.

@Twizbe I’m hoping once he’s more settled in his cot that he’ll be able to do that too. We’re a few weeks in to him being in his big cot (it’s still in our room) but when he wakes he likes to do all kinds of acrobatics and it usually results in a head bump and very dramatic tears (😅) if he’s left for any length of time so I don’t like to leave him in there awake if I’m not in the room. I’m sure he’ll get there soon enough 😊

I'm sure I remember it was supposed to be flat feet because I had to put a yellow pages under DS1's feet to get them to reach properly! Although mind you the use of the yellow pages tells you exactly how long ago that was :o so perhaps I've forgotten!

@BertieBotts

I'm sure I remember it was supposed to be flat feet because I had to put a yellow pages under DS1's feet to get them to reach properly! Although mind you the use of the yellow pages tells you exactly how long ago that was :o so perhaps I've forgotten!

@BertieBotts Yellow pages was a wee while ago wasn’t it?! 😅🤣 But no, you’re right. The toy manufacturers say “tip toes to the floor” because it’s “safer” but it’s actually really bad for their development! Prolonged use can cause lots of problems with calf muscles. Paediatric physios say the feet should always be flat to the floor 😊

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/baby/bouncers-swings-and-rockers/baby-bouncers/fisher-price-giraffe-sit-me-up-floor-seat-with-tray/p/152074?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=surfaces_across_google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItOmLv4rg8AIVGuvtCh3_EAX-EAQYASABEgJpEfD_BwE I had one of these for occasional use with my daughter, I liked it as it keeps the hips in a natural position, so better than something like a bumbo, and can use the tray to put things on for playing with.

Isn’t it not great for them to be on the floor a lot (flat head?)

What about a door frame bouncer? Doesn't need to be set up to bounce, necessarily - could just set it up to keep LO upright but secure, so not on tiptoes?
I can't remember the best age for those though I'm afraid, but I have just found a photo of my DD in hers at 7 months old so I assume ok!

I used to just put DD in her cot at that age with toys to play with while i showered, or if i was upstairs tidying or putting washing away etc

I used to put DD into her car seat with a few toys and bring her into the bathroom while I had a shower

@Lou1984 haven’t seen that before! I’ll have a proper look, thanks 😊

@Aquamarinediamond Its fab for babies to be on the floor loads! It’s now they build up their muscles and learn how to move 😊 they just shouldn’t be left on their back constantly - lots of tummy time! My baby is 6.5months and doesn’t stay on his back for longer than about 5 seconds now before he rolls over and is army crawling around 😊

@MKCH Not a fan of anything that bounces 😊 just personal preference- I know a lot of people swear by them 😊

@Lazypuppy most of the time he’s in his travel cot or on the floor playing but I need to keep him upright after meals and bottles because he has bad reflux so need somewhere secure that I can have him upright 😊

@Koolandorthegang Haven’t ever tried the car seat in the house 🤔 not sure how DS would feel about that! He doesn’t mind it in the car and moving but he’s wants out as soon as we stop so I imagine there would be tantrums lol

https://www.mamasandpapas.com/products/baby-snug-and-activity-tray-soft-grey-412646801?source=aw&utmsource=awin&utmmmedium=affiliate&utmcampaign=Genie+Shopping&awc=6526616217982200c1ed07bc4e8a3cb7656f0b1ce48a69d&svvcampaignid=259955&svvtax1=affiliate&svtax3=Staircase+51+Ltd+%28Genie+Shopping%29&svvtax4=0&svaffiliateeid=259955

This could be good for you- my DD loved hers at that age

Can you put him in his high chair when you are cooking. I had some suction toys that I would stick on the tray and he could play while I cooked. Often he enjoyed watching what I was doing so I would give him mixing spoons or vegetables to hold/mouth/roll about the tray. As my son got a bit older I would just let him play on kitchen floor. I child locked anything dangerous and put things like tupperware in the lower cupboards. He loved exploring. I kept a box of clean junk/cartons/plastic bottles handy and that would keep him entertained as I made dinner. For showering I would do it while he took his first nap or in the evening after he was asleep.