Baby seat ideas

[Orangio]

Our baby is 10 months. He is too big for his baby bouncer! Trouble is, he sits outside in it quite happily watching us while we build our house. So what can we replace it with?

He doesn't need rain or sun protection.

A playpen is no good as he won't entertain himself for very long. He likes to be watching us for his entertainment.

He likes to bounce but this isn't totally essential.

He shouldn't be able to move it on his own as it's a building site - we need to be sure he stays where we put him!

So some kind of seat that's quite supportive where he can chill out and watch us.

Any ideas?

NUNA leaf grow seat goes from birth to age 5, it is very expensive though! We had a bumbling seat with the little tray table at that age.

He needs to able to move around. Surely he is crawling and getting ready to walk (some kids are walking by now but definitely not all by a long stretch). It’s not good for him to restrained more than is necessary eg car seat and for meals. I think you need to take turns building and looking after him.

He walks but doesn't crawl. He gets plenty of moving time. We're only talking about being in the seat for an hour or so twice a week. He doesn't really go anywhere in the car so I expect he's strapped in a lot less than many babies. In an ideal world he'd never be strapped in, but we need to get the roof on before the winter, so no option really. It's vital there's two of us to lift stuff etc. So I get your point, but I'm confident all his needs are being met.

Thanks for the suggestions @fyn , I'll check them out!

You can’t. At 10 months mine could climb out of bouncer straps and climb out of travel cot. You have to get someone else to help either with child or building. We also had a full building site and it was a nightmare, but you can’t contain them safely

Well he has not yet shown the slightest inclination or ability to escape from anything. Obviously if he starts we will change our system, but it's fine for now. We're literally talking about a couple of months until winter, not tying him up like a chicken until he's four. Every baby is different, and I fully appreciate that many wouldn't enjoy placidly watching their parents build a house, but ours loves it. If he even twitches towards escaping we will know, but until then we need a bigger seat. If anyone has any more recommendations, please do jump in 😊

This sounds like a recipe for disaster TBH!

If he even twitches towards escaping we will know

No you won’t. You’re too busy building a house and cannot adequately supervise him. It only takes a split second for something to go wrong.

So when you're up a ladder, his dad is on the roof and he decides to escape from where he's restrained for the first time, how will you stop that? What’s more, how will you explain to the doctor at A+E how he cut his head open / broke his arm / or something far worse?

Can you not just have him in his pushchair watching? That's what I did with mine while I was gardening. I mean, mine only lasted about 15 mins at that age but yours sounds more amenable..

Something like a bumbo style seat might work? One with a strap and table/activity table

A jumperoo (not easy to move in and out, but not impossible depending on doors).

Not great for long periods, but all 3 of mine used it for short periods and were all walking by 10/11 months. And hips are absolutely fine.

Would be hard pushed to escape... though I stopped using it completely before mine was 1 because she could walk etc and no longer any need. So I haven't fully tested the escape as they get bigger.

Well to be honest I can't see how it's different from cooking at the stove while the baby's in the jumperoo on the other side of the room, or whatever. Unless you're literally sitting next to them the entire time, yes, there's a chance they could bump their head in their first lightning fast escape. But since it's not a great height and we'd be there in less than ten seconds to comfort him, I'm comfortable with the risk. I'm looking for a seat near the ground level so that any injury will be minor. You can never prevent every single bump and knock.

Please stop now with trying to talk me out of finishing building our house before winter gales tear down what we've built so far. You won't change our minds because we have far more information about our own situation, building methods, fitness, etc, than you do, and our risk assessment is therefore far better informed.

Thanks to those posters who made suggestions. We've tried the pushchair but he seems to like that less (perhaps because it isn't bouncing 🤷).
We will check out jumperoo type things and find out what a bumbo is!

No, of course nobody can talk you out of it.

Because even though you are aware of the huge risk you are taking with your child’s safety, you’re going to do it anyway because it’s easier than getting childcare and/or getting someone in to help with the house.

If you’re going to put your child at risk, own it at the very least.

I'd definitely be more comfortable putting a 10 month old in a playpen with a few toys/books to keep himself entertained than strapping them into a bouncer etc. can you not just put a playpen wherever the bouncer would be so he can still see you but that way has the freedom to move around a bit more?

I was going to recommend the pushchair.

My DC had a Fisher Price seat that was meant to turn into a rocking chair for toddlers. Buy they both grew out of it by a year old (both big babies).

FWIW, I also agree with the assessment of others that if you're both otherwise engaged in building work, you need someone else to supervise your child. There is a massive difference between cooking and building a roof.

This is coming from someone who at age 6 had to go to A&E after an incident with a drill when my parents were getting a new bathroom put in.

i think a normal high chair fits the bill? Tray for toys etc.
I hope the roofing goes well.

Agree with pram, they’re strapped in then. Mine wouldn’t have lasted an hour in the pram though if they weren’t moving! They wanted to explore everywhere at that age!

Yes I agree the buggy is safe, but I was hoping for a seat which was as securely strapped as a buggy but with a bit of bounce. But maybe it doesn't exist. Can't find a jumperoo with straps! I think we will have to go with buggy or playpen and maybe get some exciting new toys that we keep just for building. Thanks for the highchair suggestion, but I think it might be too tall and tippy to go on the grass, especially if there's any wind 😳

There is no huge risk to my child FFS. We are building a room onto our house, single storey, and the baby sits in a place on the grass which is visible from everywhere we are working, well out of the way from falling things, and a maximum of eight metres from us at any one time. We don't both go up ladders together, so one of us is literally about six steps away from him all the time. There is absolutely no difference between this setup, and being inside and cooking or similar. My brain is more focussed on him than it is when I'm cooking, that's for sure. Building is boring!