OMG just seen this advertised! There are so many reasons why this is wrong...

[IsawBUMPERkissingsantaclaus]

This.

So wrong. Just get your child a real bike FFS!

Also, can't you imagine the arguments 'Turn that thing off' 'but MUUUUUUM it's EXERCIIIIISE'

True, if it gets a previously coach potato computer playing child active it may be a good idea. But i am still pretty about it. hate wiis for the same reason. you want to do virtual bowling? why not just go bowling? Or get 10 cans and a tennis ball!

hmm you may have a point

my son went on a giant hamster wheel at a museum. He is desparate for one at home now...and I reckon it's only a matter of time. Could have it linked up to the eleccy. He stops treading, the playstation/nintendo/tv goes off!

that last comment of mine was to Tortoishell

"err is anyone's ds/dd in the park at the moment? What are they all doing whilst we are on mumsnet?"

Hiya Zookeeper

Well to answer your question my dd is playing lacrosse at school

But zookeeper - they have had an active day with no tv/screens/exercise bikes involved, and a little bit of relaxation in front of the tv is fine. My problem with this is that it is purporting to be something that it isn't - i.e. it is marketing itself as a 'healthy' thing, and pandering to the obssessive 'children are becoming obese' panic that pervades our society atm. Whereas, I bet you sitting on this exercise bike is actually bad for the child's development in terms of stimulating their brain and learning to have a normal healthy active lifestyle.

x post zookeeper!

oh dear mine are slumped in front of the tv - with very still legs

now now, no dissing the wii (i love it, in moderation, its physical and mind challenging, great for all ages AND overall cheaper than paying to go bowling/ tennis/ golfing etc)

mine are slumped but they walk 2 miles home each night so....

all things in moderation as my mum would say...

But its solitary

buy two?

But I only have one child

invite a friend with an understanding mother

Well obviously the BEST thing would be for kids to get out and get fresh air. But let's be real - very many parents just DON'T let their kids play out alone. The days of going out to play with your mates and coming back for tea (like I used to as a kid) are gone, for the most part. People are too scared. The media has convinced us that paedophiles are waiting behind every bush. Traffic is a more realistic fear, many children die each year on the roads.

And so here we have a country in which...what is it?? about 60% of kids are overweight? They need exercise. They need it to be fun. This product is more fun that 20 minutes of star jumps.

The reality is that many parents can't/don't/won't take their kids out every day for a couple of hours of fresh air and exercise. So why not use something for those times when the kids can't go outside and burn off some calories?

How many mumsnetters go to the gym, or have home equipment or a video? Surely it's far better that you get out there and play some sport, and walk to the shops every day to buy that day's food, and do washing by hand, and walk to work and.....

If you can't do the ideal thing, something is better than nothing.

exactly cam! One day someone will market a 'child capsule' that will dole out a story on the hour every hour, 3 times a day will issue them with a 'lo-fat insta-nutra-bar' and a drink of water. 'social time' will be provided by means of an interactive chat room facility, rationed to 20mins per 2 hours. The floor will be a treadmill, which will move 3 times a day until their hearts have reached the optimum level. 7pm the lights go out and they sleep.

I know I'm being silly, but it's not that far off.

But looking at screens closes down half your brain. Its ok for me m/netting, my brains past it anyway. But think of the young enquiring mind....

Sure. And if that's all they did, it would be a terrible thing. But movement in front of the telly is better than crisps on the sofa in front of the telly.

It might have a little place, among other things, is all I'm saying.

My child capsule will also do 20mins of phonics every day, by means of the screen, 20 mins of numeracy, and will guarantee zero parenting required.

Almost as bad (imo) as the couple of baby interactive tv computers - one where the voiceover tells you its the best way to engage with your child - read them a book ffs or the one with the teacher telling the parents to make their child spend more time playing computer games - because they have counting and abc's in them!! No wonder the kids of today have trouble with the 3 r's!!

It's just the proliferation of screens I have such a problem with.

I agree with Hekate. There are worse things to be doing, it isn't like they are sat still watching mindless cartoons. It isn't ideal but we don't live in an ideal world.

It might actually be good for my son who is dyspraxic and finds it very hard to ride a bike. This might let him practice the pedalling without having to worry about falling off!

I agree a "real" bike is better overall, but how about for children like me (OK I'm grown up now, but I was a child once) who can't ride a bike because of a terrible sense of balance caused by eye problems? My dad tried and tried and tried to teach me but I never managed to ride and even if we had managed to persevere long enough and I had learnt to ride, I wouldn't be particularly safe to go out riding on the streets as I can hardly see from one eye.