Question on baby swing safety with a toddler around...

[Lotster]

Hi there,

I'd like to get a baby swing for my impending new babe and have read some archive opinions but am unsure of which height to go for with a 2.5 year old in the house too.

Any opinions gratefully received as I've had conflicting advice so far. One friend recommended I get a normal baby bouncer chair height one, so I can put baby out of the way of toddler on a table top, but another friend said no, the toddler can push baby off!

But if I go for a "perfect height" type on that's waist height (I think), toddler can get smacked in the face. What say you mums?

TIA

never put them on the table top, and never leave the baby and toddler alone together.

I've always managed fine without a baby swing - I have three children under five.

thanks Belgo I wouldn't trust my boy alone with her that's for sure, he's far too curious!!

I suppose this is more of a "want" than a "need" item really (!), new baby has so much stuff from last time, a lot of it kindly given by friends and family in the first place, that I wanted to get her something new if the price is right.
Plus my baby bouncer chair has packed up and doesn't vibrate or play music any more. My son loved it, it was so useful, so was thinking of the swing as an upgrade...

Firstly - NEVER put them on a table top. No matter how safe you think it is I know of 2 babies that have fallen off the table (stupidly both in the same family - duh!)

Secondly - don't leave them alone together if the 2 year old likes picking the baby up. I went into the kitchen to get a drink for my nephew who was at one end of a massive living room playing with his cars, younger nephew was in the swing at the opposite end. It took the seconds I was out of site for eldest to try and pick the baby up and upturn the whole thing so that the baby was underneath. Luckily the baby was strapped in so wasn't hurt - both were just shocked.

I do see the appeal of a baby swing, but bare in mind your two year old will help occupy your new baby!

i had no problems with my 18m old and newborn with the swing, other than my toddler would turn it off just as ds3 had dropped off to sleep!!!

I used to dread what ds2 would do to the newborn but he was so good with him, you can't watch them every single minute, he quickly learnt! i have more trouble with them now a year and a half on!!

I think nephew was trying to be helpful - he also took to pushing the swing to make it go faster

Thanks Nicola (and Maggie), which one did you have?

I had a graco one, was lucky as my friend lended it to me, ds3 wasn't very keen on it! only used for a couple of weeks!

How old is the toddler? I have a 'big' swing and a 2.9 year old (was 2.5 when baby was born) and he tends to leave the swing alone, maybe turns it back on when the song stops but is quite good. I never leave baby alone with todler anyway, they can be abit keen sometimes! They never swing hard enough to get a knock in the face.

Hi there, he's 2.4 and will be two and a half when she's born. Is yours the "perfect height" one? If not, which one and does it go flat enough for a newborn?

I have a bad back and SPD which if it's anything like last time will hang around, so quite like the idea of not having to stoop to the floor and back each time.

none of them lie flat they are all sititng position the perfect height one seems tacky imo when i looked at it in the shop the seat looked very small aswell i have a fisher price rainforest one which is the low down model and love it i think it is alot safer having a low down one with other children and pets

We got a swing but regretted it as DS kept playing with the speed etc while DD was in it and pushing it when it was on which could have broken it. The swing wouldn't hurt a toddler if they did get hit by it though.

I wish we'd just got a bog standard bouncy chair instead.

Just realised I didn't even answer the question - I don't think it matters what height to get. Don't put it on the table (although we did while we all had dinner so she didn't feel left out )

The Graco Sweetpeace swing is a nice alternative to the usual ones. Its a bit pricey but has some nice features, including a child lock so that the toddler cant fiddle with the controls. Its also got an mp3 player socket so you can have your own music if you get fed up of twinkly nursery rhymes

If you have an autobaby carseat, you can attach it to the frame, i guess if you've been out for a short drive and want to leave a sleeping baby in the carseat for a few mins but still have the swing function.

Bah i sound like i'm at work, lol, here's a link
www.preciouslittleone.com/acatalog/GRGRSWEETPEACE.html

Thanks again for the commments and suggestions, off to check them all out.

IMO these swings don't really go flat enough for a newborn.

I like the beanbag baby chairs cos you can move the beans around to be flat or sitting up when they are a bit older.

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Aha, I've been looking at the FP Rainforest, I wonder if it's the same shape/lie flat as the link a doos but just a diff material? Did you see them both?

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