To Jump or Not to Jump?

One morning when I was attending a Parent's Group, a young mum asked the early childhood nurse who runs the sessions what she thought about Jolly Jumpers. If you you haven't been exposed to the Jolly Jumper, here is a brief description: a contraption that to me looks like a medieval chastity belt that is attached to some suspension springs. It attaches to the top of a door frame. You strap your bub in and he can bounce up and down like a bobbing head on a car dashboard. Sound exciting? Now that I have intrigued you, I'll get back to the story... the nurse decides to side step the question and knowing that I am a developmental specialist, looks and me and says, "Meg, what do you think?" I'm thinking:" Great..."

I always dread answering this question because there is always someone who is an all out advocate for the Jolly Jumper. It is the one mom who thinks that it is the greatest invention on the planet, the next best thing since sliced bread (or the medieval chastity belt.) Like everyone else there, I'm a new mom trying to make new friends and I don't want to offend anyone so I answer with, "Let's just say my sister-in-law gave me an old one she had and I put it out on the lawn for curbside collection." Hmmm, perhaps I could have worded that better now that I think about it...

Listen, I'm not anti-Jolly Jumper or against the use of saucers and walkers for babies, as long as they are used in short spurts and in moderation; anything longer than ten minutes for a baby, I feel is excessive. I do understand that they can be useful for busy moms when they are trying to get dinner ready or hang out the laundry. I always say safety first and if it means that you can sit your child in one and it will keep him out of harms way, then all means go for it; just please make sure that you can supervise your bub at the same time. I've heard so many stories where children have gone down a flight of stairs when using the walkers, or babies flipping forward while in bouncy seats. To prevent these things, install child gates on doorways and stairs and make sure your child has not out grown the bouncy seat. When I say 'out grown' I don't mean just in size, I also mean developmentally. There are a lot of small babies that are quite strong and with enough momentum, will launch themselves forward in a bouncy seat. Before you can even say, "Houston, we have a problem," they have already crash landed on the floor. For this reason it is extremely important to keep these seats off table and counter tops.

Several of my friends have Jolly Jumpers and they say their little bubs absolutely love them. I have to admit that when my husband and I were at a baby and parent expo, we walked past a demonstration that consisted of five bouncy babies giving the jumper a test run and I was oo-ing and ah-ing over how adorable and hilarious they looked. Most seemed like they were enjoying it, though a couple looked like deer in headlights.
My stance is that nothing is better for gross motor development than good ol' fashion floor time that consists of at least ten minutes of tummy time a day; and guess what: it is totally free. All you need is a floor and a baby and if you are reading this chances are you got at least one of those! The problem arises when these items are used as babysitters, which is not what the designers intended in the first place. If a baby is confined continuously, she is missing out on time where she could be moving about freely and testing out abilities that can only be accomplished when unrestrained. I have assessed a number of infants who have had gross motor delays, many of which when parents were asked, said that the babies were mostly held all day or placed in a high chair or jumper. A better option is to set up a pack-n-play if you are busy and need your baby to be in a safe place. He will at least be able to move around freely in the space, with plenty of space to practice rolling over or sitting up. By placing it in the same room you are in, you can keep a watchful eye on bub and still interact with him while you are working. Adding some interesting toys such as cloth books and shakers can be a real treat for him.

It's pretty obvious that I don't own any of the above, and Lachlan has gotten along just fine. Believe it or not he has not suffered from boredom, despite this fact. I think you will find that most babies are content with being observers. They are happy to just sit or lay watching every move you make; this to them is fascinating and exciting stuff. I can't even describe how entranced  Lachlan gets by just watching me brush my teeth or folding clothes. That's how easy most babies are; just give them the simple life and they are happy!