Jolly Jumper

[Dave Hounddriver]

No, this is not about our JollyGoodFellow.

@Eddie1 told me he has never seen a jolly jumper and I have had one for each of my kids when they were infants.  They love 'em  So I grabbed this YouTube video to illustrate what it's all about.  I have one left over from when my last kid was that age.  I've promised it to Eddie but if it's not something he wants and there is someone else near Dumaguete with an infant then drop me a line.

 

[Mike J]

My first thoughts were; what happens if the baby somehow flips over or should get their head/neck caught in the straps.  So I googled a bit.

Turns out that opinions (not surprisingly) are mixed.  Damn, just when you find out something is fun, it turns out that it might also be dangerous.  

https://www.seriouslykids.com.au/baby-exercise-walkersjolly-jumpers/

Jolly jumpers have parents and experts divided. They are not often recommended by child safety experts. If you do use them it is advised not to use for them for long periods at any time.

A jolly jumper was designed to help support a child who is not yet standing in a semi standing position. They are used by hanging them from a door frame or a tripod frame.

Basically they are considered a type of play equipment. However,  they are considered dangerous by most child safety experts because they pose a high risk of safety issues such as of babies falling out, being trapped or pinching themselves, hitting their heads, etc.  as well as they can also be detrimental to a child’s physical development.

Some use them as they believe they help develop muscle tone, give them some exercise and some even believe that they help to improve pre-walking skills. They indeed do not do any of that in fact they are known to hinder development.

If you insist on using a jolly jumper (you will find they are on the top 10 things not to buy your baby list from organisations like Choice) then we have some recommendations that would be beneficial to use.

There is no mandatory standard for baby exercise jumpers at present.

We know you want to choose the best products for your baby and as such we would highly recommend thinking twice before purchasing a jolly jumper

[Mark Berkowitz]

At 2 & 1/2 yo, my son is a bit too old now for one of those, but my relatives in the Phils want my wife and I to also produce a daughter (since they love Fil-Am kids so much).  Afterall, anything is possible and if another little one comes along, (whether it's a boy or girl),  I'd like to buy a Jolly Jumper, since it looks like loads of fun... But after reading Mike J's post, I've changed my mind.

Edited May 28, 2019 by Mark Berkowitz
changed my opinion

[Dave Hounddriver]

2 hours ago, Mike J said:

Jolly jumpers have parents and experts divided.

Yeah, they banned Kinder Surprise eggs in the US for similar reasons, oh wait  . .  the experts changed their minds and are allowing them there now.  An ex is a "has been" and a "spurt" is a big drip.  But thanks for throwing a wet rag on my post.  Much appreciated.

[DavidK]

Soon taking your kids out of their cotton wool at any time will be banned. Surprised they allow them to learn to walk at all considering they're likely to fall over whilst doing so.