Essential/Useful things for a 6-12 month old

moneypenny21

Following on from an interesting thread on here I read today about what is essential/useful for a baby 0-6 months (suggestions like Sock-On's etc. that I'd never heard of!)...I was wondering what is useful/essential with a baby 6-12 months. Someone mentioned a travel cot/playpen which I hadn't considered for when our baby gets a bit older.

So just wondering what things have been invaluable to you as parents for your 6-12 (or slightly older) children? Could be toys, gadgets or just good ideas.....

notanewuser

Jumperoo, littlelife backpack, iPad, musical instruments, baby led weaning

Gillyx

For us Stair Gate (although we didn't get it until around 12m would have been sensible to have it sooner) Loved our Little Life Backpack too again didn't get it until 12m.

notanewuser

Gillyx wrote: »

For us Stair Gate (although we didn't get it until around 12m would have been sensible to have it sooner) Loved our Little Life Backpack too again didn't get it until 12m.

DD was climbing stairs at 8 months and walking at 9 months. :eek:

Couldn't put gates on our stairs so just taught her to go up and come down safely.

Triangle

Jumperoo, bath toys, a ball pit :-)

Obviously not essentials but great fun for the boy - and for me!

neverdespairgirl

Playpen for sure. I don't like shutting babies in them for long, but there are times when it is essential to keep them safe.

OH pinned an Amnesty International "freedom" sticker on ours when DS was a baby....

My mother used to use the playpen herself - she'd shut herself in it with the ironing.

notanewuser

We used a travel cot as a playpen (until she worked out how to climb out of it!)

Kayalana99

We have a travel cot (or kind of a playpen really) and we really loved it ...its so nice being able to leave him somewhere and not worry !

But...we got our hands on a baby walker and we dont even use the travel cot anymore (other then the fact its full of baby stuff now lol)

Its safe to leave him in it and he isnt confined to a small space he got the hang of it pretty fast and now js pushs himself round the room at his own leasuire instead of being cooped up!

Don't think thiers anything else I would really say I *need* for him, obvouisly they have thier toys etc but thats the main thing we use.

notanewuser wrote: »

DD was climbing stairs at 8 months and walking at 9 months. :eek:

Couldn't put gates on our stairs so just taught her to go up and come down safely.

Mines just turned 8 months and still can't crawl, he was starting to learn around 6months but then mastered rolling....he doesnt even try to crawl as he can roll around and get anywhere he wants. :rotfl:

Gillyx

notanewuser wrote: »

DD was climbing stairs at 8 months and walking at 9 months. :eek:

Couldn't put gates on our stairs so just taught her to go up and come down safely.

Sadly my LO doesn't seem to like being taught things like that he can get on and off bed/sofa fine. We don't even have stairs (apartment) but he can open the living room door and the bathroom door, he opens the toilet and plays with the toilet water :eek: he's fast as lightening too so I can't always catch him, but the gate stops him in his tracks if I'm busy cooking and don't notice where he's gone, I do leave it open a lot of the time too though.

He didn't walk until 11m here but I'd say it was 4-6 weeks before he was confident enough to walk outside.

Gillyx

Kayalana99 wrote: »

We have a travel cot (or kind of a playpen really) and we really loved it ...its so nice being able to leave him somewhere and not worry !

But...we got our hands on a baby walker and we dont even use the travel cot anymore (other then the fact its full of baby stuff now lol)

Its safe to leave him in it and he isnt confined to a small space he got the hang of it pretty fast and now js pushs himself round the room at his own leasuire instead of being cooped up!

Don't think thiers anything else I would really say I *need* for him, obvouisly they have thier toys etc but thats the main thing we use.

They recommend 10 minutes at a time only in baby walkers is the only thing, so could be expensive for little use, unless you get a pre loved bargain

Kayalana99

Gillyx wrote: »

They recommend 10 minutes at a time only in baby walkers is the only thing, so could be expensive for little use, unless you get a pre loved bargain

Why only 10min? Noones ever said that to me before hes been in it for the last hour or so.... -.-

--

I did abit of googling on it....thanks guys!!

I understand why they shouldn't be in them to much but I think people are abit OTT with saying that thier 'really dangerous' (not you guys the things im coming across)

Roll down the stairs — Why would you put a baby in a walker upstairs when they have access to the stairs?!
Get burned — Child is in the living room and can't get into the kitchen to 'reach the oven' not like his arms are long enough either way....
Drown — N/A as we dont have a pool
Be poisoned — Cant get in kitchen anyway....

Ridulous.