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Nuna Leaf vs. BabyBjorn Bouncer vs. Fisher Price Bouncer

Originally published on the BabyCenter Blog *March 30, 2018*
With about a million choices, it can be hard to pick a baby chair or baby bouncer. I now own the Nuna Leaf, BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss (previously called Babysitter Balance), and the Fisher Price Bouncer.

Here’s what I think about all three.

Nuna Leaf Curv vs. BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss vs. Fisher Price Bouncer

Nuna Leaf Curv: (Nuna, $229.95)

Pros: This baby chair is absolutely beautiful. It doesn’t use batteries but has a nice gentle motion that lasts over two minutes with a gentle push. I have found that with just a little hand movement or leg kick my baby makes the movement continue, which is nice. With all neutral colors, it doesn’t stick out in my home. The chair can be locked so you can use it for feeding or playing without motion. There are no batteries needed, so no frantic hunts for a screwdriver to change batteries. It has a mesh back so you don’t have to worry about your baby overheating in the hot summer weather. The harness doesn’t click when you open or close it, and is really easy to loosen and tighten. This is useful if baby falls asleep and you want to transport her from the Nuna Leaf to her crib without a clicking sound waking her up. It can be used up to 130 pounds so you don’t have to worry about older children testing it out.

Cons: It doesn’t fold down for transportation. The base is attractive but it’s fairly large. If it’s in a small space like my kitchen I tend to trip over the base. It’s also pretty expensive.

BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss (Amazon, $203.95)

Pros: I have had the BabyBjorn Bouncer since my first was born in 2011. I tell everyone that it’s one of the few pieces of baby gear that I will never, ever, give away (along with my Nuna travel crib and Sakura Bloom sling baby carrier).

The BabyBjorn Bouncer also doesn’t require batteries, which is a huge bonus in my eyes. All of my babies have loved hanging out in it to watch me prepare dinner or shower. They’ve even napped in it.

My absolute favorite feature is that it folds flat. That makes it a breeze to stick it on the car to bring with us to a friend’s house or on vacation. I love having a safe place to put baby that is so portable and takes up very little space. Even when it’s all set up it fits comfortably in my small kitchen.

Cons: While it rocks naturally with baby’s motion or a little push of your hand, the motion doesn’t last the way it does with the Nuna Leaf. I can’t say anything else negative about it as it is one of my absolute favorite pieces of baby gear.

Fisher Price Bouncer (Amazon, $64.99)

Pros: I have an older Fisher-Price bouncer model but they all seem quite similar. I love how cozy this seat is. It is definitely plush and soft and exactly what one would imagine a baby would want to snuggle in. It costs a lot less than the other two bouncers. It has music, nature sounds, and can vibrate, which are nice features if you have a baby that has a hard time settling down. My favorite feature is the mobile, which my baby enjoys looking at as she hangs out in this bouncer.

Cons: I really prefer not to have baby products with batteries when I can avoid it. For one, I hate changing the batteries, but I also hate worrying that one of the kids will turn the music on or off when the baby has finally calmed down. I also wish it could fold flat as it is awkward to store between children.

I like all three bouncers for different reasons, but if I had to choose one to keep forever and ever it would be the BabyBjorn Bouncer. It folds flat for storage, is really easy to take apart and clean, babies love it, and there’s no maintenance (like changing batteries) required.

How to teach your children to swim before age 3

Originally published on the BabyCenter Blog *April 20, 2018*
Want to learn how to teach your children to swim before age 3? I’m going to tell you.

My daughter can easily swim the short length of our pool underwater. She can tread water for at least a minute. Although she sort of looks like she’s drowning, she’s perfectly fine and happy. She can swim underwater almost the full length of the pool and has enough strength and coordination to take a few above-water breaths, allowing her to swim the full length of the pool.

She’s 2 years old. Check her out:

I didn’t realize how unusual this was until I saw my friend’s 6-year-old daughter afraid to put her face in the water, or until I watched my neighbor’s dad sit nervously by the pool as he can’t swim.

I have four children, ages 6, 5, 2, and an infant. The older three can all swim, and while I keep my eyes on them at all times, I feel comfortable having them in or near the water. While I’d like to credit my husband’s athletic genes, that’s not the reason they can swim.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I’m going to share them with you. Here’s how to teach your children to swim before age 3:

1. Give them plenty of opportunities to swim.

This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s not so easy if you live in a land-locked area or don’t have access to a pool. Do the best you can to provide opportunities to swim, as the more experience and practice they have, the better they will be.

2. Sign them up for year-round lessons. 

Swimming lessons year-round are a great idea for young children and even children who already know how to swim. They will have the opportunity to practice swimming every week, will learn proper form and technique, and will learn safety skills as well. My girls go to Goldfish Swim School, where they have fun in the pool while learning important skills. In just a few weeks my 2-year-old has gone from forgetting how to hold her breath underwater to diving to the bottom to pick up a toy from the pool floor and swimming to the side.

3. Just dump them in.

I know some people disagree with me and think this is too rough, but it works. From a young age I let my children get splashed in the water. I dunk them in and then lift them out of the water. I hold their hands when they jump in, but don’t help them bring their heads above water unless they can’t figure it out in a second or two. I contribute all of that to my children being very comfortable in the water from a young age and also learning how to swim early on.

4. Use toys to help. 

When my oldest was 2, I would give him a kickboard and swim lengths of the pool alongside him as he kicked his way across. When he was hesitant or afraid to continue, I would throw a floating toy a few feet ahead of him so he would kick hard to retrieve it.

When I wanted my daughter to learn to swim underwater, I started dropping toys to the pool floor for her to retrieve. This is a fun game they still all play years later. Using toys helps add fun to the experience!

5. Don’t use floatation devices. 

We use Puddle Jumpers  up until about age 3 or 4, but I make sure to remove all floatation devices in the pool for at least a few minutes every time we are swimming. This helps the kids understand that they can’t float. It gives them an opportunity to practice swimming. And it reminds you that you always need to stay within arms’ length of your children in the pool. It isn’t easy, especially when you have several children, to do this, but even 5 minutes every pool trip can make a difference!

These are just my opinions on teaching your children to swim before age 3, but I feel confident in them as I’ve now taught three children to swim with these methods.

This summer be safe, have fun, and teach your children to swim!

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