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mudder17
07-17-2005, 06:39 PM
Has anyone tried one of these:
http://www.kidsurplus.com/ktt9080-800.html

Kaya loves pushing things around the house (she walks quite well on her own--almost runs now), but she gets frustrated when they get stuck on the lip of the carpet. So I've been thinking of getting her a toy with wheels that she can push around the house. I was thinking of maybe something like this so that she can also "ride" it later. I was wondering if any of you have seen these in use?

Thanks!

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

ILoveLT
07-17-2005, 09:22 PM
Eileen:

I just got one of these for DD from Kidsurplus. I will let you know how we like it. Also, have you seen http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/inte00503.html

We got our Squeak E. Mouse on Thursday, went to our company picnic (where there were other kids) and lost it! I had to order another one because it was so cute and DD loved it. Very educational too.

Rita

mudder17
07-18-2005, 07:03 PM
Cool! I'll wait a few days to hear from you. Do you know when you'll be getting yours? The Squeak E. Mouse looks pretty cool. Kaya loves putting clothes (and shoes) on herself. Maybe she'll enjoy dressing this mouse. She also likes the sign for mouse, so I'm sure that'll hold some attraction. How old is your DD? Kaya is almost 17 months now, so I think she would be close to the age where Squeak E. Mouse would work?

Thanks!


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

ILoveLT
07-18-2005, 11:47 PM
DD was born on Feb 11, 2004, so she's 16 months. She loved the Squeak E. MOuse-- we are waiting impatiently for the replacement!

mudder17
07-19-2005, 10:30 AM
Wow, our DD's are separated by less than 2 weeks! I think Steph2003's Griffin was also born on Feb 11, 2004 (that's my recollection anyway). Okay, I've added the Squeak E. Mouse to our shopping cart and will order as soon as you get your Kettler. :) Thanks.

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

luckymom
07-19-2005, 03:07 PM
We've used these at our local play cafe, my son really enjoyed pushing it as he was learning to walk. I got a very similar version at Target for half the price. It doesn't have quite the bells and whistles, but he loves it just as much and he pushes it just fine, our target one can get caught when he gets to our area rug, its thick and on top of a pad so there is quite a lip, it also doesn't work on grass, I don't know if the Kettler one would be better, we've only used it indoors on hard flooring. The older kids were happily zooming around the play space on these, they seemed to really like the steering wheel.

Hope it helps

ILoveLT
07-20-2005, 11:26 PM
Ok, we got our toys today. We got the Kettler Baby's First Car, The Squeak E. Mouse, the Hello Kitty Etch A Sketch Purse, and the Fisher Price Counting Popcorn.

The Kettler is nice, with lots of activities for baby. There are lots of toys like a telephone, a spin thing, a horn, and other things baby can play with in the front. The baby can sit on the car and scoot around with her feet. The steering wheel actually steers the front wheels, so a more advanced baby can steer the wheel. Baby can also push the car around like a carriage. The seat cover comes up so you can put a doll or teddy bear inside the seat and baby can push it like a doll carriage. DD was very frustrated when she couldn't push on grass and carpet. The Kettler only works well on smooth surfaces like concrete or wood, not carpet or grass. I guess it's good for babies to learn how to maneuver things. A little frustration is good for them-- helps develop problem solving skills. That's my theory, at least. When she started crying and shaking because she got frustrated cause she couldn't push the cart on carpet, I told her, in a stern voice, to find a solution to her problems by thinking, not crying. This was to a 16 month old child. DD seemed to enjoy my lecture and started talking back, saying "Dada, bye bye, mine, etc." (basically all the words she knew).

We love the Squeake E. Mouse. We had one but lost it so it's a replacement. Lots of stuff for baby to learn, like zipping, tying laces, buckling, etc.

The Hello Kitty Etch A Sketch says that it is for kids 4 years or older, but I had to have one because it's so cute. I don't know why they label it as a choking hazard for kids. I don't see any loose small parts, besides the knobs and I don't think they come off (but they might, so don't give it to a younger than 4 year old child).

http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/sba300.html

Love the Fisher Price corn popper that yells out numbers. It was only $11.99. http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/fis77887.html You should get one if you don't have one already. I think it might be better than the Kettler car because the thing makes lots of cute sounds and DD likes to dance to the music that plays when she pushes it around.

We got our stuff in 3 days and got free shipping at kidsurplus by using the coupon kiddeal.

Have fun!

That's good to know we have kids the same age.

Edited to add: I just tested the Kettler car from wood floor to carpet and it rolled over easily for me, but when DD was pushing it around, she got very frustrated. So, with some practice, a kid will be able to push this car from floor to carpet with ease, I'm sure.

Rita

mudder17
07-21-2005, 04:24 PM
Thanks! We decided to pass on the popper because DH only wanted one of them, and he thinks the car is more versatile. As for it not being pushable on carpet, I think once Kaya learns not to lean DOWN on the car, it should roll just fine on the carpet and over the lip. Plus, we're not that fond of sounds in Kaya's toys (except the Leap Frog Learning table). ;)

I'm waiting for Kaya to get better with the magnadoodle before we graduate to an etch a sketch. Although admittedly, she'd love to carry around the etch-a-sketch "purse". However, I did decide to add the Mouse to the order because she loves shoes (I figure she'll get a kick out of Mouse's shoes) and clothes in general. And she loves the sign for "mouse". Thanks to your coupon, I'm getting free shipping, plus I added a couple of playtex straw cups to the order. So thanks a lot!


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

Dee150
07-21-2005, 10:48 PM
Eileen - this is totally off topic, but you mentioned your DD signs mouse. My DS is almost 13 mos. now and I was wondering if you could point me to some resources to learn/teach him to sign....?
TIA!

Dee150
07-21-2005, 11:30 PM
Ladies, I need help deciding between the Kettler Car being discussed and this one, also from kidssurplus http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/eshtf10205.html
DS is 13 mos (almost) and is not yet walking - he cruises around really fast and seems a little frustrated when he has to sit down, scoot around a corner and again cruise (is this making sense?). I didn't want a trditional walker, but was hoping something like these push toys may be fun. The description on the link above says it has adjustable speeds for younger kids just learning to walk. Just for that feature alone, would this one be better for my DS? I was really hoping to buy the Kettler car, but is this a better option? Also, how tall can a child be to comfortably use the ride-on feature on the Kettler? DS is very tall for his age....
Thanks in advance!

mudder17
07-22-2005, 07:32 AM
Okay, I've been signing with Kaya since she was 7 months, but not consistently until she was around 10-11 months. She said, "Ka" at 11 months for Cat, but she didn't sign until she was 13 months. "More" was her first sign, and she handclapped that one.

The method we used to teadh her sign was a method taught to me by some Towson researchers (we're part of a study). Basically, you show them the sign and repeat the word 5 x's, then you shape their hands into the sign and do it for them. Then you reward them with praise or whatever. It works pretty well. We also had her watch the Signing Time DVDs, but she didn't sit to watch that for more than 10 minutes until fairly recently. Some of her new signs have come from that, I think, but most of the signs she picked up because we repeatedly did it with her.

A couple of websites that have been very useful for us to find signs are:

[link:view.atdmt.com/VON/iview/brstmvon0410000051von/direct/070138?click=http://www.burstnet.com/ads/sk6994a-map.cgi/BCPG38909.62332.70846/sz=120X600A|160X600A/v=2.0S//BURSTURL=|ASL Guide]

and

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

What we really learned is that consistency is key. We weren't very consistent for the first 3-4 months we did it, but once we were very consistent, she picked up some of the basic ones. I think they recommend "eat", "milk/nurse" and "water" first. However, Kaya actually picked up "more" first, but used it to mean "food/eat". We probably should have done the "eat" sign first.

In any case, if you're persistent, you'll be surprised the first time they make the sign. :) The first time she realized we knew what she meant, she started clapping her hands in glee. That was very cute. Oh, and it doesn't matter if their sign is an approximation of the real sign. Just keep showing them the correct sign, and eventually they'll do it more correctly. For example, she hand clapped for more and she signs "bird" not by her mouth. She also points a finger at her cheek for "cat" and sticks her forefinger in her mouth for "water". So she knows a fair bit of signs, but they're not all perfectly executed. The important thing is that WE know what she means. :)

GL and most importantly, have fun!

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

Dee150
07-22-2005, 09:05 AM
Thanks Eileen! Now I need for DS to nap so I can check out the sites you mentioned.

mudder17
07-22-2005, 09:56 AM
Oh, I forgot to add, you can go to www.signingtimes.com as well. There are activities and links to more information there.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 17 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

Dee150
07-22-2005, 10:25 AM
Rita,
What would you say would be the max. height a kid could be to use the Car as a ride-on?
TIA!

ILoveLT
07-22-2005, 02:28 PM
My DD is 32.5 inches and she looks pretty big on this little car! But she likes it and it says it supports up to about 40 pounds or something like that. She also likes play with the toys on the car and pushing it around. I would have bought something that makes noise, because noise doesn't bother me, but since it's already in the house and it's big, I'm not going to return it for $29.99.

Dee150
07-22-2005, 07:08 PM
Thanks. DS is already 34 in. so I guess its out of question for use as a ride-on....? He would have to be able to walk to use the Car, or can he use it right now?

This is all so difficult - he was out of cute baby clothes really soon, and now, no car....?!! I have a near toothless, cruising, 34 inches tall 13 mo. old :-)

ILoveLT
07-24-2005, 01:04 AM
I saw a walker in BRU that I was going to get when DD was cruising but I never got around to it and then she started to walk on her own so we did not need it anymore. Here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005610Y/qid=1122184619/br=1-5/ref=br_lf_ba_5//002-2973373-3870425?v=glance&s=baby&n=542472

Also, there is this 4 in one walker/car combo from One Step Ahead:

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/27186/278756/117.html#readmore

If I had a cruiser, I would buy the one from onestepahead, called Maestro Deluxe. You can push baby around like in a stroller and it's a car if you remove certain things. The Kettler might be ok for a cruiser, but the Maestro Deluxe has more functions. However, they don't show that baby can walk in it with the enclosures, so you might want to call Onestepahead and ask them more questions. Maybe someone has this on this board.

In my experience, a walker is not really necessary. DD tried very hard to walk on her own and mastered it between 11 and 12 months.

Wow, 34 inches is very tall for a cruiser! And I thought DD was tall (97th percentile, I think).

The onestepahead Maestro Deluxe is more expensive at $89.95 but there is a code floating around for 15% off, BDAYJULY.

Good luck,

Rita

mudder17
07-26-2005, 03:30 PM
Okay, the first thing Kaya did when I put it together was to sit on it and surprisingly, her feet could actually touch the floor, so she was sort of inching forward. Then she discovered she could go backwards on it and that was fun. She can also push it around very easily, and can lift it to adjust for lips or turns. It's not too heavy for her, so she can actually lift the whole thing off the floor if she wants (but she's been lifting objects both bigger and heavier than she is ever since she could walk). She also likes pushing it while walking or while walking on her knees. She gets on the seat by stepping up on it, getting both feet and butt on the seat, and then lowering her feet. My only isshue is that the telephone tends to come off, but other than that, she seems to really love it. She's been playing with it A LOT since I took it out of the box. She currently riding it right now and I noticed that she was able to ride it up over the carpet, so that's great. This was definitely worth $30! Oh, and as a side benefit, she FINALLY understands and does the sign for car. :D

The mouse is a bit advanced/big for her still, but I think she'll get the hang of it eventually. The car was much more interesting for her.

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 17 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

Dee150
07-27-2005, 10:17 AM
Eileen- How tall is Kaya?
TIA!

mudder17
07-28-2005, 10:51 AM
31 inches, but long in the torso, short in the legs, like me. But her legs are just long enough to walk her when she's on the car (although she also likes going backwards, lol).

Incidentally, I put the Mouse on her dresser and every morning, when DH gets her to bring to me, she'll ask for the Mouse. She loves its shoes, as I thought she might. ;) Unfortunately, she also tries to put Mouse's shoes on herself! Yes, she is a shoes-horse--it was her first very understandable word.

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 17 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png