How Do You Use Your Bumbo Seat?

If I still had babies, I’d get one to use on the floor. I’ve seen them used and babies appear to enjoy being upright and getting a different view of their wold.

Would I put this, or any baby seat, on a counter or table, no. That is not using the product as intended.

Ridiculous! The instructions clearly state that babies shouldn’t be put somewhere where they might fall. The Bumbo was a wonderful tool when my son was little, I’d be dismayed if this meant it wasn’t available anymore to smart, responsible parents.

If I drive my car into a wall, is it the car’s fault?

I have a Bumbo and my son enjoyed it. I only ever used it on the floor and only when I was seated right next to him. A person can’t expect a piece of foam to take the place of proper adult supervision.

Surely common sense has to play a factor somehow. Do we really need more warning labels to state the obvious?

It seems like common sense to me – if you put a baby in a seat on a counter or table, there’s a chance the baby could fall. This is true of any kind of seat – bumbo, bouncer, “table-top” swing. The safest place for these items is always the floor.

Stupid people who are incapable of using common sense shouldn’t be allowed to breed. Never leave an infant on anything that they could fall from and be injured.

We love our Bumbo, and it is a shame that any fingers would be pointed at this wonderful product. I remember when we first got it, I laughed when I read in the instructions that the “Bumbo is happiest on the floor.” I mean, isn’t that obvious? Well, I guess not after hearing this story. And I can only imagine that the parent did not bother to read any of the warnings, because they were pretty clear.

Oh FFS, this is right up there with the parents who sued a peanut butter company when their infant choked on a peanut butter sandwich that had adhered to the roof the child’s mouth. They wanted warning labels on the peanut butter jars.

Warning labels, instructions, and photos on a website shouldn’t overcome common sense. Maybe babies need to come with a warning label: Do not leave unattended.

It’s just ridiculous that the parents would blame the seat for their own ignorance! It clearly says on the box and the Bumbo website that it shouldn’t be used on a raised surface.

I swear, people should be required to have a license to have kids!

I really can’t imagine anyone placing their precious child on a countertop. What were they thinking?

Is our world so irresponsible that we have to caution people about every little thing? Parenting is about taking care and looking toward possible harm.

This actually happened to me last week, and my baby was in the seat on the floor, not on a countertop. She wiggled out of the chair and landed face first on the floor. I was standing right in front of her! Luckily she wasn’t hurt, just a little scared. I actually followed the manufacturers directions, and it still happened! My point is that even if you use the product as directed, accidents can & will happen.

Yes, accidents happen, but as parents we can certainly minimize them so that the more likely result is a bruised baby ego and not a skull fracture.

My daughter LOVED her Bumbo seat. I wish they were around for my now 7 and 6 year olds. Like with ALL baby products, they are to be used with COMMON SENSE. I used mine on the kitchen table when my daughter was 4-6 months old as her feeding spot. But, was sitting directly in front of her feeding her! By the time she started to wiggle, i then used it on the floor only. Manufacturer directions or not, it’s common sense to WATCH your child and make sure they are alway safe! Duh!!

Some people will report anything to get attention, but in reality it actually made them look really stupid. My son is 6 months ond and I love his Bumbo seat and will contine to use it will all of my children because I am smart enough to not put him somewhere where he will fall out of it and badly hurt himself. Kids are going to get hurt but it shouldn’t be because of neglect from their parents, which is what I feel this is.

I really do not understand why parents continue to put their little helpless babies in danger! I use the bumbo seat everday. I have 5 month old twins and they love it. The Box and the instructions that come with the Bumbo clearly states “use on floor only”. Why can’t we follow simple directions?
The Bumbo seat is perfectly safe, and when used correctly, can be a lot of fun for the whole family. The way I see it, if you can put the Bumbo seat on the counter, why not just put the seat on the floor beside the counter? CCS should be called on stupid parents!!!

As an Ivy League educated mother who is still human, I admit that my precious baby fell from the table in a bumbo seat. She sits with me while I eat and I got up to get a napkin and she wriggled and fell. I was mortified, but I am not stupid, nor do I lack common sense. I hope that the posters here are all blessed with perfect, mistake-free parenting and that their children don’t turn out judgemental and insensitive. Just know that the day will come that you will make a mistake, regret it, vow to never do it again, be angry at yourself and because of posts such as these, afraid to talk to anyone about it.

I am a grown educated man who never considered himself stupid. These hurtful comments by you pompous people are astounding. I almost lost my five month old son from a Bumbo fall. That is enough pain to endure without your self righteous comments. Do you work for the company? Check out the pictures on the Bumbo site, are they on the floor? Every other baby seat has huge warnings labels that are very visible for us stupid parents. The seat is unsafe and anyone who says they are used only on the floor is delusional. I could care less about a lawsuit. I do not want other parents regardless of their stupidity to go through what my family has.

My precious 8 month old daughter recently took a fall off the kitchen counter while in her bumbo and we spent hours in the emergency room. She busted up her mouth really bad, but luckily will have no permenent damage. They had to do a ct scan and blood was gushing everywhere. It was horrible. But I don’t need you uncaring, insensitive people to tell me IT WAS MY FAULT! I already know that! I am trying to come to terms with what I did and try to find a way to live with myself. I love my daughter very much and I think of myself as a loving, caring parent. But I made a mistake. I am human. I was right there with her and turned around for 3 or 4 seconds to switch on an appliance so I could start dinner, and that’s when it happened. I wanted to burn the bumbo, but will keep it to give to somebody else with a warning. It was not the bumbo’s fault. It was mine. I am so wracked with guilt right now, I’m practically suicidal. Please don’t make us feel worse than we already do. I am not uneducated and I was not drinking. I was just trying to be a good mom to my other kids and get dinner on the table. I thank God she’s alright every day and I will be so carefull with everything from now on. I hope and pray nobody else ever has this happen to their baby. We just get so used to these modern conveinences that we let our gaurd down for a minute and that’s when it happens. I have to find a way to forgive myself so I can be a happy mommy again.

I think that the parents who have admitted to using the bumbo on table tops and counter tops and have had injuries occur to babies from misuse are very brave to have posted your comments. Although i have been very careful with the use of my bumbo i admit i had my daughter on the countertop to feed her. I kept 1 hand on her seat, but i know that with 3 other children its easy to get distracted even for just a moment. Thank you for being brave enough to tell your story. Because of what you went through she will never be up there again. But on the other hand the anger from the other posters is based on the frivolous law suits by parents who through their own neglet allow their children to be injured while enjoying a good product; then want to hold others accountable. Its just about accountability and you parents have accepted your part. Its the parents who want the world to be responsible for their childs safety anot themselves, who anger normal responsible parents.

Why can’t they put a strap on it? What is so hard about that? I had a son come out of one and to me, I think that a child could also injure themselves if the seat was on the floor. It is my belief that there is no reason that Bumbo should’t put a safety strap to prevent the child from coming out…. I absolutely feel that Bumbo has some responsibility here.

Bumbos are NEVER supposed to be used on a raised surface. Anyone who uses it on one is to blame if the child falls and gets hurt. Bumbo is NOT to blame for poor parenting. As to the comment about putting a seat belt on it. It’s not practical and would NOT work and give people even more of a false sense of security.

comment #7 hit the nail on the head: stupid people shouldn’t breed. I read the label and followed the instructions. Never doesn’t mean sometimes.

I am also glad to see that some parents admit that their children have fallen out of the Bumbo and gotten hurt and they don’t blame the company. My son is very thin and I could easily picture him coming out of the Bumbo seat, which he is doing now that he is older. Supervision is key. Although many of us would not think of putting this seat on a table or counter, we are all human and I am sure we have all done things that could have resulted in injury to our kids if the circumstances have been just right. I don’t think blaming the product is the answer though.

I use the Bumbo with my special needs kiddos. I also use the tray with it. My little guy is able to push the tray off with his toes so I put industrial strength velcro on the tray and seat and that took care of that problem.

All that said, I only use it on the floor while I am on the floor with the child doing therapy. It really helps strengthen my kiddos backs and helps with their motor skills.

Humans will make mistakes… anyone who says they follow the direction to a T with every item they have ever purchased is lying! Yes, you should not let your baby sit on a counter top unattended while you take a shower, but I know many mothers who use the chair on the kitchen table to feed their babies, on the counter while the cook.. heck I even know some who use it in the showers so their baby can shower with them. Do I think they are bad parents? NO.. can an accident happen.. YES, and unfortunately they have. Who has ever left a baby on the couch,changing table,bed, etc only to have them wiggle/roll off onto the floor? In my experience, almost every mother I know has a story of her child falling from some height, attended or not… Should we recall our couches? place warnign lables on beds? NO, we should fess up to our mistakes as humans. A caring mother will beat herself up enough over every mistake she has ever made, and doesnt need a bunch of insenstive people saying she is a inept being incapable of raising a child in a loving environment. Id love to follow you around in your daily life and point out every mistake you make.. lets not pretend to be perfect here.. you know you are not.

I am very upset that so many of you are calling these parents stupid and neglectful. Like said in a previous comment every mother has made a mistake, and learned from it. So for all you “perfect” parents calling others stupid, please stop and take a second look at yourself. I to loved this product and would probably still use it if it wasnt for my mistake. I had my daughter sitting on top of the dryer while I was doing laundry… I stepped out of the room for a moment to answer the phone and came back to the bumbo seat tipped over on the dryer and my daughter drowning in the washing machine. Ya, total freak accident, and total big mistake for walking away from her.I know that it was my fault, but bumbo advertised that no straps needed and that this was as steady as the surface it sits on. Obviously this is not true. Yes dont place it on raised surfaces, but it also is not as steady as it claims. I thank God a million times a day that I didnt get distracted even more and take longer to find my daughter. I thank God that I am a nurse and knew what to do to get my daughter to breathe again…. Please everyone just take this recall as a reminder for extra caution. Dont use this recall as a reason to call parents stupid and neglectful. I know I am far from that.

It’s not that the parents are stupid or neglectful, it’s that they’re using the Bumbo in a way that directly contradicts the instructions and warnings that are ALREADY INCLUDED with the seat. And when an accident occurs, they’re blaming the seat. I’m certain I’ll make a lot of mistakes when parenting, and put my kid at risk more than occasionally, but not with this. If I want her to be in something she can’t get out of, I’ll put her in the crib (she’s only six months old) or in the Pack ‘n Play. The Bumbo has no straps because it’s not INTENDED to be something the baby is in while they’re unsupervised – the need for supervision, the need to place it on the floor, all of these warnings are ALREADY ON THE BOX.

i have a Bumbo & love it. I’m sorry to the parents who have had close calls and actual injuries. i don’t see a problem w/putting a warning label on the bumbo to reinforce the fact you should never put your child on a high surface with it BUT it angers me (and obviously others) when people don’t follow instructions or use common sense and then blame it on a product. it will come to a point where there will be no innovation because every manufacturer will be too worried about getting sued for people not using things as intended or thinking for themselves.

Never leave your baby alone on a bed or table. If you must turn away, keep one hand on your baby to prevent falls, or take the baby with you.

I am a pediatric occupational therapist and there appears to be alot of misinformation about the developmental appropriateness of bumbos. Many important skills that babies are learning are best learned while the bulk of their body is against gravity (flat surface). Babies learn by routine – if they love the bumbo they will love sitting up . . . and tummy time and rolling become that much more difficult. So if you like the bumbo, use it during feeding or for 10 minutes once or twice a day. It is a tool for the parents to make life easier, it is not developmentally helpful for a typically developing infant.
The reason you hear that occupational and physical therapists “love the bumbo” is that it can be phenomally helpful with severely involed infants and older children . . . not for typically developing infants, nor for infants that have torticollis or plagiocephaly.
Hope this helps

As I read the posts here, I can fully admit that I put my daughter in her bumbo on the couch, on the counter, etc. I feel that, as with walkers, it isnt the equipment that is dangerous but the inattentiveness of the parents that look for the convenience of any kind of baby sitter. However, after reading the admissions of those whose babies have been hurt, my heart softens and my brains kicks into gear. Mistakes happen. Babies can do amazing things in the blink of an eye or the time it takes to turn around and grab a napkin. I, for one, still know the blame is on the parent and not the bumbo. From this day forward, however, know that your voices are heard and this parent is one more that will learn from the heartbreak of others. I wont put the bumbo on anything but the floor from now on. God bless everyone and hope more can learn from these tragic mistakes. Everyone is human and thus, can be forgiven.

When I bought a bumbo I loved it. I ripped it out of the packaging and began using it immediately. I used it everywhere, the beach, the backyard, lounge room and yes, dining table. It was a convenient portable high chair I often took to people’s houses. I never left my bub unsupervised, and my baby never wriggled out of it. That said… It never occurred to me that he might, I just assumed he couldn’t manage it because I never saw him try, I can see how this could happen to anyone and what would it hurt to put a reminder on the actuall chair. Parenting is a frazzled harrowing experience, distractions happen and mistakes are made. Don’t beat yourselves up about it, don’t blame others for it. Just move on, don’t make the same mistake twice, and be appreciative of rwminders for those of us with “baby brain”
THIS IS NOT A TOY is still written on bags, the constant reminder is why I keep plastic bags away from my kids, but in all honesty, without the reminder I might actually forget one day. I know it’s common sense, but life gets busy and mistakes happen, if a reminder helps save a life, what’s the problem?