Most
parents have fond memories of a wooden rocking chair and a woman rocking her
child to sleep while humming a soft lullaby. There is much sentimentality
attached to rockers and gliders but it is, without a doubt, one of the most
useful furniture pieces you can get for the nursery. In fact, you may look down
the road and recall that most of your time with your infant was fondly spent on
your favorite rocker or glider.
Nursery gliders have come a long way from the wooden rockers of our fondest memories. This
furniture piece looks more like a comfy living room chair with plush padding
than the wooden rocking chairs our mothers used way back to lull us to sleep.
Instead of rocking on curved legs, nursery gliders move smoothly to and from
along a track, providing that same lulling motion that most parents find very
helpful in the unholy hours their babies tend to wake up to.
Although
these gliders might seem more a luxury than a need, they can be quite useful
even up to the preschool age. You might find yourself still on your favorite
glider a few years down the road, your kindergartner snuggled close for a
bedtime story or quiet reading time. Some gliders have earned their spots in
the hearts of parents and eventually, make it to the living room itself or the
home office. In all honesty, most gliders nowadays really look and feel more
like a plush living room piece, minus the gliding.
As
with most things concerning infants and children, choosing a glider requires
more than just a creative eye that can pick up a piece with a good design.
Safety must always be your top concern, followed closely by comfort.
With
the high quality standards imposed upon manufacturers nowadays, choosing a safe
glider is even easier than it was before. Unlike rockers, gliders have a
decreased risk of crushing little fingers under the legs as they operate on a
different mechanism. However, if you happen to pick your glider off a garage
sale, you might want to check if that specific product was recalled. Over the
years, rockers and gliders alike have been recalled for failing to meet safety
standards. Check your product before installing it in your home.
Also
check your nursery glider for armrests that provide you with enough support and
comfort while you lull your little one to sleep. You’ll probably be carrying
your bundle of joy in your arms for an extended period of time so it is
important that your nursery glider provides you with enough support to sustain
you through those nights. If your glider’s armrests fail you in this
department, you could end up not only with complete and utter disappointment
but discomfort and numbness down the road.
