Mum's KitchenAid bouncer trick slammed as the most dangerous parenting hack ever

Could this be the worst parenting hack ever? Photo / Imgur

A multi-tasking mother has come up with a novel way to rock her baby to sleep. leaving her free to get on with other tasks.

The unknown woman used a thick elastic band to secure a KitchenAid to the mobile attached to her child's bouncer chair, reports Daily Mail.

When switched on, the motion of the food mixer gently rocked the chair back and forth.

A GIF of the device, nicknamed the "KitchenAid Bouncer", was shared on Reddit, where it's been viewed more than 750,000 times.

Although it's possible the clip was posted as a joke rather than a recommendation, it didn't stop viewers jumping to condemn the makeshift bouncer as "dangerous".

International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS) executive director Colleen Driscoll told Femail that parents and caregivers should always follow manufacturers' instructions when using any device, and pointed out that modifying products can lead to injury.

"Many 'parent hacks' can be found on the internet," she said. "Some might be clever but not follow safety practices.

"Please consult safety experts to learn more and take the time to carefully review instructions."

Several Redditors also raised concerns over the makeshift bouncer, with one describing it as "actually a pretty stupid thing to do".

Another wrote "Good lord this seems like such an incredibly bad idea. I can't really even come up with a positive thing to say here. At least they aren't using an extension cord on the mixer I guess?'

Another agreed, adding: "This is one of those ideas we all have and then most of us immediately realise it's a really stupid idea. This person doesn't have that part of the brain."

Many were quick to point out that the powerful blender could do real harm to the baby. Photo / 123rf

Other users were more measured in their criticism, saying it would be unlikely to cause serious harm.

"If the band were to catch, it would wrap around the paddle until it becomes taught and comes to a stop," one commented. "The baby wouldn't be caught in the paddle.

"I have one of these Kitchen Aid mixers and they are pretty powerful (they need to be to knead bread dough), but they're not on nearly the same level as a woodworking lathe.

"This is monumentally stupid because the baby will likely get hurt given a long enough time.

"But it's not gonna get an arm/leg caught in the paddle and be thrown about like a ragdoll until it dies."