Since 14 mo started walking she hates her pushchair - help!

[Penguin13]

I suspect this is something many of you have gone through so hoping to mine the collective wisdom of those who have gone before me!

DD 14 mo has never had an issue with going in her pushchair until recently which happens to coincide with her learning to walk. Now if we go more than a very short distance she wants out and starts crying (more the 'I'm really annoyed about this' shouty type crying than seeming too upset). I of course try to distract her as best I can which sometimes works although I find myself feeding her mini rice cakes to pacify her more often than I would like to admit and I really don't want to regularly distract her from her feelings by offering her food. Yesterday had a nightmare journey with her and made the ultimate rookie mistake of getting her out of the pushchair on the train to try to avoid the condeming looks of those who believe children should never cry in public stop her crying. Didn't really help as the days of her patiently sitting on a lap are looooong gone and she started trying to launch herself out of my arms instead

If you went through this what helped? Is it just a case of sucking it up till she gets through this phase? I don't think it helps that even though she is not a huge when she has a coat on the straps are pretty much at their limit so maybe she feels too restricted. (side note - is there such a thing as a separate harness you can buy for your pushchair if the straps get too small? Ours is an icandy peach 2)

We do have a manduca carrier which I sometimes use and she tolerates better but this is only recent as I am cackhanded not very good at getting her into it my myself and it's not always practical.

Tia for any tips.

[ghostoftheMNchicken]

Depends on your situation, but my advice would be to let her walk as much as possible, holding her hand and pushing the pram one-handed if that's possible. If you have other DC it may not be of course

[Penguin13]

Thanks ghost. No other DC so on that front is definitely doable. I do generally try to let her walk if I can though it's not always safe or practical.

[trilbydoll]

We switched to the smart trike at that stage then back to the pushchair when she had forgotten it was a problem. Constant novelty value

I don't strap dd into our travel system, the buggy bar is fairly close in and there's no way she can slide out, esp in the footmuff. Would that help? The other thing I do if she absolutely has to be strapped in is only do it round her waist. Depends how the straps work obviously.

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

The trike idea is good, I came on here to suggest similar.

Unfortunately, I think you have to put your foot down and insist on buggy in some situations. She will eventually realise that shouting and crying will not always result in being allowed to walk.

I sympathise as my sons were the same and made a huge fuss, usually making themselves rigid when I tried to put them back in buggy, so I couldn't bend them into a sitting position! I was always left red faced, sweating and embarrassed. You're not alone and I'm sure most on lookers would be sympathetic.

[ODog]

My DS was the same. I pretty much ditched the buggy for a while and let him walk and when he was tired chucked him on my back in a sling. I never used reins but some find these helpful. Keep practising with the Manduca. He is 20mo and a good walker for his age, just bought a new buggy as I have DC 2 arriving in a couple of months and he is suddenly a buggy lover. As pp said I think it's that the novelty of walking has worn off a bit and the novelty of the new buggy is too much to resist.

[Penguin13]

Thanks all. Some good suggestions to try and reassuring to know it's not just me. Will try not strapping DD in as the actual faffing of strapping her in def doesn't help. I must admit I haven't been using the bumper bar but will try that in lieu of straps.

[TippetyTapWriter]

Sorry to thread hijack, but was just about to post something similar. My 10 month old has started fighting going in his pram (it's in the stroller position). Started the day after he crawled for the first time so I'm guessing it's related. He cries and arches his back so it's impossible to sit him in it. Can take ages and is just horrible, embarrassing, scared he'll end up on floor etc. Is this just a (short!) phase??! Any tips? Obviously I can't let him crawl along the pavement, though it'd look quite cute....

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

Hi yes I think it is a phase, although he may be even less keen to get in the buggy when he gets walking! 10 months is a tricky age because they want to stand up, crawl and explore but it's almost impossible to do this outside. Maybe try to distract him with a toy or an object (look at that cat over there etc..) and lots of smiles and praise when he's actually in buggy. Sorry can't give much more advice! I'm just basing this on my own experience.

[Vinorosso74]

My DD didn't walk until 16 months and was similar not wanting to go in buggy at that time. For short distances we would walk, there's a lot of busy roads near us being city dwellers so I used a wrist strap to get her used to holding hands but it also gave me an extra sense of security in case she tried to bolt.
I remember trying to get her in the buggy after nursery some days and she would be like a rigid banana ie. impossible to strap in.
I think once they realise they can walk they want that independence which is equally great and frustrating at times!
I seem to remember resorting to bribery at times but she did get better once she grasped the idea some journeys she could walk, others not. We stopped using it altogether at about 2 and a half which was quite liberating though annoying as there was nowhere to put "stuff".

[bonzo77]

Baby carrier: try to get to grips with back carries, much more fun than front carries for the toddler. Or have her on your shoulders. It's surprisingly easy and comfy, and hilarious for the toddler.

[Lurkedforever1]

I'd just let her walk, no reason not to. I did with dd, and because for the most part she wasn't in it, it was easier to get her in it or carry her when it was essential. And I'd always give her a reason. Eg I'm going to run, shall we go fast? you get in and we'll go weeee! 'So you can see better' 'because there's too many big people for little ones to walk'.

[Penguin13]

In the vein of letting her walk, the journey we make most often is to and from nursery which happens to be mainly along a main road. We do have some little life reins but haven't used them yet. Would you let your 14 mo walk with reins on along a busy road? For some reason even with reins on it feels a bit soon.

[Artandco]

Get a toddler sling for your back like boba 4g. They fold tiny into a bag. Add reins to her. Then let her walk along even main road ( just make her walk on side away from road edge), and you can put her in sling on back of it starts raining/ she's tired etc.

[Penguin13]

I have a manduca so can use that although need practice chucking DD in it without some major faffing. Would be great if walking works as she cries every journey home from nursery lately and it always feels a bit fraught starting the evening like that.

[anklebitersmum]

Penguin13 I'd happily attach 'proper' reins, loop securely around my wrist and then hold hands along the road. DS/DD would obviously be on the 'inside side' of the pavement.

All four anklebiters were like this. Holding hands means it's personal and you can teach road safety but the having the reins means they can't just let go and bolt. As they got older the 'freedom' of no hand but reins as an interim works and, when you finally 'let them off' continue to act as a fab 'threat' if they decide that misbehaving is a good idea still works on the 9yr old

[Littlef00t]

When Dd started walking we ditched the pushchair, practiced the sling and I would walk everywhere I could, putting her in the sling when she got tired.

[polkadotdelight]

DS is now a pushchair refuser too. He will walk next to it and hold the side of it though so we go with that. I use reins so he can't try and bolt but as long as he is 'pushing' his pushchair he is happy. When he gets tired he will now climb into it. Just go with whatever works!