to wonder about these older children still in strollers...

[chaya5738]

OK, so I know I am totally setting myself up to be flamed for being judgmental but...

I am wondering what the deal is with all these almost adult-sized children in strollers. I see them everywhere. During my lunch break just now I went into a toy store and there was this boy who looked to be about seven - no physical or mental disabilites that impaired his ability to wander at an ok speed around the store - browsing with his mum. When it was time to leave the store she calls him over and he gets into a stroller and off they go. It was bizarre. And then a few days ago on the train a similar thing. A mother gets on with her daughter who looks about seven or eight. She then gets herself out of the stroller, jumps all over the seats, has a grand old time and then when the train stops at the next station she gets back in the stroller and off they go. And then I saw this over the weekend again as we walked along the river. This child who was almost as tall as me happily sitting back in a stroller while she was pushed along by her parents.

I don't remember being in a stroller at all when I was small so I must have stopped being in one quite young. I remember going on shopping outings with my mum and getting quite tired, and probably complaining a bit, but we'd just stopped for a cup of tea or my mother would walk a bit slower. I soon built up shopping stamina that sees me in good stead today.

Admittedly my DD is only 15 months old so I don't really have a good grounding for saying when children should stop being in strollers but I seem to be seeing quite old children with no physical disabilities being pushed around because, presumably, it is faster for their parents to do shopping that way. Is this true MNetters? And what does this say about the health and fitness of our children...

I reserve the right to come back and retract this post in three years time when DD is five and I can't get any shopping done without strapping her into a stroller.

[childrenofthecornsilk]

7 year olds in strollers? Are you sure?I have never seen this.

[scaleymcnamechange]

Can't comment as I've never seen it either.

Am a bit dubious about certain 4 year olds I know being wheeled to school in pushchairs, but I have never seen a child as big as 7 in an ordinary pushchair afaik.

[CharlotteLER]

I've also seen what look to be much older kids in buggys, especially annoying when you don't get let on the bus with yours because its full!

[BloodyMissIzzy]

You can never be sure if they have a disability that isn't obvious though, or some illness that means they can't walk far. Best not to judge, just in case.

But yes, if they are completely healthy, then the parents aren't doing them any favours by letting them be lazy.

[chaya5738]

Well admittedly I may not be very good at judging ages but these children have been huge and mentally and physically quite mature. The one of the train was having the most mature conversation with her mother whilst jumping all around.

[greaseistheword]

some kids look older than they actually are.my dd1 was in hers till she was about 4 but dd2 had to stop using hers just before she turned 3 cause i broke my wrist and couldnt push it.

[TheMulledBloodsOnMe]

I can't say I have ever seen a 7yr old in a stroller. Are you sure it wasn't just a tall toddler? I used to think that people letting their toddlers sit in strollers were lazy but now that I have my own, and he is a very good walker, sometimes you just need to get things done, and in a hurry, without your toddler throwing themselves onto the shop floor when they can't have what they want, or picking up every bit of fluff/feather/stone that they see on the road, or wanting to walk along every wall whilst you have 3 arms full of shopping to carry and having another meltdown when you say 'no'. These days I'm not so judgemental.

[shimmerysilverghosty]

I have seen it but there is usually a smaller child about somewhere and the buggy actually belongs to them, sometimes you see the Mum carrying the smaller child and pushing the older one, I always assume they have had a very long day and kids are worn out tbh.

[chaya5738]

yeah, that is exactly what I was thinking bloodymissizzy but I sat next to this child on the train for 30 minutes and I felt like I got a good enough insight to see she was probably capable of walking. She did have a stroller that seemed larger than the ordinary though so may she had some illness. Who knows. I guess I am a bit of a fitness nutter and it just seems that we should be encourage exercise as much as possible even amongst the sick...(totally prepared to be flamed now...)

[chaya5738]

yeah, you are all probably right. I will probably change my tune one DD is older.

[OhLuckyYou]

I used to live in central London and often walking was easier than getting on and off buses/tubes etc. If it was too far for the DCs to walk but ok for me (say a couple of miles or more) I'd take the buggy so they could have a rest. Also if it rained, I'd let them be in the buggy with a brolly cos I can get home faster, otherwise we'd be drenched at their snail's pace!!

[pastaplease]

I've not seen a seven year old, but have seen children (I guess Year 1) pushed to school in pushchairs and it's bizarre. School uniform and a pushchair.

I don't think the parents are doing them any favours.

[OhLuckyYou]

BTW I ditched the buggy by the time they were about 5 though, definitely not at 7!!

[chaya5738]

Yeah, I guess it is one thing to have a stroller if the kid is completely exhausted. But in the instances I have seen it hasn't been the case at all.

[saffy85]

I once served a lady in a shop who was asking my advice on what buggy her son would fit in. Note, fit in. He looked about 7 years old. She wanted to take it on holiday so he could sleep in it while they were out at night. Fair enough I guess but all the ones we tried actually buckled under his weight. He was far from fat but the upper weight limit is usually 15 kgs. He was really pissed off with the whole idea IIRC, poor kid.

My DD is 3 now and looks a little older and still goes in her buggy alot. It's alot easier this way as I don't drive and public transport is sooo expensive. If I relied on her to walk we wouldn't get anywhere!

[anonymosity]

But its not always possible to KNOW they are completely healthy. The kid may be unwell and the parent pushing the stroller may have a long walk to do - so they've stuck them in the stroller to avoid a request to be carried from an otherwise poorly child. Can you imagine CARRYING a 7 year old.

[booooooooooyhoo]

well, not all disabilities are visible and some children may just get tired really easily. but i do when i see my neighbour taking her DD to and from school in a buggy. the DD is 5 in march and the school is literally half a mile away, i walk to it aswell. i know this girl is more than capable of walking as i have taken her myself to the park (further than school) but she plays up on her mum so her mum just puts her in the buggy instead.

[bruffin]

My friends DS was still using a stroller to school when he was 6, he can walk but he has something wrong with his hips so he can't walk far or quickly and will need an operation.

I haven't seen many big children in buggies, I got rid of when DD was 4. I don't drive and I used it as much for the shopping as DD

[TattyDevine]

I dont see a lot of it but I know there are a multitude of reasons, some kids have muscle problems that aren't noticeable, some have autism which means they can be impulsive and run off and are safer in buggies. If you ever see a big buggy, like a Maclaren Major, there's probably a good reason why they are in it, because nobody buys one as a first stroller and they are fairly pricey to buy I think - you'd have to have a reasonably compelling reason.

Having said that, even though there are probably many with logical explanations as to why they have one, many probably do not. There are parents who let their children go in one. I remember once going shopping with my sister in law and brother in law. I had my baby in a stroller, she had her 3 year old and 7 year old. The 3 year old got out the stroller and went to the toilet with his dad. We carried on to another few shops and the 7 year old insisted in sitting in the stroller. A random passer by would assume my SIL lets her 7 year old have a stroller, but it was just a snapshot. And a weird looking one at that - his legs were dragging on the ground!

I wouldn't have let him personally as he might have broken it but he is a slight lad so didn't.

My children are out of buggies by around 2 and a half.

To give most the benefit of the doubt though - not many people really enjoy shopping with a stroller. Its a pain in the ass.

[Rollmops]

Our DTs won't be 3 for another couple of months but do look about 5+, very tall boys; add to that their extensive vocabulary and people often think they are about 5.
However, apart from whole-day-trips, when toddlers really can't be expected to march around for hours and hours, we don't use strollers any more.

[suiledonne]

My dd1 is 4 1/2 and I sometimes put her in the stroller.

She has asthma and sometimes doesn't have the energy to walk quickly for a length of time. I will probably be using the stroller for her for some time as there is no parking near our GP's surgery and if she needs to see the doctor I have to get her there somehow.

You wouldn't know it to look at her. You would probably judge and move on.

[usualsuspect]

I've never seen a fit and healthy 7 year old in a buggy ever

[coppertop]

Some children just look older than they really are. I can still remember being asked why my ds1 wasn't at school that day during a crackdown on truancy. He was 2.5yrs old at the time.

Not all disabilities are obvious either. If you have, for example, a child with ASD who is a 'runner' then you may have no other option.

And what about all those children who live within walking distance of school but who go by car? Why is this seen as more acceptable than travelling the same distance in a pushchair? Both are relying on a set of wheels rather than their own legs.