Being stopped because DS is in a pram

[cocoapple]

DS is 2 (3 at the end of February) We are currently going through some assessments as he’s very delayed, I’ve been told it’s more than likely asd. He’s still in a pram as walking anywhere with him is a nightmare. He has no sense of danger, he’ll just run off and because he has limited understanding I can’t explain to him why what he does is dangerous and he wouldn’t come back to me if I called his name. I have tried reins, but he just throws himself on the floor or tries to walk in another direction.

I was walking back from doing the school run and a woman was walking a little bit behind me. She said “excuse me, he looks a little old to be in a pram” I told her that there were reasons why he was in one and walked off.

I got home and got a bit upset. It hurts to see other children his age and even younger walking next to their parents, I’d love for him to be able to do that but at the moment it’s not possible. In parks where it’s secure is ok but anything other than that is just too dangerous and difficult.

I just can’t believe someone would even say that. It wasn’t like a friendly chat or anything like that, she literally just said what she said, not even a smile.

Why on earth did she feel the need to comment at all 🙄?
We used a lightweight pushchair for my youngest when they were 4 !
Admittedly we were away from home in a different city for a month and walked lots.
Too far for little legs sometimes.
she would get out where it was quieter and safer to walk for a bit ( she’s ASD )

Prepare yourself to hear it a lot
My son is nearly 8 and is either in his chair or strapped to my back. So many people tell me "he should walk"
Yes he should but while he's deadly in the 100 yard dash into the path of cars or into the nearest body of water he lacks stamina and I can't carry in arms, he's too heavy

When my daughter was 7 I was carrying her into a shop and I heard a woman say something behind me and my daughter stiffen.
I turned and said "I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said"
She told me she called my daughter a baby for having her mum carry her.
I grabbed my daughter's leg to show her it and told her she's wearing splints because shes disabled then told my daughter we just ignore ignorant people then walked off while the woman did her best impression of a fish out of water lol
Over the years people have made rude ass comments on why my kiddos don't talk, why my son baby babbles interspersed with words, why my daughter throws her arms around and why they behave in a certain manner
Some people are genuinely puzzled but many are just rude people who think everyone should be a certain way

I’d have said “Oh it’s not for him, the pram’s for me, I’m just giving him a rest as apparently pushing me round hurts his back”

I’m physically disabled from birth and to this day I clearly remember being on the bus with mum - I was aged around seven or so at the time. I had recently had plaster casts removed from both legs after surgery and had to wear specially fitted sheepskin lined soft boots for a while afterwards. An elderly lady had been looking at me for a while, and eventually leaned over and said to me ‘ask your mummy why she’s brought you out in your slippers’. To which mum replied in a loud voice ‘ask the nice lady what business that is of hers’. Exit one red faced nosey Parker !!

Woah, she needs to wind her neck in and butt out of your business. What a rude woman. You shouldn’t have to explain your reasons to anyone - you know what is best for your child. My boys were both very lively out of the pushchair at that age and would not use reins - both used to just swing on them. Don’t give the woman or her rude comment another thought x

I used to take my 3 year old child in a buggy to the childminders as it was a 2 mile walk each way. Seemed perfectly normal at the time.

I had a similar thing happen when my daughter was 4. When we went shopping, she couldn't decide between hair bands and hair clips and I told her that she could only pick one. This resulted in her having a meltdown
A woman behind me said "I would give her a slap if she was mine"
I replied with "Seeing as she is autistic, I don't think that is really going to help, is it?" and walked off.
I used to get upset with people judging me, but I grew a thicker skin over the years and just ignore everyone else and carry on with what I am doing.
My daughter didn't walk until she was 22 months and I used to get the "looks" too when she was in a pushchair at 3!

Lots of stupid comments about what people believe is ‘normal’ child development for a child that’s already been described to have developmental difficulties.