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.

Well said stewie

I don't think I have ever seen a 7 year old in a buggy anyway.

My 4 year old is a petite little thing and she doesn't have a lot of room in ours so can't picture a 7 year old in one.

if its a stroller like this then its a special needs stroller.

the children you have seen may be ok 'conatin' in a shop, or a train etc, but totally unpredicatable around cars and the streets and could put themselves or others in danger.

I have dd2 in a buggy sometimes. She is 3. Like my dog she has limited recall skills. Unlike my dog she does not walk nicely on her reigns lead.

I don't have time to be chasing dd2 down side streets every 5 seconds while we are doing the school run.

She walks lots in the park and when there are two or more adults, but sometimes the pushchair is neccessary.

I have a dog trainer for the dog and he is doing well, but dd2 is not fond of the idea of coming back to get a squeaky toy and some meat cake

I put DS3 in the pushchair today as I wanted to zip round several small shops that were spread out, would have made an hours trip out take about 3 hours if I'd let him walk.

He's 3, but is the same size as the reception (and many of the YR1) children at the infant school, and talks very clearly.

Best friend used to take her DD4 to school in the buggy in Reception and part of YR2 - she had her very genuine reasons for doing so.

People actually ask you? How sodding rude is that? Some silly old man kept point at then 2 and a half year old DD and insisting she should be in school, not pushed round the shops in a buggy with her mummy He refused to believe she was only 2, but even if she wasn't it's no one elses business and I told him so. Nosey git.

Shimmmery when we were on holiday this year with dd2 (3) and dd1 (6.5 at the time) we took the buggy for on an evening, so that when dd2 got tired she could lie in it and have a nap. Come 2am Me and DH were knackered, dd1 was sleeping like a baby in the buggy and dd2 was partying away on the dancefloor

Dd1 was often puhsed home in the buggy.

[[http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z171/misdee1980/triuphm.jpg DD2 WAS 2 IN THIS PIC) about a week before i was asked if she was starting reception

try again

Its really none of your business.

My very own ds2 was 7 when he started with M.E took years before he was diagnosed and quite often id literally have to get ds3 to walk aged 2 so his brother could go in the buggy.

He didnt have a tattoo on his forehead saying 'I am poorly please judge my mum and post on mumsnet' .

Oh I used strollers (occasionally) with mine until they were quite old (4 ish)... I'm a lazy parent, and really don't want to have an argument with a child who is tired after a buys day at pre school (or elsewhere), while I need to run errands. Plus strollers are excellent for hanging bags, thus avoiding the need to use the car...

... go green, use a stroller

busy

Have never seen a seven year old in a stroller, however, it does rile me when I see four and five year olds in them.

It'd totally down to lazy parents.

How the effing jeff can you tell a child has no physical or mental disabilities just by looking at them?

my 3 children have a genetic disability (EDS-causes frequent dislocations, joint and muscle pain and fatigue) i currently use buggy for ds (nearly 4 and very tall for his age) to look at him in the buggy you would think he was older and you wouldnt know just by looking that he has a disability.

Once on the bus a woman with a tiny baby in a buggy wanted to get on and the driver said no as there were already 2 buggys on she took one look at my ds in his buggy and demanded i fold mine as 'he looks far too old to be in a pushchair and ive got a brand new baby' everybody else was agreeing and i tried to explain that he wasnt well and all i got back was 'what do you mean he isnt well, why does it mean you cant fold your pushchair' i then had to go into detail in front of a bus full of people i felt absolutely humiliated and victimised it was a horrid experience.

Never used a stroller or pram or anything. Hate the look of the things, hate the obsession they can engender, don't much like the idea of them being passively sat there lower than you.

I concede they are useful and helpful if you have children close in age and if your child has difficulty getting around (in that sense they are like a wheelchair, I guess). But the human race (I'm talking healthy human beings) has managed fairly well without them.

DD2 is 5 in March and is Autistic. She runs off at the slightest opportunity and has no perception of danger so will run into the road etc...

Although quite small for her age she does look too big for a standard pushchair and I have had quite a few comments on her being in it. Especially when she is wearing school uniform.

We are waiting for a Maclaren Major from wheelchair services as Occupational Therapy have deemed her needs significant enough for us to be supplied with a pushchair for her. I can't wait until we get it as I hope it will be enough to make people realise there is a reason for her to be in a pushchair and I am not a lazy parent

Yours is exactly the kind of opinion that makes me feel constantly on edge whenever I take DD out and about, especially on the bus where I get constant dirty looks for having her in a buggy.

You can't know the reason for an older child to be using a pushchair and it's none of your business.

DS is 5yo and has a SN stroller (looks like normal stroller but bigger)
He has autism and would bounce all round a train carriage having a very intelligent conversation with me but when outside and not contained it would be danbgerous to have him not in the stroller.
He is v tall for hsi age so coudl poss look 7

My nearly 2-year-old is 3ft tall and wearing US clothes for 3-year-olds (which tend to be longer).

I'll bet people think he's one of those too big to be in a pushchair.

YABU.

I've never seen at 7 year old in a pushchair.

And I don't see how pushing your child in a pushchair is any easier than them trotting beside you.

I agree totally with otchayaniye (but it wouldn't be the first time )

I'm currently using a double buggy up to twice a day for my 2.3yr old and tall 3.9yr old. I am fully expecting to be judged at some point! I am only using it for dog walks - DH is working away during the week. Our not-particularly-brilliant-on-the-lead-or-at-recall dog (for which I will no doubt be judged also but she was an older rescue dog who is miles better than she used to be)needs walking twice a day, I need to get her out with two pre-schoolers and need to do other things as well, am also pregnant. They weigh a ton in the bloody buggy but it's definitely easier doing that than wrestling not very reliable pooch, stubborn two year old and day dreamy three year old!

My neighbour pushes a 6 year old in a stroller. It is his brothers stroller, little bro is 3.
he child has no physical problems but he is very tearful, very jealous of younger sibling, always 'tired' or 'a bit poorly'.
She knows he is not really poorly, she knows he is insecure and jealous, but she lets him be in the stroller to reassure and pamper him a little.
He is a very needy child and she is trying to build his fragile ego.
She is not lazy or a fool,she is trying to bolster his confidence .

also some people dont drive so may need an older child in a buggy for longer trips out, its very easy to judge when you get your kids from a to b on 4 wheels with an engine attached but a buggy-somehow thats not acceptable??