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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

..to expect my DS (2yo) to walk a mile?

54 replies

PicaK · 09/06/2011 06:13

...with mum or dad obviously (just in case anyone thinks I'm sending him off to the shops on his own!)

Background is that I live on a country road without pavements and drivers who ignore the 30mph speed limit (grrr). So I tend to leave the house either with him in the pram or in the car.

Realised I don't really have a feel for how far "most" kids can walk at this age and what we should be aiming for when we go to the park etc.

Hmm, that sounds like I've got him on some boot-camp fitness routine - but that's so not me. I guess I just want to check I'm not underestimating what he's capable of.

A mile seems too far to me.

OP posts:

Tortoiseonthehalfshell · 09/06/2011 06:15

Mine would insist on being carried at least part of the way - a mile is quite long when you're 3' nothing. Also it would take about eleventy billion years, so there's that.

Fernie3 · 09/06/2011 06:31

We do alot of walking and I think my 2 year old would struggle it does depend which end of two those closer to three and it would be more of a possibility.

HerRoyalNotness · 09/06/2011 06:34

I'd guess that is about as far as DS's prschool and if I let him he'd take an hour to walk that. After about 3 blocks he says his legs are tired and he's just turned 4. Depends on the child, so build up their stamina and encourage them but by no means expect them to be able to do things their peers are doing. All in their own time

beesimo · 09/06/2011 06:34

He should be able to walk a mile easy peasy at that age. You need to start strengthening the bairns legs run him til he is tired and I mean tired not fit to drop at least every other day. You don't want him to be a weakling get his bones built up

handsoffmycake · 09/06/2011 06:36

Mine could at this age, but we never really used a pushchair as soon as he started to walk we got rid of it.

I think it depends on how much he normally does.

bigTillyMint · 09/06/2011 06:37

Can he scooter? My DS would never have wanted to walk that far at 2, but would go anywhere on his scooter!

SilveryMoon · 09/06/2011 06:37

My 2yo ds2 would manage a mile fine. He is a great walker. My 3yo would whinge like mad though, he needs a bike or scooter or something.
I don't drive so both my children are used to having to do a lot of walking.
Just start gradually with him.
Take the buggy with you and make sure he knows he can get in and out of it as he pleases.

Animation · 09/06/2011 06:41

Think a 2 year old would need a carry part of the way.

Tortoiseonthehalfshell · 09/06/2011 06:42

See, mine will run around and climb and swim (well, paddle) and jump around like a lunatic all day, but ask her to walk a mile continuously with no fun bits, and it's just going to be an hour of 'Come ON, DD. Yes, it's a leaf. Yes, it's a pretty leaf. Yes, so is that one. Ok, you can take the leaf with you. Just one. No you don't need to pick that...noooooo leave that alone. Oh for Chrissake if you keep climbing onto the rocks and jumping off we'll be here till next Tuesday' and that's no fun for anyone.

Parietal · 09/06/2011 06:50

Mine can if you walk very slowly and tell lots of stories.

GooGooMuck · 09/06/2011 06:52

mine could, but eleventy billion years is exactly how long it took.

controlpantsandgladrags · 09/06/2011 06:53

Depends whether he is just 2 or almost 3 I think. I think a 2 year old is capable of walking a mile, but you might have to build the distance up gradually (i.e start with walking halfway). My DD1 has been walking the mile to nursery since turning 3. I also use the car a lot so we did build up to it gradually. She does complain that her legs hurt sometimes, but she can be easily distracted from it, so it can't hurt that much

tortilla · 09/06/2011 06:55

I think the problem with little ones is not so much the physical side of things. I reckon they probably could walk a mile at 2 (they probably cover that amount of ground with all the crazy running they do in the park or at soft play :)). It's just that I don't think they ever really can concentrate on walking a linear route - where the purpose is not clear for them (and not fun), often with a time element involved causing parents to get stressed - and not get bored or stroppy.

My DS could physically do it at 2 but it took a bloody long time, lots of bribery and was no fun for anyone. At 3.2 he can do that happily if we go for a country walk and make it fun - play a bit of chase, or hunt the pine cone, or go with one of his friends. A mile along a pavement with me cajoling him because we have to get to the station to catch a train = recipe for disaster. However, half a mile or so is easy peasy now and we do it regularly for nursery (but still takes 20 mins to the 10 mins I usually do it in alone when collecting him).

Our main problem is I have a buggy for 8mo DD and so if he is even a little bit tired or bored then he whines to go into that, even though he can't because she's in it and because I don't want him in the buggy any more anyway . So longish walks involve me keeping up a constant stream of interesting chat about the cars or trees or birds along the way to stop him noticing how far he is walking.

tortilla · 09/06/2011 06:58

He also walks way further for grandparents than me or DH . He regularly walked a mile to the playground and at least half of the way back (all uphill) aged 2 and a little bit, and he apparently would never complain at all until he was practically comatose with tiredness on the steep hill on the way home...

Numberfour · 09/06/2011 06:58

at eleventy billion years!!

millie30 · 09/06/2011 07:01

My DS could walk that far at 2. Now he's 2.11 he walks a mile to nursery and a mile back, and often further. He loves walking though and is used to it because I don't drive, and he hasn't wanted to get in his pushchair for over a year.

thinbridewaitingtogetout · 09/06/2011 07:03

My DS is 3 and we need to walk a mile t scool and back and he whinges all the way there and all the way back!

In his defence tho we walk there to drop of his sister and turn about and go straight home, then a couple of days a week he is at plagroup in the same school so he need's to walk there again and then home again at 3pm. Cue more whinging, so i do take the push chair on the home run a few times if he has walked loads and if its raining. Also it takes me 30 mins.

Goblinchild · 09/06/2011 07:04

Mine could both walk a mile when they were around 2 and a bit, when they came out shopping, they'd carry stuff in a backpack too. It can take a while, but that's life with a small person isn't it?

pinkthechaffinch · 09/06/2011 07:10

dd is 2.4 and walks a mile on the school run most days. it took ages last year when a real toddler but am glad now as she runs along merrily and quickly.

agree with the above poster, its good for their fitness.

Tee2072 · 09/06/2011 07:20

My son has walked a mile, he's 2 on Saturday. But it's not something I think he needs to or should do.

fatlazymummy · 09/06/2011 07:38

I wouldn't have expected my children to have walked that far at that age. I would have taken the buggy and allowed/encouraged them to walk part of the way. Of course some children walk better than others but I always had a rule of never carrying them outside so it was either walk or buggy.

MarianH · 09/06/2011 07:42

It really depends how motivated my DS, 2.5, is. If we are walking to go for a ride on the train he sticks his arm out like superman and we run all the way. If it is to go to the shop, then he wants to be carried after about two minutes.

MarianH · 09/06/2011 07:43

I also take the buggy along.

Pompoko · 09/06/2011 07:43

my ds is 3 next month and can walk 1 - 2 miles easy. The problem isnt them getting worn out. Its the boardom for them to walk in a straght line.

One thing ive never had much patence for is them stoping to inspect every thing. So if he didnt come at the second call, he held hands. Only started this when he was two and only on pavement (can take our time on beach, woods ect.) .Now he walks lovely everywhere without constand irrataion for the both of us.

If he is tired, we find a bench. If he is just board, he walks.

Saw a doc on telly where a remote village, babies where walking at 10 months and dont think they got many rides once they could. will look it up..

Goblinchild · 09/06/2011 07:46

'It really depends how motivated my DS, 2.5, is. If we are walking to go for a ride on the train he sticks his arm out like superman and we run all the way. '

We had a special tune we used, and they both learned the Pavlovian response of running when the tune was hummed.

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