5year old in a pram

[Jo4040]

Please bear with me, its not totally how it sounds...

Since my DS was born me and my partner have always put him in his pram just before bed time and gone on a very long walk. He would then fall asleep. When we got back we would put him into bed.

We didn't do this to get our DS of to sleep. We did this for exercise.

When my DS2 was born a few months ago, DS1 was too big for a pram, so we bought a step however he quickly outgrew this. Therefore the evening walks dwindled out as he couldn't keep up with the walks.

Now that the long walks are drawing in, with me and my OH be U to buy a double pram. We have seen a cheap one in a charity shop. It has a seat at the front and one at the back. You would not be able to see DS (4,nearly 5) sat in the back, drifting of to sleep under a blanket.

He is happy to do this as on holiday when he was tired a couple of nights he climbed in the pram on the way home and we carried baby back to the apartment.

We read him stories all the time and the bedtime routine would still happen...bath, teeth, pjs, but he would just climb into the pram.

Me and OH can't afford the gym membership but really want to do abit of exercise and its nice to go out on a walk at night and have a chat together. Also I rely on relatives for childcare in the day so can't really ask anyone to have kids at night whilst we go out for our hourly walk.

I think YABU. This is all about what you want and not about him. He should be in bed going to sleep not in a pram like a baby.

I think it sounds like a nice way to spend an evening.
Not everyone has money and babysitting available for romantic nights out so a quiet stroll and chat with your husband is a great way to have some time togther without any distractions whilst the children are sleepy or asleep.

I actually think one hour a day where parents needs/wants and their Relationship is given priority over the child would be very good for everyone, including thend child. Not just because of the benefits to the relationship but because imo we're all guilty of putting the children first too much to be healthy for them.

Absolutely ridiculous

Just do it. It sounds nice.

I think I would get him ready for bed, dress him up warm, let him walk with you and when he's tired let him get into a bike trailer(with buggy conversion). They are designed for older children as well so it will be far more comfortable for him than squashed in a buggy. And people don't judge you so much for an older/larger child in a trailer. No harm getting a child used to having an exercise routine.

I don't think the walking is unreasonable. It sounds lovely actually. And good for you modelling the walking, chatting etc.

But a 5 year old having a television in his room, and you putting it on for him to fall asleep by is awful, IMO. And you should read up about the effect of screens and the light from a television, computer, iPad etc -- it disturbs sleep, rather than promotes it.

I think as others have said, you need a new routine as this one isn't going to last much longer even if you do buy a bigger double buggy - I'd start getting DC1 used to going to sleep in his bed, but build in exercise yourselves, you can take it in turns to go out walking/running, add in bike rides at the weekend - your DC1 can ride with you.

It's silly OP. Get him on a bike or scooter.

I'd invest in a double bike trailer tbh. Once baby is old enough to sit up a bit more, they'll be fine in it as a pushchair. Then when your oldest has outgrown it, you can move the straps to the middle and use for the youngest one. Less embarrassing than if the oldest was caught in a double pushchair, especially as they have a fly net and waterproof front so less visibility but more acceptable.

In anycAse. You need to check the weight limits on anything you do choose to buy as you might not get a lot of use anyway. You can get buggyboards which have a seat, but no good if he's likely to fall asleep.

I think it sounds lovely, don't stop just because some people adhere to a cultural norm with quasi-religious intensity :)

People believe in the moral superiority of an early bedtime in a conventional manner, not thinking about how children all round the world might be doing it differently and are not utterly destroyed by it.

I also don't get why people are suggesting that it's selfish or that the adults must be split up and do it on their own - surely the point of it is that you spend time together as a family? Exercise plus together time doesn't feel 'selfish' to me, it feels essential and pleasant.

It will set up a really good understanding of how to keep adults wellbeing at the centre of family life, and that's really important for a strong partnership and shows that family life can revolve around everybody, family-centric not just child-centric.

Anyway, I'd look into a bike trailer of some kind as they look more flexible and may well be suitable for longer.

Good luck and keep on doing it!

Just got in from work.. Thanks Miscellaneous
....

If it we as t for the heavy rain tnite, we was going to try the scooter...there is always tomorrow.

:) you can combine star gazing with walking some nights - lovely!

We still pop ds2 in the buggy if he is very tired (4.4 months) BUT he'd usually much rather scoot or use his bike. He is exhausted at the moment starting school so crashes at 7pm. You might want to consider earlier time for your walk, so say your back home for about 6.50pm so you can do a quick pj change and bedtime story.

Yes unreasonable. He will be laughed at by friends when he goes to school/nursery or whatever. He's far too big for a pram.

If the little Prince cannot keep up with you, maybe its because he is tired and should be in bed.

I find it weird that the whole thing is supposedly for "exercise" when a child who is perfectly capable of walking/riding/scooting is essentially being carted along in a baby pram instead.

What penguins said ^

Change your exercise to something he can join in with, maybe cut the time back to begin wth and build him up to an hour as he grows bigger, stronger.

whatwhatinthewhatnow if you as an adult are unfit enough that you get exercise out of walking at a 5 year olds pace, then yes it might be exercise, but any remotely healthy person would not be getting exercise out of such a thing. My HR is barely elevated at scooter pace.

A 5 year old riding a bike is actually likely too fast, or they're not getting much exercise either for them - I would need to run, so then it's not a pleasant family walk.

I don't see anything wrong with the buggy, I still see lots of 4-5 year olds in running buggies at parkrun.

It wasn't ME that suggested it was for exercise. OP said that. If it is for exercise, why exclude him?

My DC (before they started going to school) used to walk around 6.5 miles with me daily. I consider that exercise.

whatwhatinthewhatnow because if you don't exclude the child, then it can't be exercise for the adult unless the adult is not particularly fit.

Kids can walk loads, they can go on a bike and scooter loads, but all of those are not at the intensity an adult can exercise. There's a very good reason junior park runs are only 2km, and they start at age 4, against the regular ones being 5km.

Sorry, it seems ridiculous to go on a family walk and then put one of the family (who could actively engage in the exercise) in to a pram.

If the partner wants some real exercise, he can do speedier sprints while OP walks slower while the child rides.

Lets face it, the boy is never going to get any faster while he's laying down, is he?