Older kids in pushchairs

[FlowersAndShit]

I've just got back from Disney, almost died with the heat! It was very crowded, but mostly with pushchairs with kids far too big to be sitting in them. I'm talking 5/6/7/8 year olds being pushed around in a stroller. A pushchair was either being pushed into me from behind, sideways or towards me. Why the hell do parents do this? I'm not talking about kids who are ill or have a disability, but older kids who are capable of walking being treated like babies

what everyone else said.

even without invisible disabilities, a long day walking is too much for many small people. Personally I think it makes alot of sense to take a pushchair in that situation. Means the child can get a rest and the day does not have to be curtailed due to an exhausted child.

It's Dinsey. I was bloody exhausted by the end of the week and DD kept sneaking into the buggy we had hired for DS. Maybe the children were disabled, maybe they were ill, maybe they were just tired.

Parents are like no no you can't go on the big boy swing you might fall off. Fucking teach him how to go it proper then!!!! Boils ma pish

How charming

odfo...

my school uniform wearing disabled child goes in the baby swings..

as long as they fit in the 'baby' swing who cares?

DS cannot use a 'proper' swing. Autism and dyspraxia. He can still fit in a baby swing, and we use that. IME kids are really really good at taking turns and sharing anyway.

Disabilities aside, Disney is big, and hot, and the kids get tired. No different to a golfer getting the golf buggy is it?

DS is nearly 6 and still uses a buggy, we have a special needs buggy now.

He also uses the "baby" swings because he has core stability problems so can't use normal ones.

Another of those children with those annoying invisible disabilities! But hey carry on judging coz it's not like life isn't hard enough for people living with disabilty!

Are net mums invading us?

Mmmm.......yes. We have been on the receiving end of alot of judging too, as you cannot tell from looking at DS that he has some issues. I have had my parenting criticised and questioned, when actually I am a pretty good parent. ;) It can be distressing.

I have to say though... Disney would be my idea of hell on earth. DS's walking and sensory issues combined with huge crowds. [shudder]

We went to Disneyland Paris a couple of months ago. On the third day I rented a buggy for dd who is 6 and my older dd hopped in for a spin a few times.

Neither has a disability but they were, tired as was I, after leaving home in the middle of the night and spending long, long days walking and queuing.

We were there to relax, have fun and enjoy ourselves. The girls enjoyed the occasional break from walking and I sure as hell enjoyed having somewhere to hang my bag.

Rest assured that no-one was harmed in the renting of said buggy and I don't think I've set my kids up for a life of failure having used one.

The U.S. Disneyland? I think it's the law there. Blame Obama. In fact, write to him about it maybe.

As an aside, Disney have those pushchairs for hire -arn't they specifically for older kids who don't need a pushchair normally but might do as a Disney day is long and involves lots of walking?

The other thing I don't understand is why were you getting them pushed into you?I've done 3 gruelling eurodisney trips, most recently this summer and not one pushchair touched me.

Are you uncoordinated or so unpleasant people actively targetted you I wonder?

Sounds like you would have benefited from a lift in a pushchair, FlowersandShit. Of course, without the pushchairs, you might have been just as irritated by the whining little kids that spoilt your time there by dragging their silly little feet so that you practically tripped over them and who kept going on in shouty, tearful voices about being tired, hot and thirsty. I don't know why adults spoil Disneyland by taking their kids with them, I really don't.

Nationality of the parents?
In my experience, expectations as to when you shuld using a pushchair varies a lot country to country.
France will let children in a pushchair for much longer than here.
Not sure about the US (depending of where you have been)

But they were EVERYWHERE. I just think it's mostly an excuse for some parents to baby and overindulge their kids. The parks are overcrowded enough without 6 year olds in pushchairs.
older kids who are capable of walking being treated like babies

Did you happen to post here before about infintalising children with nappies?

Becuase that was the same kind of thing.

No one should be pushing pushchairs into you.
As to the age of kids or possibility of disability....none of your business or mine. If kids are in pushchairs I assume that's because the parent has judged to be best.

MrsBobDylan is probably right. I've never been to Disney, but they have strollers for hire at our local zoo and they are designed with older children in mind; you couldn't put a baby in one. The zoo is huge and built in the side of a big hill, and summers here are long and very, very hot, so it's never occurred to me to judge families using them for older children.

Child may have disabilities

Children in school uniform may need the baby swings because of disabilities

Children with disabilities might not look disabled, and tend not to wear big signs on their heads

Children at Disneyworld may be hot, knackered and have done a ton of walking - Disney rent out strollers and buggies, so that they can be used by families, as there is a lot of walking to be done, as I am sure you know.

The parks are overcrowded enough without 6 year olds in pushchairs.

I don't see why an older child in a buggy takes up more room than a child out of a buggy?

stop being daft.

Well if we had gone with DS who is in remission from leukaemia he may well have had a push chair because he's not as strong as other children his age - and his hair had grown back so you'd never know anything was wrong!

But generally I don't see older children in push chairs so I would assume it's because it's an exhausting day and lots of queuing etc - strikes me as very practical.

Oh eff off. Such judgey tripe.

Other people/parents are just doing their best. They will have good reasons even if they're not obvious ones. That's all you need to bear in mind.

Oh fuck, this shite again