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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Reception aged kids in pushchairs?

257 replies

RequestInUse · 04/05/2016 15:18

Maybe I just have my judgy pants on, maybe they have a really long walk. But AIBU to think school aged children are generally too old for a pushchair?

OP posts:

ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 04/05/2016 15:21

There are a million reasons they could be in a pushchair, those reasons are nothing to do with you.

DarkVelvetySilkyShiraz · 04/05/2016 15:21

yes you are BU for so many reasons!

leave them alone and stick your beak in somewhere else.

Thurlow · 04/05/2016 15:23

Yes, maybe you do have your judgy pants on. There's countless reasons why they might still be using pushchairs. Off the top of my head - the distance to the school, the distance they might need to travel afterwards to pick up other children from other schools, how quickly the parents need to get home for other commitments... blah blah blah.

Of course, it's much better than they should be driven everywhere.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 04/05/2016 15:25

Mine was because his asthma was so bad at times he couldn't walk far. Although to look at him he looked like any other reception age child there were many times he couldn't even get to the top of our stairs without going blue. Judge away.

Moonatic · 04/05/2016 15:26

YANBU.

GastonsPomPomWrath · 04/05/2016 15:26

Yes yabu. One of my daughters classmates has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Her mum uses a pushchair in cold weather when her knees get sore and walking is slow and difficult. In warm weather and you'd never know the child had it.

Yankeetarts · 04/05/2016 15:27

My dd was in a pushchair because of hip problems,judge all you want but you don't know the reason for using a pushchair

FutureGadgetsLab · 04/05/2016 15:30

YABU. I find most people who sneer at this are usually the same people who take the car to the corner shop rather than walking for 20 minutes.

minipie · 04/05/2016 15:30

My DD has very mild cerebral palsy - you might not spot it unless watching her closely, but walking tires her out so yes she will probably still be in a pushchair when she starts reception. Posts like this don't help me feel better about that.

As this thread shows, there are a lot of children with hidden health problems which may mean they can't always manage the walk, especially at the end of the day.

Don't judge unless you're in possession of all the facts.

Jasonandyawegunorts · 04/05/2016 15:31

Hip problems, Foot problems, hypermobility, autism, none of these or countless other things will be apparent to you as an on looker.

summerdreams · 04/05/2016 15:32

Yabu there are many reasons ranging from disabilities that are not obviously visible to distance and so many more that you can't judge really also are they summer born so just turned 4 like my prem son will be when he starts school etc...

My mum showed me a pic the other day of my sister at 6 in pushchair and my mum pregnant with me it turned out my sister had gladular fever and was very weak for a few months and couldn't walk very far.

Thurlow · 04/05/2016 15:36

The thing is, it doesn't even have to be for hidden disabilities or health reasons. I still use a pushchair for my 4yo, who could in theory be in Reception if she had been born a different time of the year. Trying to get a 4yo to walk at a certain pace for a mile first thing in the morning when we also have specific trains to catch or we'd be late for work... sod it, I have better things to worry about. The same way that if she's knackered at the end of the day, she can hop in again. I used to stress about it, and now I can't be arsed. We weighed up having to get up even earlier in the morning with potential screeching, dragging, nagging and running the risk of being late for work vs a short ride in a pushchair and being judged by tits who like to only see the world through their own eyes and experiences.

Plus, keeping the occasional reception age child in a pushchair on occasions provides fodder for the likes of people like you, so I like to think I'm doing MN a favour

ScrotesOnFire · 04/05/2016 15:38

This thread has certainly been an eye opener.

Prior to reading all the responses, I would have agreed with you OP.

Clandestino · 04/05/2016 15:39

YANBU. There are children who really need a pushchair even at 4. But whenever I asked anyone why they are using a pushchair, the answer was: convenience.

YABU. I find most people who sneer at this are usually the same people who take the car to the corner shop rather than walking for 20 minutes.

I wouldn't dream of using a car to go the local shops, unless it's lashing rain. We haven't used a pushchair since DD was 2.5. I'd rather walk and get anywhere at a much slower pace and started hiking last year, so she can manage a 9 miles long hill tour without any problems.
I don't sneer at those people, it may be a cultural thing though. I find that in countries where people are more used to outdoors and long walks or mountain hiking there is less use of pushchairs once children are over 2.

StuRedman · 04/05/2016 15:39

I had a four and six year old, both in school, and a mile and a half walk. So we used a buggy and buggy board for the first couple of years, which obviously overlapped with the youngest starting school. Meh.

cosmicglittergirl · 04/05/2016 15:41

Who cares?

wigglesrock · 04/05/2016 15:43

Thurlow. I remember your posts on some other threads.

My youngest dd is in P1 (they're 4/5 years of age). Her best friend uses a buggy and buggy board (twins). Their mum has a long walk to and from school - the kids are tired especially after PE and an after school dancing class. A few times their mum has ditched the buggy after a few looks from other parents (who are in cars ), she always regrets it - the girls are knackered as is she, it takes three times as long to get home, they're late starting reading homework/dinner. There are more than a few tears.

Do you think these children are going to be in buggies when they're ten or do you think a bit of common sense in your thinking might be in order?

FutureGadgetsLab · 04/05/2016 15:44

Clandestino that's great, but when people have got to get to work and don't drive it's not always possible to just let the child walk at a slower pace.

hazeyjane · 04/05/2016 15:46

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

cosmicglittergirl · 04/05/2016 15:47

^^ Ha!

Dawndonnaagain · 04/05/2016 15:47

My twin dds, now 19 were born at 33 weeks. They have some quite considerable mobility problems, dd1 still uses a wheelchair, dd2 a stick. They were in a buggy at reception age because they needed it. They apparently (judging from the comments from people like the op.) didn't look as though they needed it.
Beak out. Stop judging about that about which you know sweet f.a.

lavenderdoilly · 04/05/2016 15:47

Have MS. You can't "tell".Have long hilly walk to school. Sometimes it's easier all round to use pushchair. Get over it.

Jasonandyawegunorts · 04/05/2016 15:48

There are children who really need a pushchair even at 4. But whenever I asked anyone why they are using a pushchair, the answer was: convenience.

Well yes, even for medical problems the quick answer would be convenience becuase you know, it's better than the child suffering.

murphyslaws · 04/05/2016 15:50

Even if no medical reasons. Maybe they get tired after school walking home still to have dinner and play.

They might be reception class but they are still VERY little

Stick your nose out judgy pants

mrsmortis · 04/05/2016 15:50

When my DD1 started reception she had a mile and a half's very hilly walk each way. At the time DD2 was in the pushchair so she rode the buggy board, mostly. There were days however, especially towards the end of the first term in reception when she climbed into the pushchair and fell asleep immediately so DD2 rode the buggy board..

And that's a normal little girl with no health issues.

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