To have 3.5 year old ds in a buggy?

[MrsCobain]

I meet up with this group of Mum's about once a week. I always take ds (who's almost 3 and a half) in his jogging buggy.

I do this partly because walking is the only exercise I get (I kind of walk-jog) and partly as my car is a bit of a gas guzzling monster and I only use it when I absolutely have to.

It's 2 miles each way so 4 in total. Ds actually walks a large part of it but is usually knackered on the way back as he's walked most of the way there and played like a nutter for a couple of hours. It's also nap time, he normally falls asleep on the way home. He spends probably about 50-70% of his waking hours outside on the go, he's really active.

Anyway, I thought I'd seen some raised eyebrows at me coming in with a buggy before but today one of them made a really snippy little comment "so ridiculous he's still in a stroller" and all of the others (bar one) all jumped in and agreed that their kids the same age were never allowed in them anymore and were all sneery about kids being babied these days.

Aibu in thinking a, it's fine for ds to do part of the journey in a buggy and b, it's a bit bloody rich considering they all drive anyway?

My older 3 napped every day for an hour or so until they were 4 and a half ish. It was great

DD4 stopped sleeping during the day at about 18 months and it's a bloody nightmare some days. She's tired and grumpy by 3pm quite often because she will Never have a bloomin nap. Bah.

Bugger them! Do what works for you. It's none of their business. You know he can/does walk so that's that! My DD went in the pushchair age 9 on holiday when her legs were tired. I couldn't give a stuff what people thought, and nor did she (pushchair was for her 5 year old brother who didn't use it as much ).

Who cares? 3 is a baby, they are still so little so what's wrong with treating them like they are?!

My 4 1/2 year old hitches a lift on the basket of her sister's pram to preschool, so what? Damn right it's to make it easier for me, takes bloody ages otherwise!

People should just mind their own business

Ask all the judgey twats how often their toddlers walk four miles up and down hills. I'm betting 90% of them never have because they get driven anywhere further than 100 yards

I used to take my daughter to and from nursery in a buggy until she was 4. It was about a 1.5 miles away. I leave our flat at 7:30am and get back at about 18:45.

I had a couple of comments and for a brief moment thought "yes she is too old for a buggy I'll start driving to the station and drop her off at nursery on the way" then I had a word with myself!

Stuff them. Who cares? My dd was still using the buggy at 4 for pre-school (and she was tall for her age...) because it was a 35 minute walk and I didn't want to take the car. I had more than one 'She's a bit big for that, isn't she? ' from passing strangers.

I got rid of our buggy at about 2 but often find I carry my 3.8 yr old the last part of a 2 mile walk - wish I'd kept it!! Ignore them - my daughter started reception (some yrs ago now) and some children were still using a buggy from school if they had a distance to walk. If he wasn't walking at all that would be a different matter!

conserveisposh Yes! Mumsnet solipsism at it's very finest

My 4 yo has a daytime snooze a couple of times a week. Because, just like adults - some of whom needs 8 hours sleep a night and some who can manage on much less - all children are different. Mind blowing stuff.

My Dad said something similar the other day. 'He needs toughening up and getting out of that pram. When I was a kid we weren't even allowed to wear long trousers in the winter.'

Rollonbedtime - Who cares? 3 is a baby, they are still so little so what's wrong with treating them like they are?!

What is the rush to make kids grow up fast anyway? They're little for such a fleeting time; treasure it. Trust me i know - DD4 is 3, DD1 is 23.

Mil was telling me that dh only did half days at nursery/kindergarten as he still needed his nap or he'll fall asleep face down in his lunch.

I'd quite happily have a nap a couple of times a week if I could and I'm staring 40 in the face.

I had ds in his buggy up to being about that age, almost 4. I live about 2 miles from town,which I take the woods and then a busy road. I used to get him to walk as much as possible but he could jump in when he's knackered. When I was met with a few judgemental looks or comments,I simply said I don't drive,buggy wheels or a car, makes no difference surely whilst doing a head tilt and slidey eyeing their 4x4.
I miss the buggy. I could get loads of shopping on it!
I gave up once ds started school in case his friends saw us and teased him.

You need new friends, they sound like absolute bitches.

My dd is 4 1/2 and still occasionally has to use a buggy as she has ataxia.
People shouldn't be so judgmental, there are a number of reason why a LO would still require a buggy now and again, not just disability but like in your case for long journeys.

Agree with another poster, those mums usually drive short distances.

This is exactly why I don't hang out in parks with loads of women, too many conflicting ideas.

My 3 and 4 year olds take it in turns in the buggy to nursery (1.5 miles away).

I really couldn't give a shit what anyone thought of it.

Listen. People are going to judge. Your child is a child - not a toddler!

I said I probably would! Shrugs.

But so long as you realise this will happen ( and it will ) why do you actually care? Surely it would only bother you if inside you also felt they were too old to go in a buggy??

Seriously?! I don't know any child that was still napping (as in, it's daily, it's planned, it's his 'nap time' ) at that age. Obviously all kids crash from time to time, but you can hardly argue that a buggy is necessary because otherwise a lack of it would interfere with nap time! Now that is bloody hilarious!

By all means make it comment of the week!

We walk everywhere so we are in no way people who drive. I think it's important that kids are out of prams (road safety etc) Just my personal opinion. Other people on here clearly feel a pram is important way past toddler age. If you genuinely don't care, don't worry what people think?!

When my two eldest were little ds1 walked for miles from 18 months onwards. Friends were often shocked when we arrive at groups without a buggy having walked there and often been passed by them in their cars. Ds2 was still using his buggy at 4.5. He was small for his age and just didn't have the same stamina. Now ds1 (21) doesn't walk the length of himself and is always getting the bus, taxi or looking for a lift. Ds2 (19) walks absolutely everywhere. They both still napped at 4 as did Ds3.

Star well I'd like to see you lug my 4yo disabled daughter 2 miles down the road.

Keep your nose out, you don't know the reasons behind the buggy being used. Don't be so ignorant.
Too many ignorant people 🙄

It's fine to still use a buggy at that age. It's not like you're using it all the time, it's back-up.

I've stretched DS's (3.5 yr) walking range to 5km, but he needs a break (preferably a cafe) at some point. I can't actually push him in the pushchair, or carry him (hence encouraging him to walk as much as possible) but when we're out with DH for a walk of that distance we'll take it, so he can have a rest.

Ignore them.

Star our 'nap time' isn't scheduled. He crashes at pretty much the same time every day. That's how I know it's nap time. It's the time he naps. Not the time I choose for my little prince to lay his head on a golden pillow. The time he flops down and falls asleep pretty much anywhere.

I physically can't carry him back up those hills (especially when he's a dead weight) so what would you have me do? (Wishes there were a head tilt and tinkly laugh smilie.)

And the time constraint? You didn't answer that one. What do i do? Yell at him? Poke him? Buy a cattle prod?

My older Dd was a dreadful walker and always moaned so I used the pushchair loads and knew some people judged my for it. It turned out my DD had hypermobile knees which were causing her pain when she walked. My younger Dd is an amazing walker and we gave up the buggy much sooner with her. All kids are different.

"Be honest - you do it for you - because it's easier! " - absobloodylutely - and that's a problem, why?

If 4/5 yr olds weren't supposed to go in a buggy, they wouldn't make them the size they do.

Our nap time was scheduled to the minute. I worked night shift and that was the only sleep I got. Synchronised napping was a life saver.

I would love to see how star would react if she saw DS in his "buggy" at 7. He used a "normal" buggy until he was 5 because he physically can not walk for more than 10 minutes.

ds1 (21) doesn't walk the length of himself

Cracking comment