To still use buggy for 3 year old DD?

[pennypineapple]

DD goes to nursery four days per week. She turned 3 in April.

We recently bought her a scooter, which she loves. But at the end of the day at pick up she often says she is too tired to ride it and we have tears and tantrums and her demanding to be carried all the way home.(Due to our working patterns, 90% of the time DH does drop off and I do pick up so it's me who gets the pleasure of this).

The walk home from nursery is just under half a mile and there is no way I can carry DD, my work bag and the scooter so the journey home is torturous.(Just to add to the fun I'm also pregnant!)

I think we should reintroduce the buggy. DH is adamant that DD is too old and points out that very few of her peers use a buggy now, they all walk or use scooters (and he is right).

I honestly don't know if I am being unreasonable or not to think that it's ok to keep using the buggy for a while longer. Is she too old? AIBU?

Mustard I'm with you

Its nonsense that they at some point all "become ready" to give up the buggy. My relatives 9 year old used one til 5 and then was forced to stop due to younger sibling, and it just meant all the whinging & then some. I got barely any whinging stopping using one with the toddler, I just had to coax and encourage and help him get better at walking in the right direction and faster etc.

I have a DS the same age as OP's. He has been a buggy refuser since he turned 2. One of my biggest regrets was allowing him to give it up and not persisting when he was refusing in the months following his 2nd birthday. I'd should have used a double buggy when DS2 was born (DS1 was 2.4). I'm going to try to persist with DS2 until 3.5-4 if possible for the daily nursery and school runs.

It's not nonsense that they suddenly become ready, they actually do. They reach a point where they just don't need it anymore.

Coffeeforone - why? If he's going to resist the buggy you have a choice between two battles - forcing him into the buggy, or helping him get better at walking etc. They get faster really quick. It's one thing being reluctant to fight a battle to get a kid out of a buggy but why on earth would you want to force a kid into one

Ok I'll bite. What do you do if they are bloody 8 and "Not ready". We are talking NT/no SN kids here right

I've never known an 8 year old NT still want to use a buggy, and I know a huge amount of kids. Funnily enough they all nautrally outgrew it around age 4-5.

Theres needing it and wanting it. I know plenty of kids who want one at 3, far fewer who need a buggy.

My kid wants chocolate, hey duggee on repeat all day, never to wear clothes, never to brush his teeth etc etc. Like all little kids he doesn't know what is best for him, it is up to me to impose healthy choices, often against his will.

Plus they are all age 10 now, all active and healthy and either run, swim or play rugby for hobbies. The kids who got ferried around in cars are a different story.

But 5 is bloody huge! Why should I push a huge child around who is capable of walking? This is a school aged healthy child who should have bags of energy. It's no coincidence plenty "outgrow needing it" right when they start school and realise the other kids aren't in pushchairs, their baby siblings are!

Healthy choices. Hmm after several hours in the park I would argue it's healthier to let a 2 year old rest or sleep in a buggy than cry walking 30 minutes home because they are tired.

It's not either buggies OR cars lol. Again the presumption that it's not possible to manage without a buggy and any child not in one is being ferried everywhere in a car. Lol.

What, and it's not possible to allow time to leave the park a bit earlier before the child is crashingly tired? Like I said earlier I don't know many 3 & 4 year olds who nap regularly and I don't see a lot of people with toddlers in the park at 6 or 7pm either.

@my2bundles where has anyone said they force their crying toddler to walk? You’re being dramatic

No its not possible to leave tne oak earlier when you also have older kids who want to stay and play longer. Life does not revolve around the youngests need to rest which they can do perfectly well in a buggy.

Mustard you Sound like you have one child and can devote everything to their needs. It's very different when you have kids of different ages and needs to consider. Putting a younger child in a buggy to rest becomes a non issue.

In the same way that some people plan around not needing to use a car, why is it so unbelievable that many of us plan not to use a buggy much where possible? Eg plan to do activities at times we don't expect our kids to be too tired to walk, choose childcare not too far from home, encourage our kids to practise on things like bikes and scooters that can help them go a bit quicker etc.

Mustard it's like you don't believe there are 2 & 3 year olds out there happily walkimg/scooting/biking to nursery etc. There are loads. We're not dragging miserable crying tired toddlers around!

Because you don't plan older kids activities around a younger child's need to rest times. It's just not possible.

Use it!

I got one of those smart trikes which worked fairly well, except he tried to steer the whole way home, which was annoying.

I'm a heartless witch who made my 3 year old walk the mile and a half home from preschool every single day but if they won't physically move...I don't see what choice you have. Ds was just 3 when dd was born and if he had needed carried, when I was heavily pregnant, I just couldn't have got him home. Luckily he's a very active little boy who never wants to sit down and is quite happy with the various adventures we have to have going there and coming back.

Once kids can walk let them walk or bike or scooter. Their strength and fitness builds. I get that circumstances vary but on the whole there just seems to be alot of wrapping in cotton wool.

Is the whole point that if your youngest is 3+ your older ones are likely school age, so on most days you aren't really having to plan activities at times most younger kids nap because its when older ones are in school. Obviously there will be some exceptions but by by age 4 your older ones are definitely in school!

Not in the evenings there not no when most after school clubs take place Also older kids do have activities they enjoy at tne weekend, school hols that more often than not happen during a younger child's nap time. It's laughable you think you can plan an older kids life round a younger one using or not using a buggy.

DS is only 2, but I intend on using his pram for as long as we need it. Your girl is only little and if she needs it then she should have it.

I'll be gutted when my 2 year old comes out of the buggy it's so convenient for carrying the shopping

Ds1 was in it until 3.5
Ds2 is 3 in October still happy in it for now

What, and it's not possible to allow time to leave the park a bit earlier before the child is crashingly tired

Maybe when the older siblings are having fun too? Seems unfair to have to leave earlier just to make time for the toddler to dawdle home just because you've decided they MUST be out of the buggy at all times at 3 rather than letting him hop in the buggy for 10 mins.