To use a buggy for a three year old?

[bingbangbing]

I have had a few comments though he does look about five.

The weather is shite and I don't drive.

Should I persevere with getting him to walk everywhere? Any longer than 20 mins and he wants a carry. I do have a back carry sling but that seems to incite looks of horror too.

All my friends drive so don't have this problem.

What do other people do?

You do what works for you. No one else’s business.

I had my second child in a buggy where necessary until nearly 4, and still use reins at 5.5. I just knew he wasn’t safe without. He was always so boisterous and prone to just running off.

Has turned out he has ADHD, and yes my gut feeling was right. But I spent too long worrying about what other people thought.

Use the buggy. People who drive their kids everywhere 1) have no idea what it's like to not have a car and 2) have no moral high ground for not using a buggy because being strapped into a car seat and driven somewhere is no different to being pushed there in a buggy.

Should I persevere with getting him to walk everywhere?

God no. Practice the phrase "This is my car" whilst pointing at the buggy.

People who have cars have no idea how to cope with shopping, ill children getting to the doctors, getting to public transport on time, crap weather, those days the child just doesn't want to walk or wants to go in the other direction.

DD still used hers when she was 4.5.

@onionface that is so true! 😂 I do drive but my 3yo will walk a good hour at least... but v v slowly. I would probably chuck him in a buggy and do use buggy board if we need to be somewhere on time e.g. doctors or something!

Healthier Tobe in a buggy in the fresh air, walking for 10-20 minutes here and there, than being strapped in a car seat, then only a few steps from the car to their destination.

Completely normal to use the buggy at 3. All mine were still in the buggy at that age unless it was a very short walk. Little children walk at a snails.pace, you'd never get anywhere on time

If it's OK to load them into cars, right outside the school to avoid a 20 minute walk, then it's OK to use a pram.

He can hop in and out.

Completely fine. If you walk and get public transport everywhere you can't expect a 3 year old to keep up.

We still used ours occasionally until DD was about 4, at which point she was safe and confident on her scooter so we usually took that.

Absolutely fine. My DD was in one until just before she turned four (August baby) because her older sibling’s school was a 1.5 mile walk so 3 mile round trip, no way would she walk that.

It’s absolutely fine. Anyone trying to guilt you while loading their own child into a car is fucking ridiculous and can go do one.

Tell people to bog off if they make comments. Nothing to do with them.

My son was still using a buggy at times when he was 4 and any long walks he'd stop and put his arms up to be carried.

Funnily enough at the age of 17, he can and does walk (very fast).

Absolutely fine - we were in the same position as you and without a car, there’s not really an alternative. I assume those commenting aren’t offering to carry him for you?

It's fine. Even better when it's snowing and you just drag it behind you. Good exercise

I find people who are sniffy about buggies usually drive. DS was in a buggy until 4, usually he walked alongside it holding on while I pushed the shopping but it meant when he got tired he could hop in. Do what works for you.

Dd will be 3 in a couple of months, looks older. She looks pretty big in the buggy but I only use it on the way to school because otherwise we'd be late. I do have a car but we walk to school (1/2 a mile). I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks to be honest, I'm doing what's right for us. No point struggling op.

Use the buggy. People who drive their kids everywhere 1) have no idea what it's like to not have a car.

This. For short treks or if I wasn't in a hurry I'd get them to walk but if I needed to be somewhere fast or it was too far for them to walk or I just couldnt be arsed persuading them to walk I'd bring the buggy.

Use the buggy! When were travelled we still brought a small buggy for our 4 year old to use occasionally. They get tired!
Went to Disney and there were kids of 5,6,7, using the strollers there - very sensible when the park is so huge and hot.

Absolutely fine. Ppl who suggest it isn’t clearly haven’t Had to walk very far! Would need to leave the house an hour Earlier in the morning to get to nursery if we didn’t have buggy, and I would have a broken back from carrying

Of course you can still use a buggy
My daughter is almost four and can run and walk for a long time but she also still gets ratty and tired where distances are short .This is especially so towards the end of the week after two long days in nursery and school runs / early starts. She would also not walk for long in heavy rain. Or if it was too hot.

Stop worrying about what others think this might say about you as a mother. Has this website not taught you you can’t win?!? 😉

I hate
People who are judgey about this. My sister made a comment about my 2 year old still in a pram because her son was out of the pram by 2, yet she drives!! Completely different when your walking everywhere or relying on public transport.

I have a 2.5yr old, she loves to walk but inevitably will at some point throw her hands up to me to carry her. Shes the 90th percentile for height and weight, I have to have the buggy now, even if im pushing it empty for half the time.

YANBU!

People who drive everywhere don’t get it. My husband and I car share so I’m often a bit ‘stranded’ with our toddler as we live rurally. I can get to places as long as I’m willing to walk to the bus stop or the village which are both 1.5-2 miles away down farm tracks. Whilst I’m all up for letting him walk as much as possible, it’s a bit unrealistic to expect a toddler to be hiking several miles before we’ve even gotten to our destination! Luckily ours is still small enough that he looks ‘socially acceptable’ in the buggy or sling but I know we’ll have to use it a bit when he’s bigger too!

My eldest (3) stopped regularly using the buggy just after his little brother was born, about a month before his second birthday. If it's just me and the kids (DH drives, I don't) he walks really well. He has really good road safety awareness and will walk for ages happily.

There is no way that my youngest will do the same. It's much harder to keep two kids safe when walking everywhere. DS1 will start nursery in August (right after DS2's 2nd birthday) and I'll have to walk him and his brother to and from nursery which is about 10 minutes each way. Not only would it lengthen my journey considerably but keeping them both safe would stress me out. I don't know how long he'll stay in the buggy but if it's safer, quicker and easier to keep him in his buggy aged 3 for the school run you bet I'm doing it!

Do whatever works for you and your child. People who can drive everywhere (or the majority of the time) don't seem to realise how a buggy is the equivalent of a car seat for travelling somewhere!

Eh?
Use the buggy! I don’t understand this obsession with making kids walk. He’s only 3! Go abroad and you see 6 year olds in buggys all the time!

Do whatever works for you. My eldest used his until he was 4. He Didn’t like walking and we later found out he was dyspraxic.

I’ve never really understood comments from people who say (for example) that their child stopped using the buggy at 2 (Or whatever). I just think, what never? Even on a long walk would they never just jump in for 5 mins?? And I’d have no problem either telling them to mind their own business.