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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put DS3 in a pushchair?

86 replies

blancoss · 23/03/2022 09:38

DS is 3, 4 in October. He walks everywhere now, we haven't used the pushchair in probably over a year. He sometimes goes in one when at childminder's.

Today I want to catch the train with him (usually drive) and then spend the day walking around a large shopping centre. He has a tendency to run off/complain of being tired and cry to be carried sometimes. I know that taking the pushchair would make life so much easier for me and DS.

I can also use it for shopping bags.

My friend thinks it's ridiculous having him in a pushchair at this age. AIBU?

OP posts:
ladygindiva · 23/03/2022 09:40

Ignore your friend. Do it. Plus pushchairs are very useful for stashing shopping bags. Yanbu. I would.

TibetanTerrah · 23/03/2022 09:40

Just do it. Why make your life harder just because you have a judgy friend?

Lazylady76 · 23/03/2022 09:41

Your child your choice. You should do whats best for you and your lad and at 3 I think its safer to take pushchair, you can then always take a extra bag with a few toys and snacks/drinks in it for him as you won't need to carry it.

Caspianberg · 23/03/2022 09:41

Just do whatever suits you and you life today, and don’t worry about anyone else’s opinion. Your not hurting anyone, and sometimes it’s fine to just pick the easy option

Dreambigger · 23/03/2022 09:41

It's fine ! Do whatever suits u..I would.

megletthesecond · 23/03/2022 09:41

Yanbu.

Username917778 · 23/03/2022 09:43

Do it! DD is 4 in June and we recently took the pram with us on a day out and it was a total game changer. First time we'd used it in about 2 years but I'll be keeping it in the boot now.

Nobodycarestakeitelsewhere · 23/03/2022 09:43

I wouldn't. He's too old for a pushchair.

Jellycatrabbit · 23/03/2022 09:44

My ds is exactly the same age and I have just bought a double pushchair- we have a baby too.

I just can't quite trust him not to run off in busy places or by a busy road so he walks half the time and is strapped in when I need to know he's safe.

Go for it!

Nix2020 · 23/03/2022 09:45

Why make life harder when you have a perfectly good solution. I would and do frequently put my 3 year old in the pram. He enjoys the ride and I enjoy the peace. He won't be in the pram forever.

I'm not sure where the by two they no longer need a pram comes from.

TeenPlusCat · 23/03/2022 09:46

He is 3.5. You want to do a long day doing boring walking. Of course take a pushchair. No way is he too old.
Unless your friend wants to come and carry him for you?

Mumdiva99 · 23/03/2022 09:47

Of course you should take it.

I remember a memorable trip to London with my then 4 year old. He rarely used the buggy but I took it. He fell asleep jist off the train and slept soundly for 2 hours....we didn't do what we had planned. I had an epic walk then we went to plan B.

He wasn't usually a bad sleeper. He wasn't ill. There was no real reason.....but I I hadn't had the buggy I would have had a tired grumpy child.

Blueeyedgirl21 · 23/03/2022 09:47

I remember when my nephew was almost 5 we bribed him with a new toy to go in a push chair for a day out shopping when childcare fell through. He loved it 😂😂

Kpo58 · 23/03/2022 09:47

Definitely take the pushchair. With any luck he might even have a little nap in it when you are out.

It's much less fun to try and make over tired children spend the entire day on their feet and really slows you down.

I do think that most of the early ditchers of pushchairs must drive a lot so that they don't come across these issues.

VagueSemblance · 23/03/2022 09:54

This is a first/only child/car driver worry.

My youngest was in the buggy occasionally until he started school. The school run was over 5 miles every day. The only people who judged were people who didn't walk anything like that distance daily with a 3 or 4 year old. Take the buggy, there are no medals for managing without and you will have a nicer time with it as an option and for bags.

Pollyforever · 23/03/2022 09:55

My almost 4 year old still uses hers when we go for a day out with lots of walking. Ignore your friend! Why would you want to be dragging a tired pres schooler round when he could have a rest if he needs to?!

nearlyspringyay · 23/03/2022 09:58

Of course take the buggy. I always took the buggy for big days out with DTs until they started school (they were only just 4 when they started!). If nothing else it was brilliant for carting around shopping bags / coats / picnics etc. I miss the buggy!

vera16 · 23/03/2022 09:58

Wouldn't you like to have a nice little sit down and a snack after a tiring walk around a shopping centre? Smile

I would take it for my nearly 4-year old. He doesn't have to be in it the whole time. A day shopping is very tiring for little legs.

Ignore your judgey friend (and people on here).

ThanksItHasPockets · 23/03/2022 10:02

YANBU. DS has hyper mobility and tires more easily than other children and we have to take the pushchair for anything more than 30 mins walking. He will be four in June. I've noticed that lots of parents use a pushchair or buggy board when picking up their children from his school nursery class, and many of them will be a bit older than him in the year. One child came out the other day with a dummy. Do what's right for your child and ignore your friend.

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 23/03/2022 10:02

I would, it's there if you need it then.

I still used a pushchair for dc5(4) this time last year. Once a week, as dc3(9) had an after school club & it was his half day at nursery so he'd already been down & back with me in the morning, down again at lunch time & then back home again after school. He's a July birthday & I honestly didn't think anything of putting him in it for one quick trip, he'd already done a lot of walking for little legs on that day. We took it on day trips in the summer holidays too, he didn't really use it but it was an option if he got tired & useful for sticking everything in.

I agree that a lot of people that judge about 3/4 year olds in a buggy have no experience of trying to get one to walk up & down to school or the shops on a daily basis, especially in the rain.

LostMySocks · 23/03/2022 10:06

The people who judged me for using a buggy when DS was 3/just 4 were the same people who used a car to get to the places where their kids 'were too old for a buggy'.

MaverickSnoopy · 23/03/2022 10:08

My DD3 is exactly the same age and 4 in October. Also been out of the buggy for the same amount of time. We still use it of we know we have a big trip out where it might be needed due to tiredness. She also has a tendency to run off. We put all of the bags in the seat until its needed and explain to her that its for the bags and by happy coincidence its there if needed. It won't set you back because its clear its not an every day thing.

Thefaceofboe · 23/03/2022 10:10

I wouldn't. He's too old for a pushchair

There’s always one.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 23/03/2022 10:12

At 3yo my child walked up Snowdon.
She also would happily go in her little sisters pushchair on days out (baby went in sling). It saved my sanity. Especially in shopping centres which are busy and pretty boring (unlike mountains with rocks to climb and butterflies to follow and ice cream at the top!)

FloraPostePosts · 23/03/2022 10:14

Offer her a choice. “Either I bring the pushchair, and I’ll be in charge of him for the day, or I don’t, and he’s your responsibility.”