No more buggy

[Kailumsmum]

I just wondered at what age you got rid of the buggy?

My son is 2 years old and he walks short distances and we can go to my mums with out the buggy or to a shopping centre that is close by with out it.

Place that are very busy I will take the pram and he doesn't walk at all although I know he would love to.

I have reins for him but he hates them. He walks well and does listen sometimes.

I didn't plan to get rid of the buggy, we just used it less and less until I realised it had been sitting in the car boot unused for months. We probably last used it when DS was around 3.5, but your DS sounds like a better walker than mine was.

Do you have a big travel system type thing or just a Maclaren type stroller? For my youngest 2 I had both - the travel system type Mamas & Papas thing was such a PITA to fold up and so heavy that I stopped using it about 12 - 18 months then used a stroller.

DD2 was a lazy mare, stopped using it at about 3.5/4, kept on for so long as she was so slow walking anywhere and being tall was v heavy to carry.

DD3 is now 4, the stroller has lived in the car boot for the last year and a half. Beyond the age of 2.5 the only times I used it were if she was ill, or if she'd fallen asleep in the car on the way somewhere. I'm going to hold onto it for another few months, again just in case she's ill and I need to do the school run.

when dc1 was 3 and dc2 came along.
we don't drive and walk a lot, though.

I have a silver cross stroller. Had a travel system and get rid of it after the first few month because was too big and heavy for me. I just wondered if there was a certain age where they have to be out of prams by?

Must just depend on the child. I haven't used mine since DD turned two - we got a dog and he uses the boot, so never any room for the pushchair DD can walk a couple of miles though (now 2.6). However, I often look wistfully at children peacefully sleeping in their buggies, while herding mine.

DD is 3.4 and I only use it every 3/4 months for a long day out. Also recently used it on a long haul trip overseas and it was brilliant in the airport (though it wasn't needed on holiday).

If my husband is with us and DD gets tired she will go on his shoulders but Mummy doesn't do shoulders (or carrying if can be at all avoided!) so sometimes the stroller is good to have handy if it is just the two of us.

We mostly drive places because of where we live so I can't see use using it at all beyond age 4 which I think is about average.

I don't drive and carrying him is a hard thing for me as Im only very short and hes quite heavy It is only ever him and me really when go out as I'm not with his dad. Think I might keep doing it as I am and try get him to walk a bit futher each time. I'm just nervous about places like town and huge busy shopping centres.

Depends on whether you use the buggy to do the shopping. I kept the buggy until DD4 was four. Since getting rid of my buggy (actually, I left it somewhere by mistake in the summer - I didn't realise I'd lost it for weeks ), I've had to invest in a shopping trolley. This does have the benefit of completely embarassing my DC.

Well we still use one for ds2 (17 months) but ds1 hasn't been in a buggy since 2yrs old. About the same time as he gave up his naps.

Zzzzzzzzz

We still use the buggy for our 3yo DD only if we're going on a big day out to the zoo etc.

I will really miss it when its gone, so great for transporting lunches, coats etc!

I think it depends on how much you walk. If you just walk to the car, around the park, etc then there is a lot less need for a buggy than walking regularly a mile or so + to and from pre-school/shops etc.

We still use ours although DH says I shouldn't... But then on the rare occasions that DH goes out with him we're somewhere interesting and DH ends up carrying him. At 38 weeks pg, I'm neither willing to make it an issue nor able to chase an escaping toddler (26months) down the pavement next to a busy road on the way to do the shopping.

He does walk a lot of the time, but what do you do when you don't have the buggy, are 20 mins (your pace, not ds's) from home and he sits down in the road, bangs his head on the tarmac and refuses to walk any further? Because I cannot carry 16.5kg of writhing, struggling, fighting toddler that far...

to add to my post, when dc1 was thown out the buggy didn't use the buggy anymore at 3y, we started with the balance bike. we got great use out of it and it was easy for dc to go long distances on it.

What's a balance bike Mousy? He has a trike which he can pedle for a few minutes but gets tired of it quickly.

a balance bike is a bike without pedals

Will he walk wearing one of those LittleLife backpacks with a leash attached? I should have got one for ds earlier as he was nearly 3 when I did - ie old enough to run fast when he felt like it, as didn't need it earlier. It worked in the sense that he hated it so much he would grudgingly walk holding my hand instead...

A mini micro scooter might work for a regular commute to nursery, or a trike with a push-along handle, but with both you're stuffed if he refuses to cooperate - once i got pregnant and got spd it was back to the pushchair so now i have dd in baby carrier and need to wean ds back to walking to nursery (1 km),as he walks fine to bus stops for everything else, age 3.5.

dd is 2.2 and we travel every where with her Micro scooter, when she's tired or we are by a road/populated area I tow her next to me. However she is a hardcore buggy refuser

DS only went in the buggy once after turning two, that was a day trip round a zoo with lots of walking and I knew he wouldn't manage it (plus it was handy for carrying the picnic)

Rein or wrist strap can work if you have a nosey child prone to wandering off like I do He is just turned 3 now and wouldn't plan to use it again except for another big day out.

Haven't used the reins for ages but if I needed to I still would, there are lots of things they don't like IMHO, like cleaning teeth and going to bed, and sometimes they just have to lump it Bad mother, didn't let you run into the road, so shoot me

If you don't have a car or family around it is very difficult to go anywhere without a buggy. What do you do about shopping? going to emergency appointments? do you plan to carry him when he falls asleep after the park?

DB always brag because DN was out of the buggy by 18 mo. But she was driven everywhere by car and never had more than 10 min walk.

I walk everywhere several times per day (from 4 up 10 miles in total) and there is no way that DD2 (2.0) can do the same. She is also very big (tall and heavy) so I can't carry her. She can walk a few miles. But not if it is close to nap time or after a busy playgroup or when she is ill...

DD1 was out before 3 but then was very sick with Chicken pox when she was 3 and it took several months for her to be able to walk long distance again, so probably 3.5 yo in the end.

I don't have a car and dh works away.

The buggy won't go and is brought out id I know where walking anywhere over an average of say 5 miles, or she is ill.

I don't have a car (well, I do, but DH needs it to get to work) so everywhere is on foot. Shopping etc also and I wouldn't manage without somewhere to stick DS when he's attempting to clear the shelves or trying to walk home with him and the weekend shop is just not practical.

I'm not allowed to use reins - DH is very very against it. About the only thing he has fixed ideas on so I didn't feel I could use them, even though I did get some. It's the cooperation part that's the problem. Whilst he's in a good mood, then it's fine he walks happily, but that rarely lasts all day and is not very predictable as to when he will suddenly not want to walk further.

I also have friends who say in shocked voices "is he still in the buggy" etc whilst their lo is strapped in a seat on the back of their bike. ummm so how is that different, your lo doesn't walk everywhere, why do you expect mine to?

And if we're going somewhere where we need to get the train...a walk to the station = missed train!

I think DS was 2.5yrs (early last summer) the last time he used it. He didn't walk until 16 months (but had had a lot of crusing practice from 9 months), but once he did, he was off.

We gradually used the buggy less and less (walking locally and only using it in big shopping areas, etc) and it got to the point where he basically said no to going in it, so from then on he walked. We took the (slightly harsh) view, that if he didn't want to go in the buggy, he didn't have too, but then he had to walk by himselfand not expect to be carried.

It helps that we have a car, so don't have to carry masses of shopping, etc. The only thing it makes harder is to go to big shopping malls, etc. as he is so curious about things it is hard to do anything - so I tend only to go when someone else is with me or at the weekend when DH and DS go and do there own thing and I might go out to do any shopping I need.

I think you need to explain to your DH that you are very agains your DS getting run over!

I used to be very against rains too, untill I had a DS who hates holding hands and cannot be trusted yet not run into the road.

We use a Hippychick hip seat for days out where DS2 might not be able to walk the whole time, because we find it less hassle than pushing round a mostly empty pushchair.

we got rid at 3 and a bit.
at the time we didn't have a car.

before three i still they're still really handy for somewhere for them to nap in if nothing else.