When did your DC stop using the buggy/was able to walk 2-3km regularly?

[megonthemoon]

I'm expecting DC2 in Sept when DS will be 2.6, and I'm trying to decide between double buggy vs just managing with sling/buggy board and single for a few months and then have DS walking everywhere. Have posted on pushchair thread for advice, but thought I'd try here too as it is really about when it is okay to assume DS no longer needs a buggy not just what buiggy to buy!

We're trying to build up his stamina now (currently 2.2) - he often complains about walking and wants to be carried, but we're being firm about it being a choice between walking and buggy, which generally keeps him going until he is really tired. He walked all the way to nursery today (just under 1km) at a reasonable pace without asking to be picked up once.

Is it reasonable to assume that he will be largely out of his buggy by the time he is 3? The furthest I'd be needing him to walk by then is about 2-3km to playgroup and back again, although of course on occasion we may need to do more.

When did your DC stop needing the buggy, or have enough stamina to walk fairly long distances.

We are having the same debate!!

I will be interested to see other peoples responses.

DS will be 2.6 when DD is born in a few weeks. He mostly walks everywhere now, but for long days out (or if I have a lot of shopping to carry) we revert to buggy, purely so I've got a shopping basket to stash things in!! To be honest, he prefers to walk alongside/push it and very rarely asks to be in it.

I'm not sure how far a kilometre is (obviously I know in theory - just can't visualise it) but I know it takes DH about 4 minutes to walk into town and takes me and DS about 35! I think a lot of it has to do with how long you are willing to dawdle at their pace. If I try to hurry DS along, he starts whining to be carried.

We were given an umbrella fold double buggy from someone, which is not suitable for new born, but are hanging on to it, because I figure in a few months or so it will be nice to have for long days out (e.g. a theme park or beach day) to give both kids somewhere to nap, but it is folded up in our basement and for day to day use I expect to be sticking to a single and a sling and/or buggy board.

Hope this helps.

Thought about it a bit more, and DS actually has done this walk quite a few times, with very little carrying, so I guess he can walk about 6 - 7 km. Again, this was at a fairly leisurely pace and we usually stop for a picnic about 3/4 of the way around.

We walk a lot compared to most people and my DS has only fairly recently been able to walk long distances without whinging and he is a young 3, I think I could have 'made' him from about 2 and a half but I would have had to do the odd carry/wedge him somewhere on single buggy/dealt with a lot of whinging/been late a lot.

I have friends that have been without a double with a 2-3 year old and all found it a struggle at times. I would recommend a double.

Having said that there are exceptions, my friend's DS could walk further at younger than my DS but was 'coached' into it by his Dad and is physically bigger than my DS. My DD is not yet 2 and can walk a long way without moaning as she wants to be like her big brother.

My son is just 2 (was 2YO last monday) and he already wants to walk everywhere. But I'd still say you need a double buggy.

I'm going to sell my 'good' P&T to a friend who is expecting her second baby in the autumn, but I'll still keep my 'dog walking' P&T (which is a bit of a shed) for emergencies.

Even though it won't get used that much, a double buggy is still a bit of a requirement!!

Ds was definitely walking that kind of distance by the time he was 3. That said, we always took the ergo as backup in case he got too tired.

All kids are so different.

Ds was happy to walk for miles from about 2.5. number 2 probably won't walk the length of him/herself! And often it is not the distance - it is the speed! ANd the weather of course.

There is no magic age. It depends on the child.

My 2yo walks happily for further than his 4yo sister. Both fit kids with the same upbringing, experiences and expectations.

Ah weather! Hadn't thought about that - baby will arrive in Sept, so weather will be getting miserable and I'll want to hurry everywhere rather than at the moment where I am happy to dawdle with DS so that I can top up my suntan I just don't want a double to become the default due to ease, and then end up with one of those practically school age children who are still in a buggy (lived next door to someone who was still in a buggy at age 4 and a bit every day, so very wary of this!).

We would need a tandem, because we have narrow country paths here that can't take a double in parts, so P&T or something similar is only option but seems so expensive for what may be a few months. I suppose they have good resale value though, esp if has only been used for a few months.

Your responses are really helpful! May show this to DH as we're struggling a bit with this one at the moment, and it is our biggest potential expense as we have pretty much everything else we need. And I do want this to be largely dictated by DS's needs rather than just it being easier for us IYSWIM.

Ds2, 2.3yo, hasn't used a pushchair for several months (except once in a blue moon if he's fallen asleep in the car on the way to pre-school pick up). He won't go in one if awake, that's for sure.

Ds1, now 4.1, was much older when he stopped using one (3 years, maybe). He could walk quite well but chose not to if there was a lazy option available.

Maybe get one off ebay for cheapness?

My sister had a P&T, you have to be really careful to only put the biggest kid in the front, otherwise the whole thing tips over!! (I guess this depends on the weight difference between your two children, but after it happened to my sister twice she sold it and bought a mutsy(?) instead.

I find the problem is when they won't walk you are utterly buggered.

DS1 will sometimes walk 2-3k but sometimes he'll just give up half way and he has a will of iron and is quite prepared to just lie on the road and sob to be carried. No amount of threats or bribing will move him.

I have no worries about using the single when we are with DH or on a bus route - but after one particularly dreadful scenario of trying to push a buggy full of baby and shopping, with DS1 on my shoulders for two miles I learned not to rely on his walking stamina too much.

I think it totally depends on your setup and your child, unfortunately. Also our single can't take a buggyboard which doesn't help.

I have gaps of 2yrs almost exactly and 22 mo.

Never had double buggy (hate em as inconvenient and awkward) - used sling and buggy then buggy and buggy board.

DS2 is no 3 and never got the b/board (as no baby in buggy!) so he walked everywhere from about 2.6yrs.

We took the buggy on hols when he was 2 and a little bit and never even got it out of the car boot.

An NT and healthy 2yo can walk a lot further than some people think; certainly 2km (only a bit over a mile) no worries.

HTH

You will find lots of peeps disagreeing with me btw.

It depends how quickly you want to get from A to B.and whether you mind going out in all weather.
My ds was happy to walk if we were off to the park, trek in the woods etc. but to walk the mile home from playgroup after a busy day he was just too tired even when he was nearly 4.
I already had a double buggy so used it but I also have a bibi strolli rider which he loved.
I would say you need a double but it really depends on what you plan to be doing.

Oh, I think the other thing is that you have to be a bit careful not to make is another thing where the new baby pushes out the toddler.

I found DS1 actually got more keen on going in the buggy when DS2 came along, because he saw it as a rivalry thing. Ie DS2 was being pushed, so why couldn't he?

I didn't want it to develop into a resentment thing - I took the view that it was more important that he didn't feel shoved aside and allowed him to go in the buggy if he wanted to.

I think that may be why younger siblings tend to get out of the buggy sooner - they are trying to copy the older child and walk, whereas the older child is trying to hang onto their position of being the baby, and being coddled. There's a lot of adjustment attached to a new baby arriving, so if your DS is attached to his pushchair, you need to take a view on whether that particular adjustment is worth the battle.

DS1 was almost 2.2 when DS2 was born and DS2 was 2 and 3 days when DS3 arrived. I insisted on a double buggy because if we were out all day I thought DS1 would need to take a nap in it. He actually only slept in it a couple of times! We got him a buggy board when he as 2.6 as e didn't have a car then and we often walk miles without giving it a second thought! After that DS1 wouldn't ride in the buggy and we used the buggy board so much it fell apart! DS2 has been buggy boarding since he was 2.4. If he gets so tired he needs to sleep, or if DS3 won't in the buggy, I put DS3 in the sling and DS2 in the buggy. If I had to do it again I wouldn't bother with the double. DSes 1 and 2 are both really good walkers, despite not really getting the hang of it until they were nearly 2. DS1 walked right round Weymouth Bay when he was just 3!! He fell asleep afterwards though!!

Our buggy board claims to take a maximum load of 26 kilos, which I think is a 6 year old! DH sees that as a good enough reason to put both DS1 and DS2 on it when they are tired!!

How comfortable are you with a sling - did you use it with your first. I am only 5ft and tiny and have huge 9lb+ babies I would love to sling them but its tough. Although some slings better than others.

The resale value of a P&T is very good or buy second hand and sell on. I bought a P&T and thought it was wonderful at the newborn stage and now at 1 and 3 very handy to carry shopping!

as we don't have a car, I got one meg despite our walks being all shorter and the age gap slightly greater. days we had to go out and weather awful, or ds1 slightly under weather or frankly ill etc.

also marvellous for carrying stuff in and being pushed with just one arthritic finger.

mind you got ours from local parents group 3rd hand about 100 quid, and sold it on for 60. all trimmings included, P&T.

ds1 easy to roust out of it if just being lazy. either 1) told him to get out or 2) made a game up if he was being major sniffy about life or 3) reminded big boys didn't use buggies that much

I would not give it up too easily, its always good to have it on long walks or if they tend to nap and your out and about. Some toddlers can walk for miles and miles some do not have the stamina just yet. My dd 3.2 still has the buggy for long journeys and in the shopping centre when i have loads of shopping and its up a big hill. Otherwise i would be making it very difficult for myself, carrying her and my shoppping. DD is growing out of it and will have to ditch it in a few months though so do need to build up her stamina a bit.

Tricky one, my dd was only 18 months when ds was born, so really did needed a double buggy, however I do think it has made dd lazy.

Dd is now 4, ds 2.5, and they are both hopeless at walking very far anywhere. I'm now expecting dc3, so soon she'll have no choice in the matter, and I agree it does look a bit ridiculous having a 4 yr old in push chair. I need to be more strict, but think if the option hadn't been there in the first place may not have been in this dilemma now.

Having said that, I do still plan to use the double buggy for ds and new baby, and ds will be 3 by then. It just makes life easier sometimes!

Same age gap between mine, didn't have a double

I mainly used a sling for the first few months, I prefer a sling for newborns anyway.
After a few months DS nearly always walked and I kept a sling under the pushchair so if he was really tired (or if I needed to whizz round the supermarket) he could go in the pushchair and I would put the baby in the sling. My pushchair wouldn't take a buggyboard.
By the time he was about 3 he used a scooter nearly all the time, much faster than walking.

This is so useful - thank you!

I've been keeping a loose eye on P&T on eBay but the bargains always seem to be the opposite end of the country for pickup only! This is why I've started to question whether I need one as a new one seems so expensive for what may be a short time. I guess I need to be on eBay more often and snap one up when I see it!

Recently moved so not au fait with the local scene re secondhand stuff. Need to start hunting around I think!

megonthemoon - we have a P&T and found that a good second hand one on ebay costs almost as much as a brand new one.

So in the end we bought new, and we intend on keeping it in good condition and selling it on at the end.

Might be worth thinking about for your situation too? There are lots of discount bundles out there - we got ours at the Oxford Pram Centre but try shopping around.

have just read thread quickly but i don't think anyone has mentioned the SCOOTER option.

DD1 was just 3 when dd2 was born and i was determined not to get a double buggy. We got her used to no buggy from about 2.6 and I got a buggy board.

I hated the buggy board and only used it twice, and found that, with dd on her scooter, we could get anywhere reasonably quickly. If she's tired, I can push the pushchair and pull her scooter. She has a mini micro scooter, and we've got a ribbon on the handlebars, for pulling. Everybody I know has the same, but it might be a bit of a London thing.

Obviously 2.6 is a bit younger, and it depends if he is a stayer or a runner. You can't use a scooter if you feel that he might make a break for it or scoot into the road.

Anyway, might be worth considering.

Baby in a lightweight sling & toddler in pushchair works quite well, especially when the baby is still very small. Buggyboards are also great! My Dd2 likes walking, but the board is so handy for when she's flagging, or if we're running late and need to speed up a bit. Different buggy boards are suited to different pushchairs so it's definitely worth researching to get a compatible model.