Parent asked me to stop using the buggy

[Doonhamer]

They want the 19month old child to "learn to walk longer distances so that we don't have to take a buggy out with s when we go shopping, plus we think that being in the buggy is hindering his development"

The only time he's in the buggy is if we wlak to school - a 3 mile round trip, partly along a quite busy road.
If we take a walk to the village shop or post office because he grabs sweeties and food and has tantrums if he walks to shopa dn I then try to get him out, he does this thing with his arms where he lifts them up so it's difficult to pick him up.
He sleeps in it sometimes too as he won't go in cot upstairs

So, IMO the safety of the child is paramount.
The parents say i need to "abide by their wishes in the way their child is brought up"
Anyone got any suggestions as to how I can approach this with parents

x posts

No, I'm a CM!

My DS2 was pretty much out of his buggy by 18 months, but at 21 months I still put him in if he's tired, if it's a very long walk, or if I need to move fast. When I started having him out of the buggy, I still took the buggy along with me and he used to hold onto it as he walked, and if he started to get silly/naughty he went straight back in. I had jobs to do, limited time to do them in, and couldn't cater to the whins of a child.

My CM does a school run, along a fairly busy road, and there is no way she can do it if all the children are walking. I understand that completely! I would NEVER dictate to her how she should manage the children.

I think the parents have completely misinterpreted the service a CM provides. They're also trying to put the child rearing on to you. That's not part of your remit at all.

Tell them to sod off, in the nicest possible way of course .

Can you allow him to walk with reigns but still take the buggy with you, even encourage him to hold onto it. And then when he does get tired or starts to act up you can just put him into buggy.

I used to nanny for a little boy (same age) who liked to walk everywhere when I was pregnant - and I refused to carry a tired toddler so the empty buggy was a great back-up for me.