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I need advice on how to get my toddler walking now that baby is in buggy

45 replies

Mandymoo · 16/07/2006 21:06

I am currently looking for a buggy board but in the meantime could you please tell me how i can get my 3.7 yr old dd to walk now that baby is in the buggy?

Its such nice weather to go for walks atm but dd refuses to walk (and in a way i can understand it, a few months ago she was allowed to sit in the buggy and now its been hijacked by her dribbly brother!)

TIA X

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TooTicky · 16/07/2006 21:08

Can you put your baby in a sling and let her ride sometimes? Or would she scoot/trike?

hoxtonchick · 16/07/2006 21:08

i simply didn't allow ds in the buggy after dd was born (a similar age gap to yours, 3.5 yrs). can you bribe her with a trip to a cafe, or to the shops to buy a little treat?

ps i would try & avoid the buggy board if possible. friends of mine have used them & had a nightmare getting the older child off eventually. and they're very heavy.

misdee · 16/07/2006 21:08

ask her to find things on the walks, leaves twigs etc.

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fennel · 16/07/2006 21:13

bribery works for us

or just insisting

or letting them cycle or trike instead. actually my 6 and 4 year olds are great cyclists mainly because they disliked walking so got good at cycling instead.

am always of those whose 2 year olds love walking for miles, i wanted that sort of child.

trinityrhino · 16/07/2006 21:15

my toddler is going to be 20 months when the baby comes, I was going to use a buggy board.
Should I still, I can't remember if at that age I could make them walk??

curtaintwitcher · 16/07/2006 21:23

ds was 2.2yrs when dd was born and I bought a marco sky but always ended up forgetting to put it in the boot so ds had to walk. I just made it so we were looking at different things as we went like..ooo can you see that bird over there[then walk as far as you can on that] then wow can you find me some leaves/run to that lampost etc...now he is 2.9yrs and not too bad at walking although sometimes I let him sit on the front of the stroller with dd legs akimbo..lol

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 16/07/2006 21:32

Trinity - I would deffo go for double buggy. There is only 15 months between mine, but Jess is 2 next week and still struggles to walk for more than a few minutes. Itso k if you can bear to be outside for an hour to do a 20 min round trip in this weather, but ive found it easier to put her in the buggy.

I am considering buggy board now but think i may just not bother and insit she walks more.

trinityrhino · 16/07/2006 21:37

a double buggy isn't really an option, I've got a buggyboard and a very good buggy with carrycot, car set and buggy bit so I'm going to have to go with the buggy board

fingers crossed

curtaintwitcher · 16/07/2006 21:41

TR it may be a better option to go for sling for baby and little one in the pram for first few months...especially these winter babes believe me..lol 20months is very young to do a lot of walking.

trinityrhino · 16/07/2006 21:43

oooo a sling, thats an idea, come on then, now I need sling advice
whas the best one, I like that idea, is there better ones for being able to BF whilst in it and stuff?????????????

threebob · 16/07/2006 22:04

I would put the baby in a sling and not take the buggy at all, then she has to walk and by the time your ds goes back in the buggy she will be a big 4 year old.

Mala · 16/07/2006 22:10

Have you thought of a scooter Mandymoo. My dd never wants to sit in a buggy when I ask her, but when I don't then she kicks up a fuss and says she doesn't want to walk. She is always happy to go on her scooter. It has two wheels in the front so easier for younger ones to balance on -

have a look at this

It is very light too and though it doesn't fold, I can put it in the basket under the buggy if I need to, incase she doesn't want to go on it.

Also think the foll. looks cool, though don't though what it is like in practice -

have a look at this

julen · 16/07/2006 22:11

yes, baby in sling, so there's no other option. it'll be a matter of getting her used to it. which is fine, but only when you have the luxury of time!

Bozza · 16/07/2006 22:19

mandymoo I wouldn't have thought that a 3.7 yo need be in a buggy for anything but quite long journeys. DS was 3.3 when DD was born and I think he went in the buggy twice after that. I started trying to phase it out some while pregnant.

Could you try taking baby out in the sling (although rather sweaty in this weather) and no buggy until DD gets used to the idea. Or what about DD taking her doll in her pram and you with DS in his pram?

TooTicky · 16/07/2006 22:29

trinityrhino, try one of these
They are fantastic. I'm on my second (4 kids though, and heavy/long usage!)

Xavielli · 16/07/2006 22:32

Buggy boards - Try the Litaf, Seat-2-go. Has somewhere for the toddler to sit and rest their feet aswell as stand.

I have given up on double buggy now. DS loves his buggy board, he is 18months, so I imagine it would be great for a 3 yo also!

curtaintwitcher · 16/07/2006 22:43

trinity the sling I like is the coorie sling. I bought one for dd as she was so clingy but it also holds ds if I need it to[never used it yet but you never know]

OzJo · 17/07/2006 03:15

I've got a 3 year old and 1 year old, and I found the kiddie board excelent ( I assume this is the same as the buggy board, you just clip it to the back/bottom of the buggy)...She loves it, we call it her skate board. She'll walk for stretches then just jumps on if she gets tired...good luck.

honeydew · 17/07/2006 10:20

With slings, I was given a 'Baby Bijorn' for my dd. It was good and very secure but I found the straps extremely fiddly! When my ds was born, someone else gave me a 'Mothercare' sling and I MUCH preferred that. It uses lots of strong velcro to hold the child which makes getting baby in and out very quick. It also felt perfectly secure. The straps are thicker as I found the Bijorn dug into my back and ribs at the side after carrying my ds for long periods. My children are 17 months apart and I went everywhere with my ds in the sling for the first 6 months and had dd in a single pram. I found that worked well. The Bijorn slings are quite expensive too and not worth the extra cost considering the baby is only in it for a few months. This has been my experience anyway and I hope it helps!
Good luck!

CarlyP · 17/07/2006 11:07

i had 11mth gap between the boys, so got a dbl, then when the eldest was 18mths, he didnt want to sit in the buggy, sold it and got a buggy board. at the age of 2, he didnt want to use that either. he walks everywhere.

i guess i was lucky. we often go to the forest and walk a cpl of miles and he happily walks with us.

just re-iterate that she is a big girl and big girls dont use buggies, they walk like mummy and daddy..........

bribery, tell her she'll get a treat if she wlaks to X without whinging!

florenceuk · 17/07/2006 12:03

I have a buggy board which I want to get rid of, but to be honest at 3.7yrs she doesn't really need it. It is hard, but they build up stamina quite quickly - DS moaned for about a week when we finally ditched the buggy board, but after that he was fine. Stick to short walks at first (and use car if necessary) but it won't take long.

motherinferior · 17/07/2006 12:14

I'm sure she'll pick up walking pretty quickly. I honestly don't think a child of over three and a half is a toddler or needs to go in a buggy anyway - my younger daughter is only just three but is well out of the buggy mainly because I informed her it was Broken .

Clary · 17/07/2006 12:48

agree with MI re 3.7yo.
DS2 is my third and last and I haven't pushed him in the buggy since about last November. He was 3 in April. He has the odd shoulder ride but otherwise walks.
Tell yr dd she's a big girl - maybe bribe her with some big girl treat?
Trinity I would go for a sling, I had very good use out of a Baby Bjorn with all my 3 and felt it well worth the £45 price. In fact it's my best baby buy!

jaamy · 17/07/2006 13:28

Sorry, have to say that my baby bjorn was the worst but/present. Tried it with both DDs, both hated it. Am very envious of those who managed to make slings work. DD1 (2.5yrs) walks most places unless very far, even though we have a double buggy she mostly refuses to get into it. I'd go for the trying to get DD to walk/cycle and just don't allow them to get in the buggy any more. Try small walks at first and (am afraid to say it) bribery. Try to get her to count steps, lamp posts, other people, etc. Little bit warey of asking DD1 to collect leaves and things as lots of dog fowling/broken glass near us (sounds lovely, doesn't it??).
Best of luck!

tortoiseshell · 17/07/2006 13:31

Dd is 2.11, has walked since baby brother was born 11 weeks ago. We just tell LOTS and LOTS of interminable stories, which keeps her mind off the walking, and she just does it. Also bribery - if she's really tired, promise a treat when you get where you're going.