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Original poster

Toddler won’t go in pram OR walk. Advice please!

39 replies

Sipperskipper · 29/06/2019 07:51

Just looking for a bit of advice on this - I’m thinking maybe I’ve just been too soft!

DD (25 months) has pretty much always (since she could move) hated the pram. Liked the ergobaby carrier but again, once she was on the move just cried in it.

We have tried the pram front and rear facing, and various slings, and a proper hiking type carrier. She lasts about 5 mins and then just starts crying ‘out! Out!!!’ Getting more and more worked up. It makes walking anywhere so stressful, and I can barely even walk the dog now. I find this so hard as pre DD (and when she was in the sling as a baby) we have always walked for miles - all our holidays were walking holidays and it’s a big part of our lives.

I end up getting her out of the pram, to walk, which she does for a few minutes, then it’s ‘carry! Carry!’ and she just will not walk- cries and cries and cries! I usually take her balance bike too, which she loves for a bit, but then just gets bored and asks to be carried again. She will literally cry in the pram continuously for an hours walk.

I cannot carry her on my hip as she is heavy - and I am also trying to manage the dog and pram!

Do any other toddlers do this? Any tips on how to manage it? Or do I just need to be really firm, strap her in and ignore the crying?

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TitianaTitsling · 29/06/2019 07:53

Could you pick up one of those buggy/bike things second hand? Not sure what they are called but a trike that they are strapped into that has the handle for you to push?

icecreamsundae32 · 29/06/2019 07:53

Buy her a little buggy to push a doll in and she might walk along pushing that? Or a trike with a handle you can push? The smart trikes have a large bag on the back so you can put a bit of shopping or her spare clothes and snacks in. Or maybe a micro scooter they are very sturdy x

Rosebud1302 · 29/06/2019 07:54

This sounds stressful OP. I have no experience as baby is young but have you tried offering her a special toy or something she gets when in the process? Or a cuddly teddy if she is in to them? I'm sure you have thought about/tried that but just thinking what would I do 🤔

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JohnLapsleyParlabane · 29/06/2019 07:55

At 2 my DD had the ability to understand "you either walk or you go in the buggy. You may choose, but choose now or I will choose for you". I'd be firm

EssentialHummus · 29/06/2019 07:56

Buggy/bike is a good shout. Otherwise tell her before you leave that she either walks nicely or she goes in the pram, and stick to it.

TitianaTitsling · 29/06/2019 07:58

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Toddler won’t go in pram OR walk. Advice please!
funmummy48 · 29/06/2019 08:01

Strap her in, attach some toys, books to distract her when she starts wailing & keep up an unending chatter in a very bright "everything is fine & dandy" voice. You're in charge & if she needs to be in the buggy, she stays in the buggy. If you get her out every time she shouts "out, out" & cries then she's learned that it works. If she's walking for a bit and asking for a carry, tell her your back is poorly & that she needs to go in her buggy. It will become the new "normal".

WilsonandNoodles · 29/06/2019 08:06

My DS also refuses the pushchair and has done since he became reasonable at walking. He's a bit older now so we have accepted the shorter walk limit but for a while we managed by taking his favourite teddy and telling him that teddy wanted to sit in his knee and getting him to point out everything he sees to teddy.

coffeeaddiction · 29/06/2019 08:07

How about a buggy board ?

Absoluteunit · 29/06/2019 08:08

What about one of those little trike things with the handle you push along? Micro scooter? Mind you it took mine a little while at that age to be able to do it for very far

LoafofSellotape · 29/06/2019 08:09

Just leave her in the buggy of you need to go somewhere, if she kicks up a fuss ignore it. Let her walk when you have time but she's learned what works so you need to be firm. I wouldn't be carrying a 2 year old either!

CherryPavlova · 29/06/2019 08:09

Ignore whingeing. If indulged it reinforces the behaviour and puts a two year old in charge.
Strap in with decent harness. Nice brisk walk pointing out the things you see as you go along. Inane chattering about colours, numbers, shapes.

NameChange30 · 29/06/2019 08:09

One of those trike/buggy hybrids could work.
Otherwise you just need to be firmer about the buggy. Sometimes I can persuade DS to get in with a (healthy) snack and that keeps him occupied for a bit. And we talk about what we can see.

If you didn't also have a dog, I'd suggest a micro scooter, but you do need hands free to pull or carry the scooter when they get tired/bored of it, and if we don't also take the pushchair as back up we can end up carrying DS in one arm and scooter in the other!

drspouse · 29/06/2019 08:10

I would also say try toys tied on to the buggy - if she needs to go on it, she needs to learn that cryIng doesn't get you out of it (but distraction as always is your friend).

Original poster
Sipperskipper · 29/06/2019 08:11

This is why I love mumsnet!

You’ve all made me feel loads better, I was starting to think I’d created a monster!

Think I will try the trike idea, and some books in the pram. And that’s it - will be completely firm and keep her in the pram.

Thanks all.

OP posts:
YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 29/06/2019 08:13

How about a wagon. I have one of these, for some reason ds will sit quite happily in this, but hates the pushchair

Toddler won’t go in pram OR walk. Advice please!
Skyejuly · 29/06/2019 08:14

Omg this was my life until a week ago!

I brought one of those wagons on Amazon. She hated the trike but she LOVEs the wagon!

Teddyreddy · 29/06/2019 08:14

Both of mine went through the buggy refusing phase, DD is just starting to outgrow it at 2.5. What helped for both was a buggy board. Both would stand on it so we could still get somewhere, although they do have a tendency to try and get off without notice.... They are pretty cheap 2nd hand if you want to give one a go.

Are you back or hip carrying in the sling? DS would accept being back carried in the sling once he'd had enough of walking. DD doesn't like back carrying so would only accept being carried in a ring sling on my hip - which I couldn't do for far but was much better than carrying her in my hip without it and was what I did for shorter trips when I didn't want to take the buggy.

ErrolTheDragon · 29/06/2019 08:16

I can't remember there being any perfect solution but hang onto the fact that 'This too shall pass'.

The trike thing was of use in some places, but don't be too ambitious in length and surface of walk.

Follow the advice upthread when you really need to get somewhere.

TBH we had a few years when we did more ambling around parks and gardens (ones which allow dogs) than proper walking. The amount of walking versus being carried or pushed will slowly but surely increase. Then gradually this turns into 'proper' walks - in a few years time look for 'Rocky Rambles' and other walks with kids books. Hang on to the fact that this phase isn't forever! By 6 DD could walk up proper hills. I know that when you've got a recalcitrant 2 yo, that seems like a long time!

NameChange30 · 29/06/2019 08:18

Also you mentioned hour-long walks. Personally I think that's too long for a toddler to be restrained in a pushchair (unless it coincides with nap time and they fall asleep). I would probably walk for 20 minutes max and then factor in a break from the pushchair where they can run around a bit before strapping them in again. I avoid long trips in town for shopping/errands for this reason, DS gets bored in the pushchair after too long, so I try to take him to the library or a play cafe or something to break it up. And we don't have a dog but if we did I would combine a dog walk with a walk to the play area so they both get some exercise!

kshaw · 29/06/2019 08:19

I've got a DD same age. She totally understands that she either has to walk or the pram. I've dated to do a couple of walks without the pram but asked her first. Explained where we're going and a long walk but she didn't want the pram etc. Getting a treat half way and when home has helped!

Soonsoonsoon · 29/06/2019 08:25

My similar aged child scoots to a lot of places, but ultimately there are times when I need him in the buggy for speed/safety whether he likes it or not! I find he's now at an age where he understands 'you have to go in the buggy now, but can scoot/walk when we've done x.' If you keep giving in and carrying her, she will keep demanding it. Have you got a buggy board she could stand on?

Knitwit99 · 29/06/2019 08:25

If you need to get someplace and she won't walk then she needs to go in the pushchair. No other option for her. She'll just have to accept it.

I wouldn't buy a trike with a handle, they are not easy to steer unless you are going in a straight line. And its just an extra 'thing' to own and store, especially if you already have a balance bike.
Is she comfortable enough in her pushchair? Is it getting a bit squashed or a bit bumpy maybe if you're on rough tracks?

Or maybe she's just being temperamental about it. There's always something they like to make a fuss about. Today it's the pushchair, tomorrow it's something else.

Kittywampus · 29/06/2019 08:27

Ds is the same and it's a pain, particularly when we are late for something eg the school run.

We use a mix of the following

Microscooter with a rope so I can pull him along if needed
Make walking into a game eg we pretend to be cars having a race
Bribe into the buggy with a snack
Strap him in and let him whinge (when we are really late and I lose patience)

Emmabryant123 · 29/06/2019 14:57

Yep ignore her
My 3 year old gets two choices
Walk nicely
Strapped in buggy
I don't stand for any nonsense on this
She rarely plays up now but did as a two year old

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