How old were your DC when you stopped using a buggy?

[Thistledew]

Just wondering if we should be doing more to stop using the buggy with DS, who is just about 3.5 yrs.

We live in an urban area so shops, the park etc are an easy walk away for an adult, but still seems quite far away for little legs. For example, the nearest park is about 0.8 miles away. If we are just going there then DS usually goes on his scooter- he isn't fully proficient on it yet as he hasn't quite cracked the steering. I will sometimes pull him on it if he gets tired pushing.

But we still use the buggy on our typical weekend route which involves a trip to the high street shops, then on to the park for DS to run around for about an hour, then walking home. The route is about 1.5 miles in total, plus walking around the supermarket and running in the park for DS. He will usually walk the 0.5 mile to the high street, then ride on his buggy board to the park, then either sit in the buggy or ride on the buggy board for the 0.8 miles home.

To be honest, I'm reluctant to give up the buggy entirely because it is so useful for carrying shopping! But I worry that I should be encouraging him to walk more.

Dd was 3 years 9 months.... when ds was born.

I wasn’t going to buy a double buggy to accommodate an almost 4 year old and dd was due to start school a fortnight after her 4th birthday.

I told dd that I couldn’t push 2 buggies and school kids couldn’t go in buggies. I put a buggy board on ds’s pram but dd didn’t like it.

I didn’t lose out on the convenience for carrying things, as ds was in it straight away. I can see that that would be a bit of a pain.

Ds was 2 1/2 but loved walking everywhere from 1

DD is currently 2years 6 months and doesn't want to get in it but will when she's told to if we have to go somewhere busy as she gets constantly knocked into otherwise

I do miss the buggy when they grow out of it though

From about 2 I was mostly pushing an empty buggy by 2.5 I stopped using it.

DC1 was 2. He is like a Labrador - he’s better behaved when well exercised

When DD2 started school at 4.5 but she would still get in it now if it was an option.

Tbh with shopping to carry wrangling a tired toddler is no fun at all. I have never had any interest in making my life harder, encouraging dc to walk when they would rather sit down is for times when I'm not carrying 101 other things.

My 6 yo would still be in hers if I let her. She had to give it up at 3 when her sister was born. It didn't go down well. Then I pushed her on a buggy board everywhere for ages.
Youngest is slowly giving up buggy now at 3.5. Walked a few miles at weekend but needed a nap afterwards. I still push her to play group as she's slow and gets tired.

Dd1 was under 3, she refused to go in it and loved to walk everywhere.

Dd2 was 3+ We were the car alot but she's on a permanent go-slow when walking.

About 2.5 for my DS, however it did hinder us going on longer walks. And I didn’t anticipate how much it would slow us down! Now at nearly 4 he has a lot more stamina but will still ask to sit on DH’s shoulders towards the end of a walk.

I honestly don’t think there is a standard age. If you live urban and walk almost everywhere you will use it a lot longer than living somewhere you only walk for short distances.
I take our buggy out a lot with us but most of the time there are no children in it and they walk. When they’ve had enough they get in and have a seat.

Both about 2.5 - we walked everywhere so they got used to it.
You just have to factor slow walking speed into your plans.

One thing to think about - if you had a playground next to your house, would your DS miraculously have enough energy to play, when he didn't have any to walk?

Around 2.5 yrs for all 3 of mine as I remember it, but could be wrong & I think DC 3 may have been younger as I can't remember the buggy in our current house which we moved to when he was 2yrs 3months.

A scooter with one of those "leads" for towing may be useful, but then we don't have to walk very long distances to get anywhere and it's not a particularly hilly area

The older two when the next child needed it, so 2.9 and 4.5. The youngest is 4.3 and I’ve just put it away.

DS stopped using his at 2yo, he insisted on walking everywhere. Thankfully he's really tall for his age and has boundless energy so he easily managed the 2 miles into town and back, and now he's 3.5yo he can walk longer distances without needing to be carried which is a blessing as he weighs a ton and my back can't take it. I really missed the pushchair for carrying shopping though!

I stopped using it quite late but we did do lots of walking so I often had it with me in case it was needed. Ds1 stopped at 3 because ds2 was born; he stood on the buggy board then. Ds2 was a bit older but after he stopped, he broke his leg when he was just 4, so I had to start using it again.

Phased it out between 2.5 - 3 years old. DS was never a child who loved his pushchair though. I also found them a real faff and was pleased to get rid of it!

DD is 18 months and refuses to go in the pram! She is very very active and has hated it right from the start and recently we have just given up. So we mostly make do with reigns. I’m looking forward to her getting a bit older as obviously at the moment it’s all quite restrictive.

I think my niece stopped using hers around age 2, but we do seem to have early walkers in our family so I think that has made a difference.

DC2 - honestly can't remember. It becomes a miniscule part of their lives looking back from the perspective of the parent of teens.

DC1 - had to give it up at 2 years 9 /10 months (after her sibling went in the buggy after the sling) but she then went on a buggy board for a while.

Gave up the glorious double buggy with the huge basket when DD was 18 months and DS was 2 1/2 years.

They refused to go in and wanted to walk everywhere. I needed both hands to hold so started leaving it at home and using a back pack.

I am very jealous of parents of children in buggies while I'm meandering down the street at 0.00056 mph looking at every leaf/stone/pattern in the tarmac!

DD2 is 3.5yo and I have made the decision over Christmas to sell the buggy. For about 6 months I have only been using it once every few weeks when DD2 has decided to take an unscheduled nap just before the school run. The most recent time I had to fold her legs right up into it to fit the rain cover over. It's just too small (it is supposed to fit a child up to 4yo), so from now on I am going to do without and suffer the occasional grumpy tears of having to wake her up. I'm fed up of it cluttering up the place. I am buying a garden trolly for festivals/day trips to transport tired kids and any equipment/picnics /beer that would otherwise have been slung on the buggy.

DD1 stopped using a buggy at 2.5yo but had a buggy board until around 3.5yo.

My experience has been the DCs are more than capable of walking several miles at this age, although you may need to build up slowly if it's new. DD2 used to moan and I'd often end up carrying her. Until we went to London one day and she walked 7 miles without complaining... (thanks Fitbit for keeping track!) Now I don't buy the moans and she has realised they are futile, so she just gets on with it 🤷🏻‍♀️ unless she's with Daddy who she can still 'work'

We had basically stopped using ours (at 2.5) but in the last couple months, my DD suddenly seems to want to be carried everywhere and so we’ve dug it back out. She asks to go for a walk say locally to the park or library in our village but I can guarantee she won’t be walking home! Being 7 months pregnant, carrying for long & uphill is not an option I enjoy!

When her baby sister arrives, I imagine that’ll be the end of it unless this baby enjoys a sling (DD1 hateddd slings). I’m going to get a second hand buggyboard and hope she’ll stand on the back of it instead!

Still occasionally used a buggy at 5 when DS was poorly (quite often). He's stronger now, and we have passed it on.

2.5

3 and a half year old and we use it very regularly!

However I don’t drive! A car is basically a giant pushchair. It’s easy for others to pop their toddler in the car seat to drive somewhere a mile or two away but I regularly have to walk several miles per day and it’s not something most 3-year-olds can manage (especially when already knackered from play group!)

Will try building their tolerance up a bit over the summer ready for school (although hopefully I will be driving by then)

Probably not long after 2 when he stopped napping in it. We don't tend to walk long distances (I would get bus if going into town) but we do end up walking quite a lot but more wandering about toddler style at slow pace with plenty stops at parks/benches/coffee shops. Would take it out for a long day out or if out late now maybe but that would be fairly rare and never ever take it when travelling through airport, find it much more faff than just going a bit earlier and wandering.

My daughter is 2y10m but I’ve only used the buggy a handful of times since she turned two. She napped in it on holiday (she dropped naps a while before but she was having late nights) but other than that I’ve only used it once at a theme park - and even then it was only to cross the car park - and once because I was taking her out for tea and I’d messed up and parked too far away! I need to sell it really, it’s just so much hassle!