What do you do when kids too old for pram but too young to walk far?

[Coriandersucks]

I’ve got a 4 year old and nearly 3 year old. Ditched the buggy a few months ago but have found it difficult when wanting to go on a long walk or visiting somewhere like the local farm place we went to today. I dug out the old buggy and thank god I did because my youngest would never have made it around - we were out for over four hours and it was quite hilly and whilst we stopped lots to play on the different rides, they were both really struggling.

They are both over the weights for the buggy, it has a flat tyre and was creaking all the way round whenever he sat in it so what do you all do at this stage? Is there another buggy size I’ve missed or do I just have to wait until they’re older?

I honestly don’t know what I would have done had I not thought of taking the buggy with me as we were over a mile from the car at one point and I was on my own with both of them.

Scooter (a safe, three wheeled one) Get one of these pull chords for scooters.

@Teddyandsuzie Yes! Somewhere to put the shopping. No idea how I’ll cope with all the bags when the buggy goes...

@Teddyandsuzie

I don’t really understand the race to ditch the pushchair on MN.

My DC had a buggy until they were 4 (but we had no car and walked everywhere). They would walk when they wanted to and sit down when tired. I also had somewhere to put the bags for a day out.

Win win for both of us. Why make life more stressful?

I like the pram for small children but for me It got quite tiresome once theyre older and you want to spend time at the beach, and places that aren't very buggy friendly. It's quite liberating to just set off with DS just with my keys (and a packet of haribo for bribery purposes) in my pocket.

Buy another buggy, omg, don't understand this self-flaggelation mania for avoiding buggies.

Scooters? They fall off, cry, won't ride, then you have to drag reluctant child AND carry the darn scooter. (we knew a school mum used to carry 3 back from the school run, DH reckoned she had arms like a wrestler)

Snacks? I have seen this a lot. But not every child responds energetically to sugary junk food, especially when weather terrible.

Drive? I'd rather push a buggy myself.

Balance bikes? The kids end up going way to fast unless you like running fast too -- until they fall off (see Scooters? scenario)

Carry the kid? This might be why I was discussing shoulder replacements before age 50.

Buggies are wonderful: let you walk fast, in all weathers, no arguments, no junk food snacks required, instant nap space if required, no expensive alternative wheeled things to carry or get stolen, room to store some shopping. What's not to like.

My nearly 3 year old still goes in the buggy loads. Just got a light buggy for the car. For the school run I actually prefer my original pram still as I can put the straps on in a hurry and put the foootmuff over his ( often trouser and shoe free legs as he hates getting dressed). I also love that is has suspension. Buggy’s seem so flimsy to me after having a decent pram for ages.
My older ones at this stage went on a buggy board a lot. But can’t do that with this one I guess, unless I find something else to put in the pram!

Have an out n about double for my 4 year old and v nearly 2 year old, still take it on any sort of long walk and big day out, copes fine weight wise! Fill it with bags when they want to walk and they hop in and out!

Seems like an unnecessary faff not to have a buggy if you need one! Can you pick up a second hand out n about or city mini?

Due to various reasons we used a buggy until age 6 (plus a couple of times age 7). We had a basic Argos 20 quid thing - total basic no hood, underneath basket or anything. If I had known we would have been using for longer I would have kept the Maclaren because it was a bit more sturdy.

I honestly think it's a case of walking more, at a decent pace, holding their hands so your determining the speed which builds up stamina. Your life will be much easier for it.

Carry the kid? This might be why I was discussing shoulder replacements before age 50.

In a well-fitting sling you shouldn’t be risking shoulder replacements...you do, however, get a great workout from an otherwise normal walk. I fully appreciate those with physical issues that may prevent them from using a sling, but most fit adults should have no problem.

Buggies are wonderful: let you walk fast, in all weathers, no arguments, no junk food snacks required, instant nap space if required, no expensive alternative wheeled things to carry or get stolen, room to store some shopping. What's not to like.

You’re spending £££ on something you may only use for another 6-12 months and you’re fucked if you hit uneven ground or stairs without a lift option. Both my DSs napped like logs on our backs - better than in the pram. And you just carry a shoulder bag or if you’re with your other half, one carries child, the other carries bag/s. I don’t know why people ever buy a new buggy from the age of three onwards. A sling is half the price and ten times the convenience.

I have a very tall 3 1/2 year old. We live in the middle of nowhere with bad transport links and we can’t drive. He can walk 2/3 miles easily but more than that - for appointments or days out further afield we still take the buggy. He is nearly 4 foot and weighs a ton- I’m not fucking carrying him for miles. Sod that.

Elphaba as I said upthread our buggy cost 20 quid. If it had only been used 6 months it wouldn't have mattered. People probably spend more than £20 in the cafe at the end of the long walk these 3 year olds can apparently do !

Reading with interest. My toddler is 2,8 and I’m thinking we’re almost at the end of the buggy days 😩I liked to push her round the block/to the shops but don’t know how that will happen now as it’s alongside roads and she’s not able to be trusted to keep holding my hand the whole way round.
How does it work when you go clothes shopping etc? I enjoy putting her in the buggy and having that security, when she no longer fits, it will be chaos! I often now let her walk a little around the shopping centres when we were/are allowed, but there’s no way I could seriously go in and out of shops looking at things 🤷🏻‍♀️
It’s the same with eating out, had the security of having her strapped in the buggy outside a cafe or in a high chair in a restaurant, she can sit on a big chair at the table, but barely sits there for long! What do you do?! So sad those days are almost ending

I have younger ones so still have a pushchair for them but have ended up with my oldest grabbing a short ride while my youngest trots around for a little bit or is carried. We have a City Mini GT which has a huge seat, so even DS aged 6 can still squeeze in briefly. It's only been tested to 15 kg in the UK but the identical buggy is rated to 65 lb (about 30 kg) in the USA so I've been happy using it.

I've found scooters helpful when you want to walk a longer distance e.g. to a friend's house and they then don't need to walk until you go home. I've found them less useful on a day out where you may spend a large part of the day walking, I seem to end up carrying child and scooter....

@Ilovemaisie Wow, so do you just change the buggy they’re in to a shopper type? What’s the next type at 3 plus? Currently have a quinny

I have a 1 year old and 3.5 year old. My 3.5 walks loads but does get tired in long walks so we have a Phil and Ted's double. The second seat doesn't get used that often but it's great for shopping or wrestling the 3.5 year old into if I'm in a hurry. I'm going out tomorrow with just my oldest but will be taking the small travel buggy with me incase she needs it as there will be loads of walking involved and I don't fancy carrying her for miles uphill to the train station like the last time I thought she could go buggy free

I’m so glad I don’t have this issue. My toddler can go for bloody miles! We did 13000 steps at the farm today and he ran most of it!
I stopped using a buggy at the start of lockdown and he happily walks 3-5k most days. He’s never liked a buggy though.

Balance bikes and scooters work well and piggy backs!

Stillgardening this is the basic type of one I had but had I known we would have been using it for as long as we did I might have gone for one with a hood.
(These two are Argos £22.99 for the basic, £39.99 for the slightly bigger)

(sorry the pictures are kinda the wrong way around)

@Stillgardeningatthishour

Reading with interest. My toddler is 2,8 and I’m thinking we’re almost at the end of the buggy days 😩I liked to push her round the block/to the shops but don’t know how that will happen now as it’s alongside roads and she’s not able to be trusted to keep holding my hand the whole way round. How does it work when you go clothes shopping etc? I enjoy putting her in the buggy and having that security, when she no longer fits, it will be chaos! I often now let her walk a little around the shopping centres when we were/are allowed, but there’s no way I could seriously go in and out of shops looking at things 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s the same with eating out, had the security of having her strapped in the buggy outside a cafe or in a high chair in a restaurant, she can sit on a big chair at the table, but barely sits there for long! What do you do?! So sad those days are almost ending

I've had to build it up slowly really, and because of lockdown it's been hard. I tend to just take him to one or two shops at the most with things I think he'll find interesting. For cafes I chose places initially like garden centres where it's more like a canteen service and you get the food straightaway. But i'm not ashamed to say that when we've had to wait for food i've let him watch a bit duggee on my phone if he seems restless.

I wish I had thicker skin but I'd find it difficult to deal with any stares that I might attract around here if I had my nearly-three year old (and tall) child in a Tula Toddler on my back. Our numerous well-meaning pensioner neighbours would probably also make comments about it.

For that reason I'm wary of investing in one - they're expensive - that I might not then feel totally comfortable to use.

Yes, I know I should toughen up, but I'm just not immune to looks and comments.

My other concern about using a carrier is that I'd need to carry it around for the day - probably in a rucksack - and then once said child is on my back then I'd need to carry the rucksack on my front, etc.

I have a McLaren Volvo with a carry-strap. Weighs practically nothing, invaluable for those times when you have to get somewhere in a hurry with a three or four year old. Used it for 5/6/7 year olds when they were feeling poorly but needed to be dragged along on other child’s school run. Ten years later still using it to take the cat to the vet.

Scooter

I also didn't like back carriers because I felt uncomfortable not being able to see her. I only used the one we had twice I think. My husband used it a bit more but once he had her on his back going on the tube. A bloke quickly pulled him in further from the door saying "your kid is sticking out the door".

Get a buggy - second hand would be fine if you don't want to spend £££.

Dd2 was in a pushchair until 3 or 4, we had a long school run and no car. Made life easier for everyone, we took dd2 to nursery in the pushchair dd1 scooted and I carried the scooter on the pushchair to school. I couldn't have carried dd2 in a sling.

@VeraGriffin what comments are you expecting to be made?

DS is nearly 3 & is fine in our Tula - never noticed anyone pointing or say anything to us other than that's a great idea & they wished they'd had them when their kids were little. Tbh don't think I'd care if anyone did think it was odd, he's a small child who gets tired.

You do need to fold it up if not using, but it folds down quite small & fits into a bag/backpack fine.
Yes, you would need to wear the backpack on the front if on your own; or get a long shoulder strap bag you can wear across your body.