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Parenting

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Original poster

Walking outside with a 15 month old

18 replies

IGIVEUPGRRR · 27/08/2021 09:47

Hi,

I’m just wondering how everyone has tackled walking outside with their little ones? My DD is 15 months old and has been excellent at walking since about 10 months old but walking her outside seems to be not how I imagined it. If I take DD out to a park or whatever she’ll spend a lot of the time sat down interested in whatever is on the floor or she’ll just run off over to other people shouting “hi” but not walk with me.. or if I pop reins on her it’s just the same with the sitting down for the majority of it.. She won’t really walk out as such, but at home she never ever stops (literally).

I want to take her places for walks but I just find it difficult because she won’t really eat food when out so it’s always a case of being on a time scale to get back for food etc (maybe this is what everyone goes through and I need to be more patient?)

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makinganavalon · 27/08/2021 16:09

Maybe it's just such a new place for her she just wants to sit down and get a feel for it. Can you put her in a buggy till you get to a destination and then just see what she does for half an hour, take a snack or lunch out and just enjoy- doesn't matter if she walks or sits and the taking of food means you can both take your time. I think that's what I did at that age with DD. I don't think she really went for an actual walk walk for a little while.

Danikm151 · 27/08/2021 16:20

I have pushchair that folds really small and I can pull along like a suitcase and ask my 17month old if he wants to do some walking. May take 3 times the length of time it should take because he will see a bench and want to sit on it or see a leaf and want to "talk to it". If he's walked enough back in the pushchair and still get to see things.
walking is a hobby/novelty for them at the moment, their legs are still tiny :D

TiredButDancing · 27/08/2021 16:25

I think going for a "walk" with a toddler is largely pointless in most cases. For me, going for a "walk" with them at that age involved, at most, walking to the nearest park and then letting them do whatever it was they wanted to do. Every single time I attempted to be all wholesome and go for a Proper Walk it was a disaster. x5000 if we turned it into into a Proper Family Walk with DH coming along too.

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Mellowbee · 27/08/2021 16:28

Sounds like my 2 year old at that age. It does get better. I’d bring the pram then let her do what she wanted (within reason) till she was tired then put her back in the pram abs have a little walk

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 27/08/2021 16:31

I take my 17mo son wherever I want to go - woods/park etc in a pram. Then have a loose plan of where I want to walk and take him out of the pram, but quite frankly a lot of time is spent looking at interesting flowers or stones with my son, stopping him running off in the other direction or stopping him running after strangers dogs. He does follow me, but vaguely and interesting stones/leaves/trees distract him easily. My view is that the walks are for my sons benefit, so I largely let him explore.

If im actively going somewhere that I need to be he gets put in a pram.

johnd2 · 27/08/2021 16:39

Mine I older now, but I have always just split time outside into his time and my time, if it's my time ie i need to get somewhere, he goes in the pushchair, and if it's his time he can choose whether to walk, sit down, say hi to dogs/flowers/leaves, or whatever.
I find it a lot less stressful because I'm not trying to micro manage what i think a walk should be

Megan2018 · 27/08/2021 16:43

My 2 year old doesn’t go for walks yet, we don’t get anywhere. I take her in the pushchair, get her out for short durations to walk and let her run off steam in a park.
If I need to walk with a purpose she is pushed.

I wouldn’t let food dictate your day either. Take picnic items for the pushchair- they eat or don’t eat, doesn’t matter.

CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 27/08/2021 16:50

It's just taken us nearly 50 minutes to get to a park that's 10 minutes away, every leaf has to be inspected, every stone on the floor, its a drag. I carried her back after the park, her legs were tired and I just couldn't be bothered waiting for her. First and last time I don't take the buggy!

CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 27/08/2021 16:50

*that was with 20mo DD

girlmom21 · 27/08/2021 16:51

She's exploring the world in a whole new way. Lower your expectations and be patient. Don't expect her to be going on pleasurable walks - there's too much going on for her to enjoy it in the way she will in a year or twos time.

Twizbe · 27/08/2021 16:54

Neither of mine were walking at 15 months, but at this age you're not going to get a 'walk' from them. You're life is also largely driven by their sleep and food needs.

It gets better as they get older. For now though, walk to a place in the buggy and then have a short explore at the destination.

milkyawayday · 27/08/2021 18:31

Its such early days. My baby couldn't walk at all at 15 months so just let her go at her own pace

Take the pram with you for now

Timeturnerplease · 27/08/2021 20:03

Buggy for anything involving a distance/need for a decent pace. We took buggy everywhere until she was about 2, and after that only for long walks. Now she’s 2.9 and has a three week old sister, so has to walk no matter what. Getting up the steep hill to our village park is interesting…

Caspianberg · 28/08/2021 11:03

Same age here, also walked early. I never go out without pram or trike for him even just around the block as he takes ages just going backwards or faffing outside. I usually take trike around block and let him start off walking, but if we haven’t got anywhere he gets strapped in.

Further afield he starts in pram, and gets released in safe areas like parks

BertieBotts · 28/08/2021 11:13

At that age the point of a walk is just to let them go wherever they want as long as it's safe of course, even if that is nowhere.

If you want to get somewhere then I would use a buggy or sling.

T0rt0ise · 28/08/2021 21:30

Three types of walks here

toddler led walk - stop, look, touch inappropriate objects, go about 10m in an hour
adult led walk - toddler goes in carrier and we can cover any distance we're fit enough to with appropriate stops for toddler to stretch legs/have snack. Toddler will also nap on carrier.
need to go somewhere but not in a hurry walk - take pram with buggy board, toddler can get on and off or can be strapped in if more pace is needed

BunnytheFriendlyDragon · 29/08/2021 10:04

I think maybe you underestimate the amount of walking outside that is equivalent to walking in the living room and how much more tiring it is.

Justgettingbye · 29/08/2021 10:09

My DD went for her first outdoor walk at 15 months and we literally went around the block. Just start off small and gradually increase. When my daughter got to about 3 it was easier to go on the off the cuff walks as I could explain we're not doing anything in particular just getting a bit of exercise and she understood

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